It’s always nice to be invited…isn’t it? We often find ourselves sorting through the mail or incoming messages. When we see a note from a friend and it says, “You’re Invited,” our curiosity takes over, and we race to find out what we’re being invited to. Even before we learn about the details, we may be thinking. . . ‘Oh, it’s so nice that they thought of me.’
Three months ago in this letter, I passed along a ‘bucket list’ suggestion to invite someone you know (maybe a family member, friend, or neighbor) to learn more about our Catholic faith. That invitation could take several forms. Maybe it’s inviting that person into a conversation about our faith and why you’re Catholic, maybe it’s inviting that person to Mass, or maybe it’s inviting that person to explore becoming a Catholic through our parish RCIA process (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults).
The first stage of the RCIA process is inquiry. We’ll be beginning this inquiry process in early October. This is a perfect time for any adult to join us for a discussion about our faith and to answer any questions they may have. There are no commitments in this stage of the process. More details about these sessions will be coming in the weeks ahead. If you are interested, please contact the office at seas@seasgb.org or (920) 499-1546.
For people who choose to continue the RCIA process, the culmination is being received into the Church during the Easter Vigil Mass and receiving the sacraments of initiation: baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist. A few notes…first, if the person is already baptized, they won’t be baptized again. Second, if the person is already Catholic, they have the opportunity to receive the sacrament of confirmation. Of course, the first step of this process is up to all of us… it’s the personal invitation!
Now I have a few invitations for you! First, if you have not yet attended a Living Christ Retreat at our parish, please mark your calendars for October 15-17 (Thursday and Friday evening and Saturday morning). As far as I know, we have a 100% satisfaction rating from those who have attended!
Second, I’d like to invite interested adults in attending a Cursillo weekend. I will be assisting Fr. Walter Stumpf who is the Spiritual Director of the next Men’s Cursillo. It’s scheduled for Thursday evening through Sunday evening on September 24-27 at St. Mary’s, Menasha. The Women’s Cursillo begins on Thursday evening October 29 at Most Precious Blood Parish in New London. For more information, please contact me or consult the Cursillo website at: http://natl-cursillo.org/Greenbay/.
So, there you go….you have been invited, and you are called to invite others. May the Holy Spirit guide us in our thoughts, words, and actions when we have the opportunities to say…”You’re Invited!”
Blessings to you and your families!
Deacon Mark Mullins