EACH adult who begins the journey to full membership within the Catholic Church through the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) brings their own story.
When Parkinson’s James Robertson arrived at his first such meeting last year in Sunnybank parish he shared openly about his life – startling everyone with one particular detail.
“I read the Bible from start to finish as a child,” he told the small group of adults.
James “didn’t want to make a big deal of it” – simply answering a question about his exposure to religion and Church.
The humble, unbaptised 42-year-old was first raised in New Zealand and, together with his brother, was exposed to the Sunday-school environment with the Salvation Army.
James admitted to enjoying it but recalled that “at some point” their parents “stopped … for no particular reason”.
“In 1980, when I was thirteen, our family decided to move to Brisbane,” James said.
“Christian Outreach centres were big back then so my family decided to attend a few services.
“However, again, this just stopped for no particular reason.”
The RCIA participant said he was “a typical kid” and, interestingly, a love of watching television drew him again to God.
“Like all kids I watched too much TV and loved the afternoon movies,” James said.
“A lot of those movies in the early ’80s were biblical epics – particularly around Christmas and Easter – and this is probably where I gained most of my knowledge about religion … and they have helped me remember the stories and the life of Christ.
“I wasn’t going to church regularly so I (also) decided to read the Bible.
“For some reason I thought it would be important to read it – so as to be informed and partly to say that I had read it.”
Saying he “knew it would be challenging” the determined youngster “didn’t understand everything” in Scripture but persisted even though “school and sport” often drained his time.
In his late teens and early 20s, church attendance for James was almost non-existent even though his knowledge of the Bible was significant.
“Once I became a young adult I didn’t attend church very often,” he said.
“I attended during special occasions and sometimes I attended Mass with another family – ironically because I was going out with their daughter.”
Meeting his wife of almost 20 years, Kath, a “Polish Catholic” was a turning point of faith.
“We wanted to get married at Our Lady of Victories Catholic Church at Bowen Hills,” James said, adding, “It was where my in-laws were married.”
“The priest would only marry us if I promised to bring my children up as Catholics.
“I had no doubts about agreeing to this.
“I would have done it regardless because I felt that my own spiritual upbringing was disjointed and I wanted my children to have a clear understanding of their religion and the life of Christ.
“I also wanted them to have a structured religious education that would instill good values so that they could be good people when they grow up.”
The faith of children Sara, 9, and Tom, 7, has cemented James’ decision to “officially share” the family’s religious connections.
“While I have always regarded myself as a Christian I have never felt like I belong to a specific denomination,” James said.
“I never know what to write on those forms that ask ‘What’s your religion?’
“(But) I have been inspired to become a Catholic so that I can belong to a Church and share communion with my family and other people from my community.”
Sara participated in the parish’s sacramental journey for students two years ago while Tom is joining in this year.
James, who works in the financial department at Parliament House, considers himself “very lucky”.
“I have the full support of my family and we are all very excited about the prospect of us all being Catholic,” he said.
“As a family we share so much together and it will be lovely to share our religion and its experiences as well.”
Despite his superior navigation of the Scriptures, James has found the RCIA “excellent … and informal with lots of hands-on education”.
“It covers a lot of material and adds a lot of meat to the ‘bare bones’,” he said.
“Before starting the journey I would sit in Mass and follow proceedings as best I could but I never felt that comfortable because there was so much that I didn’t know or understand.
“You think, ‘Am I a fraud doing the Sign of the Cross?’
“(And) I now know the answer is ‘No’.”
Highlights of the journey so far have been attendance at the 10am Solemn Mass, as a group, in St Stephen’s Cathedral and taking part in a tour afterwards as well as their “own tour” of Our Lady of Lourdes Church.
Last Sunday, on the second Sunday of Lent, the Robertsons joined hundreds of others in the cathedral for the Presentation of the Creed, a gathering that welcomes candidates (baptised into another faith) and catechumens (unbaptised) from each corner of the diocese who are preparing for full initiation at Easter. They are welcomed by the archbishop and bishops.
“In the past I would be thinking to myself, ‘What do they do behind the doors? What’s in there?'” James said of not understanding the many facets of “Church” previously.
“Well, now I know and it’s fascinating,” he said.
“There are many objects in church that I thought were just decorations but now I know what they are for or what they represent.”
James said the family were collectively “looking forward to the rest of the journey and particularly Easter Saturday” – the Vigil Mass to incorporate his Baptism, Confirmation and first Eucharist, along with three other adults.
“I feel like I am joining a great community as well as a great Church,” he said.
More than 200 people are participating in the RCIA journey in Brisbane archdiocese this year.
