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The Becoming Catholic! program at St. Stephen the Martyr will help you deepen your relationship with Jesus Christ through a more intimate knowledge of His Church and Holy Scripture. The program will prepare you for full communion or initiation in His Church.
Sessions begin in September, but you can start any time!
The Becoming Catholic! program at St. Stephen the Martyr will help you deepen your relationship with Jesus Christ through a more intimate knowledge of His Church and Holy Scripture. The program will prepare you for full communion or initiation in His Church. Through learning about the Faith, engaging with the parish community, participating in liturgies, and witnessing to the Faith, you will encounter Christ and grow in your love and relationship with Him. You will experience a growth in openness in your heart and mind so that you may become His lifelong disciple!
The program is designed for anybody seeking a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ through His Church:
You will encounter Jesus Christ and learn the Faith in weekly sessions
• Encounter Christ in Scripture: You will dive into the Sunday Mass Readings and explore the literal and spiritual meaning of the texts. You will learn how the Old Testament Readings foreshadow the New and how the New Testament fulfills the Old. You will encounter Christ as the Word of God in Scripture.
• Learn the Faith: You will be inspired, led, and taught the fundamental truths of the Faith (next page) through a variety of trusted print and video resources including: the U.S. Catholic Catechism for Adults by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholicism by Bishop Robert Barron, and Symbolon: The Catholic Faith Explained by Dr. Edward Sri.
• Deepen Your Relationship with Jesus Christ: You will learn and experience how to pray and develop spiritual habits to deepen your relationship with God.
Beyond the weekly sessions, you will explore the Faith with a variety of activities
• Church Walking Tour and Fall Spiritual Reflection at St. Stephen the Martyr
• Eucharistic Adoration / Benediction and Winter Spiritual Reflection at St. Stephen the Martyr
• Spring Morning of Reflection at Holy Family Shrine
You will also participate in several beautiful liturgies
• The Rites of Acceptance and Welcoming in the Fall at St. Stephen the Martyr
• The Rites of Sending, Election, and Call to Continuing Conversion in Lent at the Cathedral
• The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults at the Easter Vigil at St. Stephen the Martyr
What We Believe:
• Possessions, Pleasure, Power, Prestige: Why do we still feel like something is missing in our lives?
• God’s Plan for His People: How did God reveal Himself to us?
• Receiving God’s Revelation: How do we know what we have received is true?
• We Believe: What does it mean to have faith?
• Our Loving Father: Why did God create the world and us?
• The Word Became Flesh: Why did God become one of us in the person of Jesus Christ?
• The Lamb of God: Why did Jesus Christ suffer and die for us?
• Our Advocate: How does the Holy Spirit work in our lives today?
• Sharing in the Divine Communion: How is Jesus Christ present to His People today in His Church?
• The One Closest to Jesus Christ: What is Our Blessed Mother’s role in our lives?
• The End: What do we believe about death and the end times?
• The Good News!: What is our response to the simple message of God’s love and mercy for each of us?
How We Celebrate:
• Outpouring of God’s Grace: What are the seven sacraments and the liturgy?
• Received and Sealed: How do Baptism and Confirmation initiate us into the Church?
• Food for the Journey: How does the Eucharist nourish us?
• Worshipping Together: What is happening at Mass?
• God’s Healing: How does God offer His healing mercy through Confession and Anointing of the Sick?
• Unique Relationships: How do Marriage and Holy Orders reflect a total gift of self to other(s)?
How We Should Live:
• Living in Response to Christ: What are the basics of Catholic Christian moral teachings?
• Right Relationship with God: First, Second, and Third Commandments
• God’s Plan for the Family and Life: Fourth and Fifth Commandments
• God’s Gift of Human Sexuality: Sixth and Ninth Commandments
• Right Relationship with Created Things: Seventh and Tenth Commandments
• What is Truth? Eighth Commandment
We meet after the 9:00 AM Mass on Sunday in the Gonderinger Parish Center (building South of the Church) for approximately two hours from September through Pentecost.
Order of Christian Initiation of Adults
If you are an adult interested in RCIA, please contact RCIA Leaders: Scott and Julie Tylski, at 402-861-2209 or tylskisj@cox.net or complete this form to request more information.
Order of Christian Initiation of Adults – Adapted for Children
If you are interested in Order of Christian Initiation of Adults – Adapted for Children, please contact Sandy Kimmey, Director of Religious Education, at 402-861-4510 or s.kimmey@stephen.org or complete this form to register your child.
"About five years ago, I made the best decision, I enrolled in RCIA at St. Stephen the Martyr and was confirmed Catholic. Prior to enrolling, I felt hopeless about a situation in my life. I decided I needed help from God to address those feelings, but I didn’t know how to do so. I had always wanted to be confirmed, but I never took the time to do it. I received Baptism, Reconciliation and the Eucharist as a child, but lacked the Sacrament of Confirmation. I believe God gave me the courage to enroll in the Fall session that year.
During RCIA, I began to understand the fullness of truth in the Catholic faith. The Holy Spirit worked in and through me and provided a whole new way of life - a life in Christ. I was gently encouraged to go to confession after about 40 years of not doing so. I will always treasure the beauty and the freedom I felt during and after that Confession.
Since being confirmed Catholic, I eagerly look forward to attending Mass every week and giving back to the Parish that gave me so much.
Becoming Catholic is one of God’s greatest gifts. If you’re contemplating doing so, give it a try, immerse yourself, learn all you can. It will be one of the best decisions you’ve ever made."
"My husband and I knew that we wanted to raise our kids with a religious foundation however we never felt like any church was the right fit until we were introduced to the Catholic Church. We joined RCIA in the fall of 2018 and didn’t really know what to expect. Within a few weeks of attending mass and RCIA classes we knew we had found our home. The understanding we gained by going through RCIA showed us the fullness of the faith and What we had been searching for."
— Janie, RCIA Participant
"One of my priorities when I moved to Omaha 10 years ago, was to find my church ‘home’. I had been baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran church, but just hadn’t found my fit in Omaha. My daughter had converted to Catholicism several years ago while in college, and I attended mass with her and her family many times. I began to feel a real connection to the Catholic faith and decided I needed to explore this “calling” a little further, so I enrolled in the RCIA class at St. Stephens. It didn’t take long to realize that here is where I belong! The leaders, Scott and Julie, were amazing! The entire St. Stephen’s family, including priests and deacons, my sponsor and my RCIA classmates – were all so supportive. They were all right there with me on my journey. Each and every class was a great experience, and my first communion will be something I will always remember. I am so thankful that God has directed me down this path! "
— Joann, RCIA Participant
"My journey through RCIA was a great experience. The presentations by our spiritual leaders and group discussions provided new perspectives on my daily spirituality. The Easter Vigil Mass was both an amazing and emotional experience. It truly marked the beginning of a new spiritual life for not only myself, but also my soon to be husband. I recommend the RCIA program to all of those who have been called to the Catholic faith."
— Mandy, RCIA Participant