Introduction
The
whole Church in heaven and on earth rejoices at the initiation
of new members into the Body of Christ through Baptism,
Confirmation, and Eucharist. We have a variety of programs at
Sacred Heart to catechize and initiate new Christians of all
ages.
Programs for Children
Students in our Grade School and Religious Education program are
prepared for the Sacraments of Reconciliation {second grade},
Eucharist {third grade} and Confirmation {eighth grade}. The
Sacramental preparation program is a combined effort of
teachers, catechists, priests, parents and students. It includes
parent sessions, meetings between parents and a parish staff
member, and, for Confirmation, a meeting between the student and
a priest. Parent participation and cooperation is a crucial
component of all these programs. For more information, please
contact Mrs. Deanne May in the parish office,
dmay@sacredheartyonkers.org
Special programs are also available for older children and
teenagers who have missed their sacraments. Please contact Fr.
Charles for more information,
csammons@sacredheartyonkers.org
RCIA
The
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults was the last of the
Sacramental rites to be revised after Vatican II. Its
introduction marked a significant change in the way adults are
welcomed into the Catholic Community. It is a return to an
ancient practice in the Church: a process of discerning and
ritually celebrating stages of conversion, leading to
sacramental initiation through Baptism, Confirmation and the
Eucharist, as celebrated at the Easter Vigil. Instead of
individual meetings with a priest to explain the teachings of
the Church through "convert instructions," R. C. I. A.
presents a structure for representatives from the local parish
family to help form new members in the life of the Catholic
Christian Community through faith-sharing and meditation on the
Word of God as experienced in the Sunday Liturgy each week.
Meetings are on Monday evenings from Fall through Spring. About
ten people form the core group: parishioners, religious and a
priest moderator. In addition to those seeking to discern
whether God is calling them to embrace the Catholic Faith, the
group is also open to those who wish to deepen their own
spirituality or to any wishing to make up for "skipped"
Sacraments {i.e., Confirmation}. If interested as an R.C.I.A.
minister or candidate, you are invited to speak with a parish
priest.
Children's Liturgy of
the Word
The Children's Liturgy of the Word is offered to children of the
parish from pre-K through 6th grade. At the beginning of the
Mass, the children are called out of the Church to proceed to
the Church Hall. There, the scriptures of the day are read in
child-friendly language, a reflection is offered, and the
children are led in either a discussion or artwork to reflect on
the meaning of the readings. The children are returned to family
in the Church at the Offertory.
The
program runs from Sept – June at the 10AM Sunday Mass,
with the exception of the second Sunday of the month (and other
special occasions), when children are asked to remain in the
Church with their families. A schedule is circulated in
September to the grade school and religious education families:
copies are available in the Church office.
Anyone interested in helping in any way is more than welcome.
