Dear friend, 

I pray you and your family are well and safe. 

As many of us still find ourselves staying indoors more than we used to pre-quarantine I would like to invite you to an eight session experience that invites you to hear the Good News and personally encounter Jesus Christ. We will discuss questions like "What is the meaning of life?", "What's our purpose?" and "Who is Jesus?" in a small online group setting.

Thanks to collaboration with lay leaders like you from parishes across the Archdiocese, day and evening times are available. To sign up click on the image below!



I'd also like to take this opportunity to rejoice with you that our churches are open and we are able to go to Mass again! 
As you know there are several reasons that may be keeping some of us from returning to Mass such as fear of contagion. If you are at risk of contracting the virus, please follow your doctor's advisement. Some of our fellow parishioners who have not gone to Mass yet may not know that Mass is available again. Some perhaps have gotten used to being home on Sunday morning.  
If you have gone to Mass since your church reopened, or are planning on going this Sunday, I invite you to make a short video on your Facebook or Twitter account saying why you are personally going back to Mass. Your message just might encourage others to join us. When you create your video include the following at the end of your post:  #whyIamgoingback . This way all our videos with our personal messages can be found in a Google search under one title. Wouldn't it be great to be able to hear why our friends are going back too?

To see the video I created   click here. I look forward to hearing why you are going back. 

God's peace and blessings,

Elizabeth 

Elizabeth Guevara de Gonzalez
Director of Adult Faith Formation Office
Archdiocese of New York

   Are you someone who has come to some knowledge of Jesus Christ and who is attracted, in some way, to become a member of our Catholic Church?
 
     Are you willing to invest some time each week to learn about the Catholic faith, to ask questions and to receive some informative answers?
 
     Are you willing to work with us in getting you prepared to receive the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Holy Communion and Confirmation) at our annual Easter Vigil Mass on Saturday evening? (Private reception may also be arranged.)
 
     RCIA provides an opportunity for candidates to consider what God is saying to them in the Scriptures; what changes in their life they need to make to respond to God’s inspiration, and what Baptism in the Catholic Church means.
 
     Are you someone who was already baptized a Catholic but whom, for whatever reason, never received the sacraments of Holy Communion and/or Confirmation, but would now like to be prepared to receive these sacraments? RCIA provides an opportunity for you to be brought into full communion with the Catholic Church.
 
     If you answered YES to any of these questions, please contact us and let us know of your interest. We are moving forward with plans to start up an RCIA program and we would love to have you join us. Please call the Saint Aedan Parish House at 845-735-7405, or email us at [email protected] and someone will get back to you.