Catholics celebrate and experience forgiveness of sins through the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Penance). According to the Church’s Code of Canon Law, Catholics are obliged to celebrate this Sacrament at least once yearly unless they are aware of more serious sin.
Confessions are heard every other Wednesday from 6:30-8:30 PM by Fr. Perry or by personal appointment during regular office hours. During Advent and Lent, extended times are offered for Confessions. If you would like more information about this Sacrament, please contact Fr. Perry.
Are You Thinking About Becoming a Catholic Christian?
R.C.I.A. stands for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and represents the process by which adults are introduced to the beliefs and practices of the Catholic Church, dialogue with a team of clergy and trained laypersons, and move through the sacraments of initiation—baptism, confirmation and eucharist.
R.C.I.A. begins with Inquiry— an important part of the program that allows you to bring your questions to a relaxed environment that allows the time that you need to explore your faith within the context of Catholicism.
Is this Church where God is calling you? To begin on a journey of faith, we are all called to be faithful to God’s time. The Newman Center RCIA program is available to inquirers year-round—there are no specific start and stop dates—just as there is no set schedule by which God calls us to a new beginning.
You are treated as an individual, and will be given time to become acquainted with the Catholic community and the gospel values we attempt to live.
The time in Inquiry gives you the opportunity to determine whether you are seriously interested in becoming incorporated in the Catholic community. It’s a time to develop your relationship with God and resolve the questions you bring.
We welcome you to this very special journey of faith and hope that you will see us not as “teachers” but rather as friends who wish to be companions for the journey. In RCIA, we incorporate celebrations, reflection and retreat, prayer experiences and social occasions to build community. As you move beyond Inquiry into the Catechumenate, a more focused stage of formation, you will be accompanied by a sponsor and will expand your formation on key tenets of the Catholic Church.
St. Paul Newman Center’s RCIA program is focused on adults who have not been baptized or who have been baptized in another Christian church and wish to explore Catholicism. In some cases, baptized Catholics with no religious education or Catholic spouses of an RCIA candidate wishing to complete sacraments may participate in the RCIA program.
The Newman Center is uniquely blessed to have initiation programs which are age specific through high school as well as programs for Catholics wishing to complete sacramental initiation available for college students and other adults.