Interested in becoming Catholic or learning more about your Catholic faith?
RCIA
(Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)
New classes are beginning soon!
All are Welcome!
RCIA is open to anyone seeking to join the Church, learn more about their faith, or just explore what Catholicism is all about. There is no pressure or obligation to join the Church by attending the sessions.
Contact the Church Office if you have further questions.
RCIA Sign Up
RCIA 2023-2024
Inquiry Period
Alpha Topic Catholic Catechism for Adults
Wed Sep 13 Reboot 7:00 PM-9:00 PM in Church St. Gregory’s Parish
Wed Sept 20 Is There More to life than this? Ch 1. My Soul Longs for your O God
Tue Sept 29 Who is Jesus? Ch. 2. God Comes to Meet us
Tue Sept 26 Why Did Jesus die? Ch. 7 The Good News: God sent His Son
Tue Oct 3 How Can I have Faith? Ch. 8 The Saving Death and Resurrection of Christ
Tue Oct 10 Why and How Do I Pray? Ch.5 I believe in God.
Ch. 25 I believe in the True God
Ch. 35 God Calls Us to Pray
Ch.36 Jesus Taught us to Pray.
Tue Oct 17 Scripture Ch. 3 Proclaiming the Gospel
Tue Oct 24 What About the Church? Ch. 10 The Church: Reflecting the Light of Christ
Tue Nov 7 One Holy, Catholic & Apostolic Ch11. The Four Marks of the Church
Tue Nov 14 How does God Guide Us? Ch.10 The Church; Reflecting the Light of Christ & Spirit
Tue Nov 21 Heaven, hell, purgatory Ch. 13 Our Eternal Destiny
November 19 11:00 AM Mass Rite of Welcome
November 23 Thanksgiving
Catechumenate
Tue Nov 28 Liturgical Year Ch. The celebration of the Paschal Mystery of Christ
December 3 First Sunday of Advent
Dec 5 Mary Ch. 12: The Church First Member
Dec 12 How Can I resist evil? Ch. 23 Life in Christ Part one
Ch.24 Life in Christ Part Two
Dec 19 Incarnation Ch. 7 Good News: God Sent His Son
Dec 27 Christmas Break
Jan 2 Overview of Sacraments Ch.14 Sacraments faith celebrated II
Jan 9 Jesus’ Teaching on Eucharist Ch.17 Eucharist: Source and Summit
The Eucharist Prayers
Jan 16 The Last Supper: Structure of the Mass
Jan 23 Sacrament: Sin & Reconciliation Ch 18 The Sacrament of Penance and Recociliation
Jan 30 Sacrament: Marriage Ch 21 The Sacrament of Marriage
Feb 6 Works of Mercy and Anointing of the Sick Ch 19 The Sacrament of the Sick and Dying
Feb 13 Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving Ch 27 Love the Lord’s Day
February 14 Ash Wednesday
Feb 18 First Sunday of Lent Rite of Sending 11:00 A M Mass
Feb 20 Sacrament of Ordination Ch 20 Holy Orders
Feb 25 Second Sunday of Lent Scrutiny 1 at 5:30 PM Mass
Feb 27 Sermon on the Mt. Blessed are the pure of heart Ch. 34 Embrace Poverty of Spirit
Mar 3 Third Sunday of Lent Scrutiny 2 at 11:00 AM Mass
Mar 5 Sermon on the Mount: Blessed are peace Makers Ch 29 Promote the Culture of life.
Mar 10 Fourth Sunday of Lent Scrutiny 3 at 11:00 AM Mass
Mar 12 Sermon on the Mount Purity in Relationship Ch.30 Martial Fidelity
Ch. 33 Practice Purity of Heart
Mar 17 Fifth Sunday of Lent Exorcism on going Conversion.
Mar 19 Sermon on Mount: Parable of Salt Ch. Reverence for God’s Name
Mar 24 Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord
Mar 28 Holy Week Triduum Holy Thursday
Mar 29 Good Friday
Mar 30 Easter Vigil Holy Saturday 9:00 AM Practice
Mar 31 Easter Sunday
Reception for Candidates and Catechumens after Easter Vigil
Apr 2 Mystagogia celebration Reflection of Easter Vigil experience
Apr 9 Reflection Prayer Ch. 35 God call Us to Pray
Apr 16 On Going Conversion Ch. Source of Meaning & Hope
(All sessions will be held in the conference Room in Parish office area - Beginning at 6:30PM-8:00 PM unless otherwise indicated)
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
1 Peter 2:9
Jesus defined some of the chacteristics of a disciple.
