WALLSEND | SHORTLAND
Journeying Toward Full Communion with Christ
The RCIA ministry serves those moved to seek entry into the Catholic Church.
Specifically, the RCIA programme and rites are for non-Christians, those who have not been baptized in any Christian denomination. In the RCIA these are called Catechumens.
Some baptized Christians (Anglicans, Baptists etc.) also seek to join the Catholic Church. These, too, are included in the programme, but follow a different path as outlined below. These are called Candidates.
Our role is to accompany Catechumens and Candidates in developing and deepening their relationship with Jesus Christ in and through the Catholic Church.
From Catechumen to Full Initiation
Catechumens typically attend weekly sessions advancing in knowledge, prayer, and Christian living. Their involvement intensifies during Lent and culminates in the Sacraments of Initiation – Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist – at the Easter Vigil.
Candidates – who are already baptized Christians – attend the same weekly sessions to foster a closer relationship with Jesus through the riches of the Catholic Church. They are brought into the Catholic Church at any appropriate time by Confirmation and Eucharist.
A Holistic Path of Encounter
Three parishioners, Christine Connelly, Deb Setz and Michael O’Connor are the parish RCIA Team. We usually come together with Catechumens and Candidates at 4pm on Sundays. We engage with Jesus by sharing our insights gained from a deep reading of the Sunday’s Gospel and relate the Jesus of the Gospels with the Church today as the community which is his Body present in the world.
We believe that the Church is the best place of encounter with Christ through the Word proclaimed, the Sacramental life (especially the celebration of the Eucharist) which nourishes and sustains us, and the community which embraces and supports us. More than just passing on information we take a holistic approach which includes imparting knowledge, certainly, but seeks to involve heart and soul in prayer, liturgy, service, and community life and mission.
Over the years most of those we have engaged with are baptized Christians from other denominations. Recently this has changed to unbaptized young adults seeking the Church’s truth and beauty.
We have consistently had involvement with one to three persons at any given time. These have come to us after making contact of their own initiative with priests, the Parish Office, or the Diocese.
Currently (September 2026) we are blessed to have three young Catechumens journeying to full membership in our Church community.
An Invitation to Join Us
Our mission is to build up the Body of Christ with new members who are intentional disciples and friends of Jesus Christ at home in his church community and actively devoted to his mission.
It is life-giving when we introduce them to a community of likewise intentional disciples who welcome them to our celebrations – especially the Mass – and share with them the joy of Catholic living.
We invite anyone stirred to be part of our ministry to join us. We take great joy in sharing our Catholic faith in Jesus, and we testify that our own relationship with our God deepens as we participate in this ministry of sharing God’s bounteous love.
