For the growing number of Sydneysiders knocking on the door of the Catholic church, the RCIA coordinator is the first human face they meet and can also be the reason they stay.
That conviction was at the heart of an online gathering hosted via Zoom on Wednesday 26 August, which drew around 50 RCIA coordinators and team members from parishes across the Archdiocese of Sydney.
The evening was convened by Tania Rimac and Varun Perera, who have taken up responsibility for RCIA and sacramental ministry within the Parish Renewal Team at the Sydney Centre for Evangelisation.
“Tania and myself are here to serve you,” Perera told the gathering. “We’re not here to tell you how to do your ministry but support you in your role.”
Perera, who is new to the role of RCIA and Sacramental Coordinator in the Archdiocese of Sydney, came to the role from the Archdiocesan Synod, where one of the pastoral priorities was how the church might better receive those seeking to join it.
The keynote at the gathering was given by Christine Solomon of All Saints Parish Liverpool, who has served in the ministry for 14 years. She spoke of the human relationship at the centre of the work and the need to meet an inquirer in person as soon as possible.
“Christine’s sharing resonated with a lot of people,” Perera said, adding that inquirers often arrive at a vulnerable moment.
“Most of them are coming from a place of curiosity and searching and looking for a community that can walk with them on this journey of discovery. They’ve had the courage to reach out and say they would like to be part of something more meaningful, that they would like to journey in the truth.
“We often have the tools and resources to carry out the program, but unless the inquirers feel connected to those leading them, and feel seen and heard, it will be hard for them to see the goodness of faith in action.”
He described the coordinator’s role with a well-known image of John the Baptist, with finger raised, indicating Christ behind him.
“Their role is to point people to Christ,” he said. “They’re the conduit of God’s grace and love.”
The gathering comes amid what Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP has called a ‘second spring’, a marked increase in the numbers of people interested in the faith, or in deepening their faith.
Perera fields 10-15 inquiries each week through the Becoming Catholic website and refers each person to a suitable parish nearby.
“It’s a great time to be a Catholic,” he said. “People sense that there is something special going on.”
Rimac expects those numbers to climb further as Eucharist28 approaches.
“The upcoming congress will stir curiosity in the wider community and people will find themselves open to conversations about God and the Catholic Church,” she said.
“Parishes need to be ready welcome people and share our faith with them.
“Equipping our coordinators and teams to be ready for the increase we expect around the Congress is key to our work. We want to make the transition from curious, to inquirer, to RCIA, to a contributing member of the church as seamless as possible.”
A retreat day for RCIA and sacramental coordinators on 17 October is an opportunity to encourage those who spend their year encouraging others.
“We cannot give what we do not have and need to serve from a spiritual reservoir which pours out to others,” said Rimac.
“This is our hope for the retreat – a place of nourishment and filling for our teams who give so much of themselves.”
For more information or support in RCIA or sacramental preparation in parishes contact the Parish Renewal Team at parishrenewal@sydneycatholic.org.
