Shia Labeouf recently returned to the Hollywood scene by playing St. Padre Pio in the movie, “Padre Pio.” According to Labeouf, his life was in shambles before the film and learning about the main character changed his life. Ultimately, his journey led him to Christ and also to join the Catholic church.
Labeouf is not alone. Every year, thousands of people convert to Catholicism from all walks of life. The Catholic church is all over the world. It is the largest charitable institution, the oldest religious institution and is also the largest Christian denomination in the world. So, for many serious thinking people, the question of Catholicism is confronted at some point in their life. However, sometimes it is not easy to learn about the Catholic church. It can seem intimidating and mysterious for people who are not Catholic. Not to mention the fact that there are also lots of misconceptions about the Catholic church.
That is why in every Catholic church there are classes for people interested in learning more or becoming Catholic. It is called RCIA, which stands for the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. By coming to RCIA, it means that you are interested in learning more about Catholicism — it does not mean that you are automatically joining or pressured to join. RCIA is an opportunity for people to learn more and ask questions. RCIA classes are open for anyone to attend.
This year at Saint Bernard, we will be focusing the month of September on RCIA with the following activities:
• Pizza Night: We will be hosting a pizza night at 6 p.m. Sept. 13 at the church. There will be delicious homemade pizza, live music and an opportunity for attendees to ask me anything. There is a slight admittance fee for the pizza.
• Q & A Session: I will host a question and answer session Sept. 24 directly following the 9:30 a.m. Sunday Mass.
• YouTube Videos: We will post YouTube videos about common misconceptions about Catholicism on the church Facebook page.
• Sunday Sermons: During the month of September, I will be focusing my sermons at mass on common questions about Catholicism.
So, if you have ever wondered about Catholicism or even if you have some serious issues with the church, consider coming to any of these events. As long as everyone is respectful, there is no question that can’t be asked.
Father Michael Bower is the pastor of Saint Bernard Catholic Church, 1306 E. Main St., Crawfordsville. Reach him by email at father@stbernardcville.org or call the parish office at 765-362-6121.
