Second Sunday of Lent, March 1, 2026

Since 2022 Saint John's, in cooperation with Holy Redeemer, has had a revamped RCIA (now called OCIA) program, partly by zoom, partly in person.

Many Catholics throughout the English speaking world are familiar with the term RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults). This is the program of study and formation to enable adults to enter the Catholic Church through baptism. For some reason, the US Catholic bishops, though not bishops in the rest of the English speaking world, have chosen to rename the program OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults). I don't know why our bishops chose to confuse us for no purpose that I can comprehend, but regardless of the name of the program, the Church is doing what it has always done since the first Pentecost—proclaim the Gospel and invite others to become disciples of Christ.

Our OCIA program consists of weekly zoom classes and periodic one on one meetings with a friar. We have four zoom teachers, Father Tom, Father John McCloskey, Brother Luke and John-Paul Spiro, a philosophy teacher at Villanova. Classes begin in September and continue until Easter.

Our program is aimed at unbaptized persons who want to become Catholic, but we also welcome people baptized in other Christian communities who want to be Catholic and baptized adult Catholics who seek to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Lent is a time of penance and conversion, but it is also the period of more intense preparation for Baptism and Confirmation for those seeking union with Christ through these sacraments.

As of the beginning of Lent, here are the numbers of people following our program and preparing for a Sacrament this Easter:

Saint John Church:

  • Becoming Catholic through Baptism and Confirmation: 11
  • Becoming Catholic through profession of faith and Confirmation: 2
  • Adult Catholics seeking Confirmation: 5

Holy Redeemer Church:

  • Becoming Catholic through Baptism and Confirmation: 4
  • Becoming Catholic through Baptism and Confirmation Chinese language OCIA program: 3
  • Adult Catholics seeking Confirmation: 3

A total of 28 adults (including one teen) will be baptized or confirmed at Saint John's and Holy Redeemer this Easter. All of these people are under the age of 40.

There is other hopeful news. Across the Archdiocese the number of those seeking to enter the Catholic Church this Easter has risen dramatically from last year and very dramatically from two and three years ago.

However, there are parishes where there are no baptisms or confirmation; not all parishes are seeing the increase that the Archdiocese is seeing overall. Also, the 2025 October count found that Mass attendance across the Archdiocese is up 7.5% over 2024. That means that on an average Sunday 11,000 more people are attending Mass in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia than in 2024. These hopeful signs are not enough to signal an overall societal return to faith, but they are hopeful. All of us should be evangelizers!

Please pray for those seeking to enter a deeper relationship with Christ. Please continue to pray that our church community will continue to be an evangelizing force to bring others to the Lord.

Stations of the Cross
There will be Stations of the Cross after the 12:05 and 5:15 Masses on Fridays during Lent.

Catholic Charities Appeal

February 28-March 1

CCA is the Archdiocese of Philadelphia's most important fundraiser, benefiting hundreds of thousands of people through numerous agencies and ministries in the Archdiocese. Each year, CCA helps to ensure the vitality of Catholic ministries throughout the five-county Archdiocese. CCA beneficiaries are grouped into five areas of ministries including Special Education; Social Services; Evangelization; Mission Parishes; and Infirm and Retired Priests.

The Catholic Charities Appeal is not just another second collection. It is the engine that fuels the Catholic Church's charitable work in our Archdiocese. In our neighborhood, the CCA supports Saint John's Hospice and Mercy Hospice, serving our homeless neighbors, and Women of Hope which provides housing and services to persons suffering from poverty and mental illness.

CCA supports an office to assist immigrants seeking legal status. CCA funds programs to assist pregnant women and young mothers who have nowhere else to turn for help.

CCA supports 50 food pantries, 140 disabled children in special schools, 133 elderly and sick priests, and much more.

This weekend, February 28-March 1, we will have our appeal at Saint John's. We have great needs at Saint John's, but please also be generous to this Catholic outreach to the poor.

All donation to Saint John's Poor Box during Lent will be given to the Catholic Charities Appeal.

Fr. Tom Betz

This week ...

From the Pastor' Desk

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