What would you like to know about St. Joan of Arc? Do you have a story about our parish or of general interest that you think others would like to hear? For story ideas, contact Jeff Rholl, jeff@stjoan.com.

Did you ever wonder what RCIA means? Did you have an idea that it had something to do with bringing people officially into the Roman Catholic Church, but you weren't clear about any of it? Or did you wonder fleetingly why anyone would want to become a Catholic given the Church's official stand on issues such as women, birth control, abortion, divorce and homosexuality?

That's where I was when as a Web reporter I attended my first meeting of the candidates, sponsors, and team leaders in that program at St. Joan of Arc. First of all, I found out that RCIA means Rite Of Christian Initiation Of Adults. This year there are 9 initiates, or catechumens, who come from a variety of religious backgrounds, including Methodist, Jewish, and Episcopalian, some baptized, some unbaptized.

The process begins early in September as a period of inquiry, getting to know one another and each deciding if this is a road they want to travel. It climaxes at Easter with the Sacrament of Initiation on Holy Saturday. The program doesn't end there, however, but runs through May- a time for the participants to discern their gifts and prepare for mission while celebrating their new life. Taken all together the entire program includes education, community building, prayer, and spiritual growth.

Tom Smith-Myott, director of RCIA at St. Joan's, comes to his job well prepared: his seminary training at St. John's in Collegeville was interrupted by Vietnam. When he returned from that duty, he decided that the priesthood wasn't for him, but he still wanted to work in some capacity for the Church. So he went back to graduate school at St. John's and later taught at Derham Hall for 6 years. After that he attended Notre Dame and there received his degree in Pastoral Theology.

Tom says that the most important element in the program is the sponsors. They are the ones who encourage and stand by their new friends as they grow in knowledge and faith. Increased growth is almost a given for the sponsors, too.

JoAnne Parsons, sponsor to Susan Olson, says, "Susan and I were neighbors and friends before we came to RCIA. Now we are spiritual friends, and that is very different. Our conversations are on a deeper level, and both of us look forward to Tuesday night meetings and our time together. It is thrilling for me to see Susan working through the questions she has. It's hard work, and it takes time. I'm thankful for the length of this program and the way it is organized. To hear the faith sharers who come in and tell their stories is heart warming and gives our participants models to learn from. I don't think I could be spending my time better anywhere."

Becky Grover, originally a sponsor in the program and now a 2 year veteran of the leadership team, says that she loves to nurture people, to be able to teach and help others. "Something happens when you're sharing life stories. It's extremely powerful. I have changed inside these last 3 years. It's great to think that we have all been called to be here. We are a big family."

Besides the catechumens and sponsors, there is a leadership team headed up by Tom Smith-Myott and includes Becky Grover, Theresa Hinnenkamp, Jen Mueller and Gary Meitz, all former sponsors except Tom. Together they set the agenda for the weekly meetings and participate as needed. These meetings follow a pattern beginning with opening prayer and including presentation of Sunday's Scripture, some dialogue, and a teaching, usually presented by Tom. Most nights a "faith sharer", someone who tells about their own spiritual journey, will speak. Finally there is a closing message read by one of the team leaders.

Of course the all-important break gets squeezed in with coffee and cookies after about an hour into the meeting. Everyone sits at large round tables in Hospitality Hall, so small groups of about 6 or 8 people are formed. This arrangement makes for easy dialogue and sharing. On this night the subject is rejection, as it had to do with Sunday's Gospel telling about Jesus' rejection in Nazareth when he first came to preach among his own people. This was a topic that just about everyone could relate to at our table. One woman told about being the oddball in her family, always different and never really accepted for who she was. Another told how much it hurt at work to be put down with a cutting remark from a superior.

There is an openness among the participants that indicates a high sense of trust, as though everyone is on the same course. It's a good feeling and decidedly apparent, even to an outsider like me. I was in luck I thought because as a follow-up to the formation of conscience, Tom's topic this night is sex, a subject that automatically gets everyone's attention. It turns out to be a lesson in looking inward. Sexual questions, Tom says, along with any moral consideration, should include intention, circumstances, consequences and finally the act itself. In forming our conscience in these matters he tells us to look at sources of wisdom which involve people, Scripture, justice and prayer.

It's a fascinating presentation, sending us home with lots to consider, and very different from the bare 'Thou shall nots' that we old Catholics grew up with. At the same time I get the sense that Tom's teachings, like all the other teachings at St. Joan's, include all the wisdom passed down for centuries in the Church along with that given to us in the thought and documents of Vatican II.

Tom explains that RCIA isn't about making good Catholics, but rather a way of teaching people to follow the Gospel of Jesus, forming disciples and supporting their spiritual journeys. Religion is there to serve people on those journeys, not for corraling loyalty to the Church as was formerly taught, Tom says.

Here is what a few of the catechumens had to say:

• Bola Awabamsie is a native Nigerian who was educated in England and grew up in the Anglican Church. He had been coming here to church for a time when his fiancée told him about the RCIA program last Fall. He says that it is an important stage in his spiritual journey. "It has helped to solidify my foundations," He intends to follow through in the program to the end and continue what he calls the "joyful" worship at St. Joan's.
• Susan Olson, the daughter of a Lutheran minister, says being in RCIA is like home schooling. "It is a place where all the questions about religion that I've ever had are answered and is a platform for more. I've found true enlightenment," she says. "I wish more people would join this program and find out how wonderful it is."
• Another catechumen who doesn't want to be named tells her story: She came to St. Joan's on her own, but not as a stranger to the Catholic faith. A young woman who was French Catholic came into her home as a helper and remained for a number of years while this woman was growing up. In the course of day-to-day living the helper would tell stories about her faith, and more importantly, lived them. After attending Mass for some time at St. Joan's, this catechumen decided that it was payback time. She wanted to give back some of what she had been receiving. She needed "spirituality and faith in her life," she says, so when she heard about RCIA she joined, and hasn't ever regretted it.

Jo Youngren and her husband,Dave, have been members at SJA for a little over a year now. However, about 20 years ago Jo was a member and worked with Harvey Egan and Cy Speltz for 4 years. Her first husband, Jack Welch, was buried from there, and later Jo and Dave were married in what is now The Itaska, but at the time was a warehouse with a large gathering of SJA folks attending and Fred & Anna supplying the music - the church in a slightly different setting at the time giving us their blessing. Jo and Dave have been married for 19 years and back in Minnesota for the last 13.

Wolt Hood is a realtor who volunteered at Camp St. Joan last summer.

After attending the RCIA meeting a second time, I can only think with a bit of envy, how fortunate are all the participants in this program - catechumens, sponsors and leaders alike. It is first class in all its aspects. Kind of like its Sponsor, the One after whom it is modeled