Faith Formation Program Aimed at Teens Gains Popularity at Catholic Central
November 9, 2022
![Auxiliary Bishop Donald F. Hanchon welcomes four students into the Church at Catholic Central all-school Mass](https://basilian.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/cc-mass-of-initiation.jpg)
A Detroit Catholic Central student group that allows students to formally join the Catholic Church continues to gain popularity. This year, ten members have joined the school’s Order of Christian Initiation for Teens (OCIT) program. It is modelled after the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) and prepares students for the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and the eucharist.
The reasons for wanting to take part in OCIT and join the Church vary from student to student, but according to Kevin Walters, campus minister at Detroit Catholic Central, witnessing the three Catholic Central students take part in the Mass of Initiation the previous year played a pivotal role.
“At Catholic Central, we provide opportunities for our students to encounter Christ in powerful and transformative ways. It’s an umbrella approach of our theology classes, campus ministry, and the presence of the Basilian Fathers all working together to keep pointing our students to Christ.” said Walters.
Some students arrive at Catholic Central at different points in their faith formation, whether they have not been a part of a faith community, baptized in a different faith, or due to COVID, they may have missed out on sacramental celebrations. “The idea was that if the school was the environment where they have encountered Christ in a powerful and profound way, it made sense to form the students within the school community,” said Walters.
The program was founded by Father Bill Riegal, CSB, Father Dennis Noelke, CSB, and Kevin Walters and the school received special permission from Archbishop Allen Vigneron of the Archdiocese of Detroit to begin the faith formation program aimed at teens.
Participants meet once every two weeks in the fall and once a week in the spring as preparations for the Mass of Initiation intensifies. Sessions cover the same topics as in an RCIA program, but at Catholic Central participants are surrounded by their peers and it makes for a more comfortable environment.
To ensure the students continue to grow in their faith, the school connects students with a parish or a university’s campus ministry after they graduate.
Categories
Discerning, a Vocations BlogGeneral News
Stirrings
Uncategorized
Julio César Martínez Chávez and José de Jesús Rodríguez Pérez Profess Final Vows – Tlalpan, MX.
Last weekend, Julio César Martínez Chávez and José de Jesús Rodríguez Pérez professed their final vows in the Chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Tlalpan, Mexico City. We […]
Read MoreThe 4th Basilian Latin American Summit: A Call to Unite and Care for Our Common Home
Excursion through the Department of Boyacá, north of Bogotá. The site of the Latin American Summit was the town of Villa de Leyva, in Boyacá. This year, the 4th […]
Read MoreCatholic Centre for Immigrants: Upholding the Dignity of Refugees in Ottawa
Amidst the current conflicts that force many to depart their homelands, The Catholic Centre for Immigrants (CCI) Ottawa partners with The Congregation of St. Basil to successfully assist hundreds of […]
Read MoreVIDEO – Scholastic Bishoy Dawood, CSB: Gradual Joy – Houston, TX.
You’re not going to get it all, not right away at least! Our Scholastic Bishoy Dawood CSB, shares his insights into the what makes people dissatisfied and unfulfilled, as well […]
Read MoreVIDEO – Fr. David Sharp, CSB: The True Meaning of Success – Wickenburg, AZ.
Life is a lot easier when we do it together – Fr. David Sharp, a Basilian of over 60 years, shares his insight into the true foundation of a fulfilling […]
Read More