Faith Development Programme and available courses

RCIA -The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.

This is the process through which interested adults are gradually introduced to the Catholic Faith and way of life. The entire process takes several months and follows a structured programme towards the final rite at the Easter Vigil when converts will become full members. However, each person's conversion journey is unique, and an individual will progress at their own pace guided by the Holy Spirit and with the support of the Parish Priest and Catechetical team.

At St Mary's the RCIA programme is run once a year beginning in September. This includes following a ten session Alpha Course, followed by the "Exploring the Catholic Church" series of eight sessions. Additionally the catechetical team is available for 1 -1 catechesis if this is desired by candidates at any stage.

All sessions take place on Saturday mornings (although this could change) and are followed by a simple lunch. Specific timings will be confirmed before the start of each course.

Visit the RCIA website.

The Alpha Course

This is a video and discussion based course. Talks are given by Nicky Gumbel, the pioneer of the Alpha Course. Course book and manual available.

This is an ideal introduction to the core beliefs of Christianity and has a wide appeal reaching those who have some faith, or who have no faith at all. It is also ideal for believers who want to deepen their faith and grow their knowledge of Christianity. Key sessions include; "Who is Jesus?", "Why did Jesus Die?","How does God guide us?" and "How can I resist evil?"

Additionally there is a Retreat Day which includes sessions on "Who is the Holy Spirit?", "What does the Holy Spirit do?" and "How can I be filled with the Holy Spirit?"

Visit the Alpha Course website.

Exploring the Catholic Church

This is a video and discussion based course. Talks are given by Marcellino D'Ambrosio, professor of theology at the University of Dallas. Course book and manual are available.

This is the recommended next step after the Alpha Course and provides specific instruction in the Catholic Faith, including subjects like Baptism, Confirmation, Prayer and The Mass. It is also intended for Catholics who want to deepen their faith. It is part of the Catholic Faith Exploration series.

Visit the Faith Cafe website.

Marriage Preparation

At St Mary's we run a Marriage Preparation Course

The aim of the course is designed to help couples develop strong foundations for a lasting Christian Marriage.

This is run over two Saturdays and they are full days. The course is video and discussion based. There are also several practical exercises for couples to work on together using the course workbook. Privacy of the engaged couple is maintained at all times and there is no requirement to disclose anything personal to a third party.

Over the two days couples will, amongst several subjects, learn how to make a marriage work, understand the importance of communication and commitment, have the opportunity to recognise their differences, and learn the skills necessary for their relationship to develop and grow. An important session covered is learning about Marriage as a Sacrament and the marriage vows.

The timing and frequency of the courses will depend on the number of engaged couples.

"The course was invaluable to us as a couple.We thought we knew everything there was to know about each other, but we learnt so much and benefited from it enormously."

Visit the Marriage Preparation Course website.

Lenten and Advent Courses

These are run on Thursday evenings in conjunction with our regular Sunday Readings group at the appropriate liturgical time. The subject of the course may vary from year to year. For example during Advent 2007 we ran the Lord's Prayer Course which examined in detail the beauty of the prayer Our Father taught us. In Lent 2007 we ran a course examining the Beatitudes.

St Mary's Open Day

This was run for the first time in September 2007 and was very successful. The aim was to welcome anyone to visit the Church and Parish Centre to find out about who we are and what we do.

There were exhibitions of the various activities which take place in the parish; CWL, St Mary's School, Sunday Readings Group, The Children's Liturgy, information about the Alpha, Faith Exploration and other courses, and also Social Events that are held.

There were also tours of the church itself. Parishioners were availableto explain e.g what happens in the sacristy, about the priest's vestments, about the altar and what is found on it, the Stations of the Cross and many other items.

In our lovely Conservatory and garden visitors could relax and enjoy refreshments.

Another Open Day is planned to specifically welcome lapsed Catholics.