Welcome Father Ignatius! Today we welcome Father Ignatius Nimwesiga at all the Masses at Saint Alphonsus and Saint Alexis. Father Ignatius is with us to make and appeal as part of the 2019 Mission Cooperative Plan in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. He is making this appeal on behalf of Archbishop Paul K. Bakyenga of the Archdiocese of Mbarara, Uganda.
The Archdiocese of Mbarara was created in 1999 in Southwestern Uganda in East Africa. It has a population of about 2,300,000 people, of which about 1,150,000 are Catholic. The Archdiocese has 185 priests of whom 170 are indigenous. There are 56 parishes and 150 missions; 90% of the population served by the Archdiocese live in rural areas. Challenges faced by the people of the Mbarara Archdiocese are numerous:
· The citizens of this area face challenges in spreading the Good News of Jesus in a hostile political environment, amid the rapid advancement of Islam from North Africa. The Church works to provide services in the rural communities that they may stand strong against the Islamic Fundamentalists and Pentecostal churches. These two groups are rapidly growing.
· There are high levels of poverty in this region. Mission Co-op (MCP) funds help to support the faithful whose annual per capita is equivalent to $200 in U.S. currency. Your gift will help to provide education to orphaned and disadvantaged children. The Church in Mbarara reaches out to orphans, widows, those with HIV/AIDS, and malaria. These segments of society are left without any regular form of income.
· Your kindness and generosity will help in providing safe water in the rural areas. The Archdiocese is involved in building safe water centers. Some people travel 10 miles daily in order to provide safe water in their homes.
· Finally, your generous contributions will be directed to help support the eradication of controllable diseases. MCP funds help to build health centers that support community-based healthcare. These initiatives that also promoted by the government, test pregnant women for HIV, treat women throughout their pregnancy, and provide women with a clean environment with trained nurses and midwives.
Thank you for partnering with our sisters and brothers in and around Mbarara. Your gifts of prayer and monetary assistance are helping to make a real difference in the lives of God’ people. Please make donations payable to your Parish.
I apologize for you receiving this information just now, it was late in getting to us. Late donations are acceptable by simply writing on a blank envelope “mission’ and we will be glad to direct it to the proper office for you. Again, thank you for your generosity in demonstrating love in action! Blessings…
Why RCIA? By Dave VanVickle, Director for Evangelization “RCIA” is an acronym that stands for the “Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.” It is classic Catholic insider language that most people, even Church goers, have no clue about. That is a true shame because it is actually one of the most important phrases in our church and we should all know why it is important.
God has always called a people to Himself. He takes them away from the world and into community with each other. Even more importantly God teaches His people how to encounter Him. Of course, we can encounter God in many different ways. Some people feel Him in nature, some in private prayer, some in the charity of others. Those are all valid ways to encounter God, but He wants to communicate Himself in much more profound ways. In fact, He desires to not just encounter us indirectly. God desperately desires to give Himself to us and for us to give ourselves to Him. God teaches His people, those He set apart, how to encounter Him. He walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden, He spoke to Abraham, He taught Moses and the Hebrews how to worship Him, and now in His Church he has given Himself to us in the Holy Sacraments. The Sacraments are so much more than admiring the Creator of our beautiful world, or seeing God in the Charity of others. In the Sacraments we encounter the Father through Jesus Christ and He holds nothing back but gives himself to us wholly and without reserve. The seven sacraments are the most profound ways to encounter God this side of the grave. Only in the Catholic Church can we worship God the way he asked us to worship Him.
The Catholic Church is the privileged place of encounter between God and man.
“RCIA” is the way for an adult to become a part of Christ’s spouse, the Holy Catholic Church. It is a several month long process of evangelization and learning that aims to allow someone to fully embrace the call of being a Catholic and embrace Holy Mother Church. RCIA in the Catholic Community of Wexford is a path to introduce non-Catholic adults to Jesus Christ and His Bride, the Church.
It would be a mistake to see it as a hurdle or an initiation into some club. Instead, RCIA should be seen as an exciting opportunity to grow in your relationship with Jesus and learn the way to truly worship Him.
I ask you to do two things:
First, say a Hail Mary for our RCIA program here at the Catholic Community of Wexford.
Pray and think about someone in your life who you could invite to join the RCIA process.
For more information about RCIA contact the parish offices at 724.935.1151 or 724.935.4343.