Religious Education and Spiritual Growth Programs
For information on any of these groups please call the rectory.

Legion of Mary
The Legion of Mary, a worldwide organization of the lay apostolate, whose members perform spiritual and apostolic works in the parish. Members meet weekly, recite the Legion Prayer and the Rosary, and perform and assigned apostolic work. The St. Bridget's Legion, Our Lady of Help of Sinners, meets Tuesday mornings following the 9:00 Mass in the Rectory Meeting Room.

Pre-Cana (Marriage Preparation)
This is a regional program, offered at St. Bridget's, in conjunction with the Family Life Apostolate of the Archdiocese of Boston. It consists of 3 evening sessions directed by a team of married couples. Presentations, discussions and individual exercises for the participating couples serve to highlight the main topics of the Pre-Cana program: Communication in marriage; Marriage Adjustments; Human Sexuality; Responsible Parenthood and Marriage as Vocation and Sacrament. The program concludes with an Engagement Ceremony during which the Church officially recognizes and blesses this important period in the lives of the participating couples.

Religious Education Confraternity Of Christian Doctrine (CCD)
St. Bridget's Religious Education Program offers instruction in Catholic doctrine and faith formation to public-school students in Grades K - 12. This ministry provides training and spiritual development for the teachers, sacramental programs for students and parents, as well as student retreats.

Respect Life Committee
The Respect Life Committee meets each month in the Rectory Meeting Room. It deals with all the critical life issues of the day, from the moment of conception until natural death. It provides catechizes on the issue of abortion, and supplies parishioners accurate data on the political and moral ramifications of Supreme Court decisions. The most critical issues of our times are the "Life Issues". Parishioners will find this Committee most helpful in sorting out fact from fiction, and understanding the Church's position in the "life issues" debate.

Novalis Program
As an outgrowth of The Living with Christ series of Adult Religious Education programs, a scriptural study/prayer group has been formed here at St. Bridget's. Employing the precise scriptural context of the daily liturgy, as provided us in monthly booklets, the meaning and instruction and its application to our lives today is developed through group discussion. Through the use of the many forms of prayer, (Scripted Prayer, Lectio Divina, Imaginative Prayer, Contemplative/Meditative Prayer, etc.), as well as life experiences, the Old and New Testaments become actively present in our lives. Participants in the program are encouraged to keep a daily prayer journal. Meetings are held in the Parish Renewal Center from 7:30 to 9:00 pm on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. If a change is necessary, all are notified.

RCIA (Rite Of Christian Initiation Of Adults)
The RCIA is a process through which adults are fully initiated into the Catholic faith community. It includes 4 periods of formation: (1) Precatechumenate; (2) Catechumenate; (3) Enlightenment, and (4) Mystagogia. These 4 periods are separated by major liturgical rites or stages. The RCIA is not simply another parish program. The entire parish, in one way or another, takes responsibility for the formation of adults who wish to join the community of faith.

Spiritual Development Committee
The Spiritual Development Committee exists to guide and intensify the spiritual life of the parish. They meet regularly to pray, plan monthly programs for the parish, sponsor adult education lecture series and special liturgical celebra-tions: Retreats, missions, days of recollection. The committee encourages outreach programs for purposes of evangelization (RCIA) and fellowship. Membership is open to adult members of the parish. They also sponsor such Adult Education Series as the Living with Christ Program and the Nouvalis Program. The DeSales Program will be offered on a cyclic basis.