Dear Parish Family, Greetings!

My name is Brian Kudro, and I am the RCIA Director & Sacramental Prep Coordinator at IHM. I am writing you because I wanted to reach out to you regarding any sacramental questions or needs you may have.

First of all, you may be wondering, “what even is a sacrament?” In the Catholic Church, we use the term “sacrament” to refer to special experiences of God’s love and grace where we believe God’s presence is communicated to us in an invisible way through outward signs, symbols, and gestures. Because we believe in the Incarnation (God taking on human flesh in the Person of Jesus Christ), we believe in sacraments; moments in our lives where God still comes to us in tangible human elements like water, oil, bread and wine.

While we may experience many daily “sacramental moments” of God’s love and presence (in an embrace from our child, a kind word from our spouse, the beauty of creation around us, etc.), the Catholic Church celebrates 7 “Big S” Sacraments we believe were instituted and handed down by Jesus to bring us closer to God. In broad categories, we could talk about Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, & Eucharist/Communion), Sacraments of Healing (Reconciliation & Anointing of the Sick), and Sacraments of Service (Marriage & Holy Orders). If you are interested in learning more about, or receiving any of the Sacraments of Healing & Service, please contact our Pastor, Fr. Jim Singler at fatherjim@ihmcfo.org or 330-929-8361 x14.

I am writing primarily to reach out to you regarding the Sacraments of Initiation. Baptism is the sacrament that brings us into God’s family, the Church, washes away our sin and makes us a new and holy people. Confirmation is the Sacrament where we are anointed with oil (usually by the local Bishop) in order to strengthen our Baptism and enflame the gift of God’s Holy Spirit in our lives, helping us to live a Christian life of service, evangelization, and holiness. The last Sacrament of Initiation is the Eucharist, or Holy Communion. This is the ongoing Sacrament of Initiation, reminding us that conversion is a life-long process and that we are continually in need of God’s grace and love!

BAPTISM PRIOR TO AGE 7: For Catholics, Baptism normally occurs shortly after birth, but can occur at any point in someone’s life, whenever they desire to embrace this relationship with God. If you have a child who is under the age of 7, and you would like to have them baptized, please contact Julie Bowling at jbowling@ihmcfo.org or 330-929-8361 x10. In the Catholic Church, for those baptized prior to 7 years of age, they would complete a staggered form of Christian Initiation with their First Communion in the 2nd grade and Confirmation in the 8th grade. If you have a child in one of these grades, you will receive additional information from me regarding the preparation for those sacraments. Likewise, if you have a child validly baptized in a non-Catholic Christian community (ie., Baptist, Lutheran, etc.) and if you would like your child to become Catholic, as long as they are under the age of 7, you would make a profession of faith for your child, and they would be considered Catholic from that moment on, and would complete their Christian initiation in the same order as their Baptized Catholic peers, with their First Communion in 2nd grade and Confirmation in 8th grade. Please contact me if you have a child in this situation at bkudro@ihmcfo.org or 330-929-8361 x11.

BAPTISM AT AGE 7 AND AFTER: For adults and children 7 years and older who would like to be Baptized, they would be Baptized through a different process because they are now considered to have reached the “age of reason” and can make more thoughtful decisions themselves. They would be Baptized and fully initiated (Confirmation & Eucharist) through the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) process and be received into the Church at the Easter Vigil (Saturday, April 3, 2021). This same RCIA process would also be true if your child is already validly baptized in a non-Catholic Christian community (ie., Baptist, Lutheran, etc.) and desires to now come into full communion with the Catholic Church. Please contact me if you or your child is in this situation at bkudro@ihmcfo.org or 330-929-8361 x11.

FIRST COMMUNION: For those Catholics who were previously baptized before their 7th birthday, they will begin preparation for the sacrament of the Eucharist during their 2nd grade year in either our PSR Program or Parish School. Their First Communion is scheduled for Sunday, May 2nd, 2021. If you have a child who was baptized before age 7 and never made their First Communion in 2nd grade, please contact me at bkudro@ihmcfo.org or 330-929-8361 x11. Likewise, if you are a baptized Catholic older than the 8th grade and have never received your First Communion and/or were never Confirmed, please contact me at bkudro@ihmcfo.org or 330-929-8361 x11 for more information on completing your sacraments of initiation.

CONFIRMATION: For those Catholics who were previously baptized before their 7th birthday and have already received their First Communion, they will begin their preparation for the sacrament of Confirmation during their 8th grade year in either our Parish School or PSR Program. Confirmation for 2021 will be at 4:30PM on Sunday, March 14th, 2021. If you are a baptized Catholic older than the 8th grade and have never been Confirmed (and/or received your First Communion), please contact me at bkudro@ihmcfo.org or 330-929-8361 x11 for more information on completing your sacraments of initiation.

RCIA–FOR ADULTS SEEKING BAPTISM AND/OR FULL COMMUNION WITH THE CATHOLIC CHURCH: I would also like to reach out to any of you if you are unbaptized, or if you were baptized in another Christian tradition but considering becoming Catholic. I would love to talk with you further about any questions you may have on the process of exploring these steps in your faith life! Please contact me for a brochure on the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) process for you and/or your family. If interested, please contact me to discuss further at bkudro@ihmcfo.org or 330-929-8361 x11. Inquiry Sessions begin on Sunday, September 13th!

I know this is a LOT of information! Whether you are confused, curious, or firmly committed, I’d love to listen further and help in any way that I can with your continued journey with God!

Peace—Brian Kudro
RCIA Director & Sacramental Prep Coordinator
Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish
P: 330-929-8361 x11
F: 330-929-8496
E: bkudro@ihmcfo.org
W: www.ihmcfo.org
A: 1905 Portage Trail, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio 44223