Latest News Updates

Classes will begin Wednesday, September 3, 2008 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. for children of the parish entering Kindergarten through 8th grade.

If you have not registered please contact Tina Sondag at the Parish Center office at 347-6108 ext. 212.

If your child has not received the sacraments and will be in the 3rd grade or above please call to make arrangements for their preparation for the Sacraments.

2008-2009 classes:
September 3, 2008 through April 22, 2009

Watch this page for Fall and Winter RCIA updates!

Rites and Scrutinies

November, 2008
... 11-22-2008 Rite of Acceptance 5:00 p.m. Mass

February, 2009
... 2-28-2009 Rite of Sending to Election 5:00 p.m. Mass

March, 2009
... 3-01-2009 Rite of Election @ St. Mary's Cathedral 6:30 p.m.
... 3-15-2009 1st Scrutiny 9:00 a.m. Mass
... 3-18-2009 Presentation of Creed 5:30 p.m. Mass
... 3-22-2009 2nd Scrutiny 9:00 a.m. Mass
... 3-29-2009 3rd Scrutiny 11:00 a.m. Mass

April, 2009
... 4-01-2009 Presentation of Lord’s Prayer 5:30 p.m. Mass
... 4-11-2009 Easter Vigil 7:30 p.m.
... 4-22-2009 R.C.I.A. Potluck @ 6:00 p.m.

May 11, 2009
... 5-22-2009 Pentecost Mass for New Catholics @ St. Mary's Cathedral 10:30 a.m.

For more information about RCIA, please call the Parish Center office during business hours at 347-6108, extension 210, or call Barb Pogioli at 346-9546. If you're under 18 and would like to know more about the RCIA process, please call Tina Sondag in the Parish Center at 347-6108, extension 212.

If you'd like to know about joining the RCIA Ministry as a sponsor, table leader or hospitality person, please call Deacon Marty Pogioli at 346-9546.

Periods of Formation
... Evangelization (Precatechumenate)
... Catechumenate
... Enlightenment
... Mystagogia

Liturgical Stages
... Rite of Becoming a Catechumen
... Rite of Sending & Election
... Initiation

Definitions and Dates

RCIA: 9/03/08 - 4/22/09
...Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults; frequently called "catechumenate" or "Christian Initiation"

Evangelization
... Whatever leads a person to hear the word of God in such a way as to lead to initial conversion to the Lord.

Precatechumenate: 9/03/08 - 11/22/08 (Participants are called inquirers.)
... An informal introduction to the Catholic community, a period of discussion, prayer and discernment designed to help an individual make a decision about entering the catechumenate.

Rite of Becoming a Catechumen: 11/22/08, 5:00 P.M. Mass
... This is one of the major rites in which the inquirer requests entrance into the catechumenate and becomes a member in training.

Catechumenate: 11/22/08 - 3/01/09 (Participants are called catechumens.)
... A specific period of formation into the Christian Catholic community, including an intellectual understanding of the faith and an adult experience of it.

Rite of Sending to Election: 2/28/09, 5:00 P.M. Mass

Rite of Election: 3/01/09, 6:30 P.M. Service (Cathedral, Peoria)
... This is the major rite by which the catechumen, on the basis of testimony, is accepted for full membership in the Church.

Enlightenment/Purification: 3/01/09 - 4/11/09 (Participants are called the elect.)
... A period of intense spiritual preparation for initiation into the Church.

Rite of Initiation: 4/11/09, 7:30 P.M. Easter Vigil Mass
... This is the major rite by which the catechumen is initiated into the Church through Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist.

Mystagogia: 4/11/09 - 5/11/10 (Participants are called neophytes.)
... A period of reflection, catechesis, service and integration into the community.

The following dates have been set as meeting dates for the Prayer Shawl Ministry. All meetings are on Sunday following the 11:00 mass.

2008 dates
   May No Meeting
   June 8th
   July 20th
   September 14th
   October No Meeting
   November 16th
   December 14th

2009 dates
   January 11th
   February 8th
   March 8th
   April 12th
   June 14th

It wasn't easy being a Christian in the early Church. It was challenging, rewarding, puzzling, harrowing — at times even dangerous. And every day of an early Christian's life was a new adventure.

Now you can relive the adventure each Friday evening as Fr. Tim presents a spellbinding video series that's a unique experience in Bible study. It's a series that will capture your imagination while it vividly recalls the story of the Church's earliest days.

Adventures in Acts: the Spread of the Kingdom paints a riveting, colorful picture of the years immediately following Christ's ascension. It vividly illustrates how the Church, enlivened by the Holy Spirit, continued Jesus's mission on earth in the face of threats, obstacles and setbacks from within and without.

Everyone is invited. You do not have to be a St. Joseph parishioner, but we do urge you to register using this form (form will open in a new window), especially if you'd like a workbook. Don't miss this lively 20-week series...

Adventures in Acts: the Spread of the Kingdom
April 18 through September 26, 2008
Friday evenings, 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
In the Church

• Discover how the Gospel witness spread outward in waves, from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria, and finally to the ends of the earth.
• Share with the early Christians the joys and struggles of living the life of Christ, and learn how these apply to us today.
• See how the Holy Spirit guided the apostles to Truth.
• Observe the way the Spirit-filed Church adapted to new cultures when proclaiming the Gospel.
• Watch the seeds of Church structure and authority take root, and discover how conflicts were resolved even at that early stage.
• Uncover your place in Christ's Church and how you are called to live day-to-day as a disciple of Christ.

Here's the complete schedule...

• April 18th — Introduction
• April 25th — Prelude to Power
•  
• May 9th — The Power of Pentecost
• May 16th — The Miraculous Power of Jesus' Name
• May 23rd — The Church Acts with Boldness
• May 30th — Problems within; Persecutions Without
•  
• June 6th — The First Christian Martyr
• June 13th — Kingdom Borders Expand
• June 27th — The Persecutor Becomes the Preacher

• July 11th — St. Peter's Un-Kosher Picnic
• July 18th — The Church in Antioch
•  
• August 1st — Paul's First Missionary Journey
• August 8th — The Jerusalem Council and Paul's Second Journey
• August 15th — Converts and Conflicts: Turning the World Upside Down
• August 22nd — Ministry in Corinth; Third Missionary Journey
• August 29th — Ministry in Ephesus
•  
• September 5th — Paul Heads for Jerusalem
• September 12th — Paul Makes His Defense
• September 19th — Paul's Final Defense and Witness in Rome
• September 26th — Conclusion

If you and your family would like to bring up the gifts during any one of the four weekend Masses on a regular basis or on a certain date, please contact Lisa, cell: 241-2845.