Link to full article.
The Catechism defines a disciple this way: “The disciple of Christ must not only keep the faith and live on it, but also profess it, confidently bear witness to it, and spread it” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1816).
R.C.I.A. (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) is for those adults over the age of 18 who are either not baptized or baptized in another faith who are discerning becoming Catholic. If they so choose, they will be baptized and/or will be fully Initiated into the Catholic Faith at the Easter Vigil service after completing the course.
*There is not obligation to join the Church by attending these sessions. Anyone and everyone is welcome!
These formation classes can also be used for those who are 18 and above who were baptized in the Catholic Faith, but never received their First Communion and/or Confirmation.
The class will meet weekly leading up to the Easter Vigil!
Sign Up Here!
Contact: Parish Office 660-582-3833
A disciple during the both the Old and New Testament times was someone who spent time with a rabi (teacher) learning from him. This wasn't just an hour or two a day or a week but a disciple would actually live with the teacher. So in the New Testament when Jesus tells the rich young man to sell everything and follow him we see that Jesus is asking a lot of someone to be his disciple. There are some still who do this, the monks and nuns of our local abbey & convent for example. Most of us though are not asked to give ourselves in this way.
So what are we asked to do? Jesus gives us many hints, but lets look at one verse that Jesus gives us from the first part of his Great Command: Love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. (Mk. 12:30) I wonder what this would look like in each of our lives?
Get Involved: Become a Disciple Maker
If you are interested in joining the Catholic Church then contact the church office.
Sign Up here!
More infoA BIBLE STUDY: ,
Revelation, with Tom Spire. Sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. Join us Wednesdays from 5:30-6:30 in the Knight's of Columbus basement for 11 sessions. Emphasis is on the establishment of the Kingdom of God and the celebration of the Mass.
JOIN A DISCUSSION GROUP :
Time to think about forming small groups to discuss Dynamic Parish's Feed Your Soul. In our partnership with Dynamic Catholic the emphasis is on prayer. There is nothing better than praying with the Gospels!
STUDY ON LINE: Several online sites are available for this. Check out Formed.org or Spiritual Resources!
Getting married?! Please contact the Parish Office (660-582-3833) for more information.
Foccus (Facilitate Open, Caring Communication Understanding and Study) is a pre-marriage compatibility assessment. This program helps the engaged couple understand and communicate openly about important topics. By each taking an inventory of their backgrounds and beliefs, the couple can compare and contrast their results, which will highlight the strength and weaknesses of their relationship. This helps facilitate discussions in order to build a strong foundation for their marriage. FOCCUS completes step one of the four-step diocesan marriage preparation process.
Meetings: FOCCUS consists of one or two meetings, which are held at St. Gregory’s. Before the first meeting, the engaged couple complete an assessment inventory online, which takes an hour. During the meeting(s), they compare and discuss the results. Engaged couples can register by calling the Parish Office.
Volunteers: St. Gregory’s needs 2 or 3 FOCCUS counselors to share the responsibility of assisting engaged couples at this important stage in their relationship. FOCCUS counselors must be licensed, professional, experienced counselors.
The program is based on the vision of Pope Paul II’s Theology of the Body and its purpose to meditate on God’s plan for married life. Theology of the Body is the study of God and the purpose of one’s existence, as discovered and revealed through one’s body. The program unveils how to understand oneself, the vocation of marriage and the call of God to be fruitful through the session’s two parts: “Catholic Faith and Your Marriage” and “Sacramental Sexuality.” The cost of $50/couple covers the workbooks, a resource book, and a light lunch. This class is the second of the four diocesan marriage preparation requirements.
Meetings: Currently, this one-day Program is offered only in St. Joseph and Kansas City on the second Saturday of the month from 8:30 am to 5 pm. Registration must take place in advance directly through the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph web site: www.diocese-kcsjj.org/content/offices_and_agencies/family_life/marriage_preparation/joy-filled_marriage/
Volunteers: St. Gregory’s is in need of one or two married couples from the Parish to attend a diocesan training that will enable them to teach this class to engaged couples in Maryville. Otherwise, all engaged couples must drive to St. Joseph or Kansas City for this required class.
