Being the product of a mixed marriage, with a convent educated and rather devout mother and Anglican father, I was not baptized into any church. The decision of the church to which I felt I belonged was mine to make when I was old enough. This is a fine theory. However as I got older distractions such as sports and university, then work made this decision seem distant and less important. It was always something I'd get around to. My beliefs and my faith certainly never wavered; it was just that I had more important things to worry about.

Late last year I became engaged to Amy. All my life I had believed that God should be an integral part of marriage and that one should be married before Him, in his church. Finally I had the reason to do what I had put off for so long. Late last year I called the North Ryde parish and enquired about the R.C.I.A. program.

As the weeks go by and I move closer to the time when I undergo the sacraments of initiation, I find myself in an intense period of self-appraisal and self-discovery. Far from merely being something to fill in an hour on Sunday morning, my attendance at mass and my Monday evening sessions with the R.C.I.A. team have been both eye opening and life changing. Questions of faith, of the way my life is being led, of my relationships with those close to me have come to the forefront of my mind. These are difficult questions and ones not answered without a great deal of soul-searching and support from others.

One aspect of my journey so far that has been something of a revelation is the sense of community I've encountered within both the parish and the church at large. I now understand the expression 'Body of Christ'. Far from being a purely personal act, I've discovered how important others are to our faith. Without the guidance of the R.C.I.A. team and without the support of so many from within the parish and without, my questions, fears and concerns would have remained unanswered and my feelings of being an outsider unalleviated. Never once have I been made to feel like a 'Johnny come lately', which was something I really feared when I made my first tentative enquiries 3 months ago.

The past few weeks have been a truly enlightening experience for me. One that I know has made me a better, more complete person.

Dale
Holy Spirit, North Ryde