My dear family of Holy Trinity Church,
During years, the Roman Catholic Church, and of course our parish, has been evangelizing and making disciples for the Lord. For this reason, Holy Trinity Church has had the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults, which commonly was called RCIA. Probably some of you participated with love and enthusiasm to become Catholics or to receive the fullness of the Sacraments through RCIA during Easter Vigil.
RCIA has been a wonderful experience for all of us, including for our parish who with love and dedication has been preparing and teaching all candidates and catechumens of our parish family. However, we do not have RCIA anymore. Why is the reason for this? Well… the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), after several meetings and guided by the action of the Holy Spirit, concluded that the Sacraments of Christian Initiation cannot only be limited by the rites, but they should be a continued and intimate relationship with the Lord. Hence, the USCCB changed the name from RCIA to OCIA, which means the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults. So, what is OCIA? It is a process leading conversion of the heart and a closer relationship with Jesus who invites us to follow Him.
OCIA brings the opportunity that any adult joins us in our faith through the sacrament of Baptism or through the reception in our faith if the person was already baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit in another Christian faith. In addition, OCIA brings the opportunity to those adult people who are already baptized Catholic to receive the other sacraments such as Confirmation, Communion, and Reconciliation.
If you know someone, or even yourself, who has questions about our Catholic faith and how they (or you) can receive these sacraments, please invite them to an informative meeting on September 8 at noon in the Marian Room in our parish, which is the office level below the church. You can also call Mary Kramer, our OCIA coordinator, at (585) 265 1616. She will be happy to answer your questions. I am also here to help you in this discernment in this journey to our Catholic faith.
Finally, I encourage all of you to pray for all people who are discerning to join us.
Remember, “The Parish that we dream is the parish that I help to build.” God bless you and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!
Fr. Jorge Ramirez