Natural Family Planning (NFP) is a reproductive health monitoring tool, which teaches couples how to achieve or to avoid pregnancy in marriage using natural means. The diocese requires engaged couples to attend a one-hour introductory session of NFP; however, follow-up sessions are recommended in order to better understand the woman’s patterns and to discover any infertility signs.
This program is also available to single women and other individuals interested in learning more about Natural Family Planning.
The introduction session costs $40 couple/individual participant. Some insurance companies cover this cost, and other financial assistance is available if needed. This introductory NFP class completes step three of the diocesan marriage preparation process.
Meetings: To register in Maryville, please email: info@fertilitycarekc.com for the dates of upcoming classes at St. Francis Hospital. Registration must be completed at least one week prior to the class date or the class may be cancelled. To register in St. Joseph or Kansas City, contact the Fertility Care Center of Kansas City to check the class dates and to register (816-858-0198/www.fertilitycarekc.com/).
Volunteers: Our Maryville community needs one or two women who are willing to become certified NFP teachers so that they can regularly teach the introductory class as well as any follow-up sessions for interested women and couples. For more information about being certified, contact the Fertility Care Center of Kansas City.
There are two options for the fourth step of the Marriage Preparation Program. One option is to attend Lead Couples Sessions. At the two Lead Couples Sessions, engaged couples meet with local married lead couples. The program uses the Together in God’s Love workbooks, which reveal what each person brings to the relationship from their family of origin. The engaged couple learns about how their marriage will be the merging of two family histories, values and beliefs and will now begin as a “new creation.”
Sessions: Lead Couples Sessions are on an individual basis. Please contact the parish to schedule dates and times. A $25/couple fee includes the cost for the workbooks. The sessions may be cancelled if not enough engaged couples register in advance.
Volunteers: Married couples, who have been married for five or more years, are needed to attend a diocesan training. With this training, they will be able to facilitate the sessions for couples in the Maryville area.
The second option for the fourth step for the Marriage Preparation Program is to attend a Catholic Engaged Encounter Weekend. Catholic Engaged Encounter is a retreat designed for couples preparing for sacramental marriage. This weekend provides time away from distractions so couples can talk honestly and intensely about their future life together including their values and priorities regarding money, sex, children, family and their role in the Church and society. This weekend is presented by a team of two married couples and a priest. Personal reflection and dialogue between the couple becomes the main focus of the weekend.
Retreat Schedule: The weekend retreats are traditionally held monthly and last from 7 pm on Friday until 5 pm on Sunday at the Savior Pastoral Center in Kansas City, Kansas. Couples wishing to attend an Encounter Weekend must complete a reservation form online through the diocese at least four months prior to the desired weekend. Participants can review the possible dates and register at http://kcsjfamily.org/engaged/marriage-preparation-7-steps/catholic-engaged-encounterlead-couple-sessions
Volunteers:
Presenting Team Couple: Married couples, who are practicing Catholics and have been married for one or more years, can volunteer to be a Presenting Team Couple at the weekend retreat. Their weekend responsibilities include writing talks with the guidance of another presenting team and writing talks to be presented with another team and a priest. These volunteer couples must sign up to present a one or two weekends per year and experience each weekend free of charge.
Support Couple: Support couples can participate as soon as they are married and may be an interfaith couple. The couple will experience the weekend free of charge. Responsibilities include writing and discussing talks with another team and priest and assisting presenting teams and the priest on the weekend with administrative duties such as answering phones.
Attending Lead Couple Sessions OR the Catholic Engaged Encounter Weekend is the final step in the four-step diocesan marriage preparation process for engaged couples.
This program includes the content from steps 2-4 of the marriage preparation process so couples completing this weekend will not need to attend the God's Plan for a Joy-Filled Marriage program and they will be able to attend an introduction to NFP (Creighton Model) during the weekend included in the cost of THRIVE! The weekend is held at various parish locations; there will be no overnight stays. Registration includes hors d'oeuvres on Friday, all meals on Saturday, and breakfast and lunch on Sunday. The cost is $225.