Sandakan cathedral parish accepts 65 into catechumenate

SANDAKAN – St Mary’s Cathedral Parish here accepted 65 inquirers into the Order of Catechumens on 20 Aug 2017.

The inquirers will now be known as catechumens.  They have journeyed together for 11 weeks during the pre-catechumenate period of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) programme.

Out of the 65 catechumens, 52 are BM speaking, English six and Chinese six.

The Rite of Acceptance was conducted by Father Stanley Matakim in the BM Mass.

The Rite commenced after the homily.  The candidates with their respective sponsors came forward to the sanctuary.  They were asked to embrace the Gospel message more fully with the help of God, and were signed with the Cross to show that they now belong to Christ, the Shepherd of souls. The Rite of signing on the forehead, eyes, ears, lips, heart, and shoulders were repeated by their respective sponsors.

Immediately after the signing, each candidate received a copy of the Bible.

This was followed by the Prayer of the Faithful and the dismissal after which the catechumens returned to their seats.

The Rite of Acceptance is the first of all the rites the catechumens will undergo under the RCIA. – newsupdatedospo.blogspot.my