“Faith lifts the soul. Hope supports it. Experience says it must. And love says let it be!”-St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Faith Formation for Adults

Kali Lavery, newly received into the Catholic Church, was Confirmed and received Holy Communion at the Vigil of Pentecost, June 4, 2022. Here she poses with her family, her sponsor and family and OLM Pastor, Father Healey.

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is a program for adults and high school teenagers who:

  • Have not been baptized and are seeking to follow Jesus Christ and receive the Sacraments of His Church.

  • Are Baptized Christians who are seeking full communion in the Catholic Church.

  • Are Baptized Catholics who, for whatever reason, missed the fullness of the Sacramental life and still need to receive Confession, First Communion, and/or the Eucharist.

  • Are Catholic and married outside of the Church. God wants to raise your civil union to the supernatural level of the Sacrament of Matrimony and so be able to love as God loves.

  • Are full members of the Catholic Church who simply want to learn more about the exhaustive treasure of the faith.

The RCIA is the roadmap for the spiritual journey, a gradual process that varies according “to the many forms of God’s grace, the free cooperation of the individual, the actions of the church and the circumstances to time and place.” (RCIA #5). RCIA Classes meet weekly beginning in the Fall of each year and conclude following the Easter Vigil Mass in the spring.

Here at Our Lady of Mercy we base our program on the Catholicism Series by Bishop Robert Barron. This excellent series consists of ten videos which cover every major topic of the Catholic faith. At our weekly meetings we watch and discuss each topic in detail. If you would like to learn more about our program please click the link here.

If you are an adult Catholic in need of the Sacraments or non-Catholic interesting in learning more about the Catholic faith, please contact the parish office at (401) 884-4968 or send an email to parish@olmparish.org.


Faith Formation for Youth

The celebraton of First Holy Communion at OLM.

The Holy Family foreshadowed and anticipated what the Second Vatican Council calls “the domestic church”(Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church [Lumen Gentium], Each Christian family, exemplified in the Holy Family, is to be a microcosm of the larger Church. As the larger Church is a communion of persons, so the family is a small communion of persons. The family receives its life from the larger Body of Christ, the Church, and so comes to mirror the life of this larger Church. Pope John Paul II stated in his apostolic exhortation On the Family (Familiaris Consortio), “The Christian family constitutes a specific revelation and realization of ecclesial communion, and for this reason . . . it can and should be called ‘the domestic Church’” (no. 21). As Joseph and Mary were the first to proclaim to Jesus the living faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, so Christian fathers and mothers are the first to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to their children. They not only present their child for Baptism, but they also promise within the Rite of Baptism to raise their child in accordance with the Gospel and the teachings of the Church. The Second Vatican Council states that parents,

By their word and example . . . are the first heralds of the faith with regard to their children
— Lumen Gentium, no. 11

Father Mahoney distributes First Holy Communion.

Thus, as the Church is to evangelize all nations, so Catholic parents, in fostering the domestic Church within their own families, are to evangelize their children. They do this in a number of ways, always in keeping with the age of their children.

When your children were baptized, you promised to bring them up in the Catholic faith. I’m sure many of you think that bringing your child to religious education classes fulfills your obligation. In part, it does. The real center of our faith, however, is the Eucharist. If you do not feel the need to attend Mass because you are “fulfilling” your religious duty by bringing your children to class every week.  Please understand that religious education is only the introduction to a relationship with God.

We all have our priorities. Children should be offered every opportunity when they are growing up –the religious formation of children is the most valuable gift they can receive and that means celebrating the Eucharist together as a Parish, as well as ensuring their participation in religious education classes.

Connection to God through parish worship offers support and hope. It will make a difference in what kind of person a child becomes. Yes, we want our children to be successful. More than that, we want them to be happy and loving, with good people to stand by them. We want them to rely on God when times get tough, as times do for all of us. In about thirty hours a year, religious education classes cannot provide your children with a relationship with God. Only religious education and practice at home, family prayer and devotions, weekly attendance at Mass, and involvement in the life and ministries of the parish can truly help deepen that relationship.  For more information about the Religious Education Program at Our Lady of Mercy.

Jesus, however, called the children to himself and said, “Let the children come to me and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these”.
— Luke 18:16, NAB

Bishop Matano of Rochester poses with the Mita Family at Confirmation Mass.

All children of the parish who do not attend a Catholic school are offered the opportunity to attend our Faith Formation Program. We believe parents remain the foremost educators in their child’s faith formation. We strive to encourage a collaborative effort and facilitate a welcoming environment that encourages a lifelong commitment to our faith and the Church. Sunday Mass attendance is mandatory for all students at every grade level. First Holy Communion is a two-year program that normally includes 1st and 2nd Grade formation classes. First Holy Communion is celebrated in the spring of 2nd Grade after First Penance. Confirmation is a two-year program that normally includes 7th and 8th-grade formation classes. Confirmation is celebrated in the fall of 9th Grade.

 

Contact Information

Mr. Jeremy Long, Faith Formation Director for Communion & Confirmation

FaithFormation@olmparish.org or 401-884-4968

Miss Julia Anthon, Faith Formation Directress

FaithFormationDir@olmparish.org or 401-884-4968

2023-2024 RE:

This year’s Faith Formation program will focus on the Sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation. Students of Grade One, Grade Two, and Grade Eight will have classes approximately once a month at the dates and times listed on the respective program schedules. For this year, students in the grades not listed above will have the opportunity for a home-based curriculum upon registration. Upon registration, books for the home-based courses may be picked up at 10 am after the 9 am Sunday Mass in the Our Lady of Mercy School building on October 15th, November 5th, and December 3rd. Arrangements to pick up home-based course books may also be made at other times and dates by contacting the Faith Formation program at faithformation@olmparish.org

23/24 Registration

23/24 First Communion Schedule

23/24 Confirmation Schedule

Volunteers:

The BCI form must be notarized. You may have this done at the Parish Office.

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Bishop Tobin administers the Sacrament of Confirmation.

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Confirmation

All public and parochial students entering Grade 8 must register for Confirmation.

  Our Confirmation Sacramental Preparation Program strives to offer the students a solid review of the basic tenets of our faith, participation in spiritual experiences such as Rosary, Benediction, Adoration, and Stations of the Cross, Lenten Mission, Holy Week, and preparation for the reception of the Sacrament which is received in the Fall of the 9th grade. There is a mandatory retreat annually. There are opportunities for community service by volunteering.