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Forty Adults Discern & Prepare for Initiation into the Catholic Church through RCIA
 | Saint Clement Parish warmly welcomed last year's RCIA participants who completed their initiation into the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil on March 30. |
As the children in our parish head back to school and begin their religious education classes, 40 adults in the parish have begun sessions to discern and prepare for their initiation into the Catholic Church through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, or RCIA.
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Easter Vigil 2013 baptism.
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Ten of these candidates are seeking to be baptized, while the majority of the candidates were baptized in other Christian communities and now seek to live out their baptism in the Catholic Church. Five of our candidates were baptized Catholic but were not raised in the faith, and are now seeking to complete their initiation with confirmation and Eucharist.
These men and women come from a variety of backgrounds with a diverse set of religious and lived experience, which leads to incredibly rich opportunities for sharing and growth on their journey together. Many of these candidates are young adults who are now seeking a deeper faith life as an adult and a purposeful commitment to a faith community. During one-on-one chats with Christina Bax, the Director of Evangelization, candidates spoke of seeking a closer relationship with Christ, making faith part of their everyday life, and desiring for God "to be the glue that holds my life together." Several candidates are eager to form community in the parish, and even to contribute their gifts and talents to build up the Church.
While many of our candidates are preparing for marriage, they speak of a strong desire to develop their own spiritual life so as to grow together with their spouse and to be a confident witness and leader of faith for their children. Candidates articulated their hopes to be united with their spouse not only by marriage but also through faith, and the importance of starting their life together this way. One candidate who is already married shared that his desire to be baptized comes in part from reflecting on the strong bond he and his wife seek to share not only in this life, but for all eternity.
Candidates have given powerful testament to the witness of the Church and those in it, especially in our Saint Clement community. One candidate pointed to our parish-wide Service Day as the moment he knew he wanted to pursue initiation into the Church. Bonding with other Catholics and working together to help others was something he felt called to be a part of. Multiple candidates talked about the welcoming atmosphere they found at Saint Clement, and the energy in the life of our parish that attracted them. While some candidates are drawn to the sense of tradition and universality in the Catholic Church, others spoke of the fruits of faith they have seen in the people they know who are deeply rooted in faith: a sense of calm, peace, and wholeness.
The RCIA process is made up of a series of stages of formation, marked by ritual steps that celebrate movement from one stage to the next. Our adult candidates formally began the first stage of formation this past Tuesday, as they gathered together to reflect on images of God in their own lives and in the Christian tradition. They will continue to engage their lived experience with the faith tradition in these initial sessions as they discern their belief in God and their desire to continue the journey towards initiation in the Catholic Church. Their belief and desire will be celebrated during the first Rite on Sunday, November 17. Please keep these men and women in your prayers!
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Stories of Stewards
As part of our ongoing engagement process, we have come to realize the importance of parishioners sharing their personal stories of how they have connected with Saint Clement as an important factor in their lives. As a feature twice a month, we share the stories and reflections of our engaged parishioners who are living a stewardship life of prayer, service, and giving. This week we hear from Thu & Rich Heintz.
"Our journey started at Saint Clement in 2010. Prior to that, we were attending St. Mary's of the Annunciation in Mundelein. It was closer to Rich's house and he was going through RCIA there. We were engaged at the time and decided that after we got married and moved into the city together, we needed to find a church to belong to. I had researched several churches and was very curious about Saint Clement, due to its reputation as a warm, welcoming church...I was intrigued.
We registered as parishioners at Saint Clement in early 2010 and sporadically attended Mass there, due to our logistics at the time--he lived up north and I lived more south, so it was difficult to attend regularly--but I knew Saint Clement was going to be our home.
We truly got involved once we settled into the city, after getting married at Saint Clement, and we were able to attend Mass regularly. Being a steward to us means giving back to the community and the church as much as we can. We love participating in Sack Lunches every month, and we volunteer at Theology on Tap. We participate in Service Day, we donate to the food drives, school supplies, and clothing drives when in need. We were a host family for the pilgrims of Taizé. We bake Communion bread and hope to participate in Ministers of Hospitality. We have helped out at the Lydia Home and with Respect Life collections, donated to Catholic Charities, and never feel satisfied that we have done or given enough! We believe, together as a community, as more people come together to pray, serve, and give, then we can truly make a difference in this world!
We also participate in the Sunday Giving Commitment through ParishPay. It's the best decision we have made on the idea of giving back! We attend Mass every Sunday and it's so satisfying to know that we don't have to worry about having cash in our wallet or a check, or lack thereof, but it's a done deal for us every month through ParishPay! It's the least we can do for this church and its community that has fed our spiritual needs beyond any dollar amount possible!"
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Opportunities to Pray.Serve.Give.
For more information on upcoming events, including our regular, weekly opportunities, please view the parish's master calendar.
Weekend Masses in 2013: New Mass Journal initiative, to support our participation and reflection at Mass. Extra journals available in the church vestibule.
Saturday, September 21 @ 9:00 a.m.: Prayer Service for Peace in conjunction with the International Day of Prayers for Peace (Church); contact Deacon Tim Sullivan
Sunday, September 22 after 9:30 a.m., 11:15 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Masses: Fall Fest (Plaza, Courtyard); for more information, see below
Saturday-Sunday, September 28-29: Food collection after each Mass to support area food pantries; collection boxes located at the back of church.
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Did You Know?
Fall Fest 2013: Pray, Serve, Give, Learn, Belong
Sunday, September 22, 2013 
Join Saint Clement parishioners and staff for the 7th annual Fall Fest on Sunday, September 22 following the 9:30 and 11:15 a.m. Masses, with a "mini" Fall Fest after the 7:00 p.m. Mass. All parish ministries and groups will participate, offering personal testaments of how parishioners' involvement in ministry has made a difference in their lives. We invite you to hear their stories, discover a variety of ways you can Pray, Serve, Give, Learn & Belong, and become more engaged in the life of the community. Complete with a backyard barbecue, and fun and games for children.
We hope you can join us for this parish-wide community event!
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Submit Your Ideas
We hope you have enjoyed this week's issue of The Plaza. If you know of a parishioner living their life as a steward or a topic that would interest other parishioners, please submit your idea here.
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And finally...
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