Pilgrims in Christ ten year reunion: Click to Enlarge (Photo: Matthew Welch)Pilgrims in Christ is a nine-month catechumenate offering formation in the basics of Christian faith and practice, in the context of the Anglican tradition.  It is intended for the following adults, called by God to a process of new commitment and spiritual growth:

• Candidates for Baptism
• Candidates for Confirmation (already baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)
• Candidates for Reception (already confirmed in the Roman Catholic or Orthodox Churches, now wishing to be received into the Episcopal Church)
• Candidates for Reaffirmation of Baptismal Vows (already confirmed or received in the Episcopal Church, wishing a formal recommitment with the laying on of hands by a bishop)
• Potential Sponsors (confirmed Episcopalians who are members of St Paul’s and willing to be enriched from the experience of shepherding a Pilgrims candidate)
• All who seek spiritual renewal, a deeper relationship with Christ, or a fuller knowledge of the Catholic faith
• Those wishing a greater understanding of specifically Anglican spirituality and tradition

The goals of Pilgrims in Christ are:

• To draw each one closer to a loving, faithful, and transforming God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—through word and sacrament, community and service, and viewing everyday life theologically;
• To provide understanding as well as knowledge—an increase in heart, mind, and soul;
• To assist each individual in establishing, or expanding, a healthy prayer life;
• To nurture a connection with the blessings of the Church—through the ages, today, and beyond—especially within the context of Anglican and Anglo-catholic tradition and practice;
• To help in identifying each individual’s spiritual gifts and the personal ministries to which each one is called;
• To encourage and support a commitment to lifelong spiritual pilgrimage.

• Part One includes a crucial all-day Saturday retreat for the entire class on Saturday, November 5, at an off-site location to be announced. (Car pools will be arranged.)
• Those who have found a home in our Pilgrims in Christ class, and wish to seek after faith on the next level, are welcomed by the congregation at the Rite of Admission, which is scheduled for Sunday, November 20 (at the 9:00 a.m. Mass)
• Please note that there is no class on November 23 (Thanksgiving Eve).

November 30—February 20   PART TWO: THE CATECHUMENATE PERIOD.  This is the period of ‘instruction.’  The major themes of Christian theology are introduced, and we find that the resources of our faith tradition equip us for a lifetime of theological inquiry and reflection. Part Two begins by asking who God is and explores the Cycle of Redemption, the Incarnation, Holy Baptism, Reconciliation, and the Nicene Creed & Early Councils.  We discuss meeting Christ in the poor, and the entire class participates in the holy work of our St Paul’s Grate Patrol.  In addition, the section is grounded in a thorough examination of Acts 2:42, including Fr Andrew’s three patented lectures on the Eucharist.

• Please note that there is no class on December 28 (Christmas Week), and that the final class in this section meets on Monday, February 20.
• There will be a brief meeting following the 6:30 p.m. Mass on Ash Wednesday, February 22. 
• Those who choose to continue to the next level are presented to the congregation at the Rite of Election, which takes place on the First Sunday in Lent, February 26 (at the 9:00 a.m. Mass).

 February 27—March 26 (Mondays)   PART THREE: THE ILLUMINATION PERIOD (Lent).  As in the ancient Church, this is the time of intensive preparation for baptism on Easter Eve.  Having done the intellectual work, now we are encouraged to open our hearts to direct experience of God and thus begin true formation.  The themes of this period are found in the ‘Year A’ Lenten Gospels.  They include:  temptation; the two-storey universe and being reborn from above; healing, wholeness, and forgiveness; spiritual blindness and attachments; and the freedom of new life in Christ. Finding and practicing a regular prayer life is a focus throughout the Pilgrims in Christ year—but additionally, in Lent, we explore an array of prayer methods and aids to assist the spiritual exercises of the season, and well beyond. 
All Pilgrims sessions in Lent meet on Monday evenings.

 April 11—early June (classes resume Wednesdays)   PART FOUR: THE MYSTAGOGIA PERIOD.  Having received the Holy Spirit at Baptism and the stirring up of the Spirit at Confirmation, we now explore what ‘incorporation into the Body of Christ’ looks like as a way of life.  In Part Four we examine our gifts for ministry in our church and our world.  We begin with a study of Spiritual Gifts, and as we identify our own we find that they can be matched to specific ministry opportunities at St Paul’s.  Then we are treated to a set of panel discussions at which a broad spectrum from our parish family share first-hand ministry experiences, “where we worship, live, and work.”   Holy Matrimony, Holy Orders, and the Religious Life are also examined in this context.