Expand the Vision

OCIA at St. Louis Catholic Church in Clarksville, Maryland

By: Lisa White

St. Louis Catholic Parish in Clarksville, MD has offered the ChristLife process since 2010 and has touched over 1,200 individuals. “We are always looking for creative ways to use the ChristLife process to bring more people to Christ,” explained Leo Rudegeair, ChristLife coordinator at St. Louis.

As part of expanding ChristLife within the parish, Discovering Christ was integrated as an essential part of the RCIA faith formation process. Fr. Michael DeAscanis, Pastor of St. Louis/St. Francis Pastorate, has a heart for reaching new souls for Christ. He relayed that RCIA is not just a series of classes, but rather a way to grow in the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ through the Catholic Church.

He noted that Discovering Christ is a way to move from the educational “head knowledge” of Jesus to a relational “heart experience” of Him.

Pope Benedict said “Faith is not primarily an idea to be understood or a moral precept to be followed, but a person to be encountered. That person is Jesus Christ.” Father DeAscanis recognizes that having the emphasis on developing a relationship with Jesus Christ at the beginning of the RCIA process is critical. 

The Fall 2023 offering of Discovering Christ at St. Louis/St. Francis was scheduled with RCIA in mind. The entire parish was also invited to participate and 90 participants were enrolled in the course; almost one half of them were enrolled in RCIA.

The participants engaged in the course with enthusiasm, enjoying the weekly meal and fellowship together. The talks were well-received and stimulated enriching and meaningful discussions about the meaning of life, having a personal relationship with Jesus, and understanding the Gospel message. The Holy Spirit retreat was a compelling experience of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit for many of the participants.

Feedback from one person expressed it well, “Through Discovering Christ, I personally experienced God’s love in a profound way. I realized I needed to have a real relationship with the Lord and I needed to establish a community for support.”

Father DeAscanis highlighted the benefit of fellow RCIA candidates sharing a meal, teachings and conversation for 7 weeks, along with friendly spiritual discussions. He said the format encouraged the catechumens to openly discuss life, their struggles and questions, making the rest of RCIA more fruitful. 

Deacon Frank Sarro, Director of RCIA, relayed, “Discovering Christ was a perfect fit for those who participate in the RCIA process. It provides them with a solid opportunity to explore who Jesus is and to express their thoughts in a prayerful and faith-filled environment.”

RCIA candidates will continue their journey toward becoming fully initiated into the Catholic Church, then will be invited to participate in the next Following Christ course offered after completion of RCIA. Our hope at ChristLife is that many more parishes creatively use the ChristLife process to draw more of the lost and fallen away back to Christ.