Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is the process by which the church welcomes an adult into our Catholic Community

“Once you have surrendered yourself, you make yourself receptive. In receiving from God, you are perfected and completed.”― Fulton J. Sheen, Seven Words of Jesus and Mary: Lessons from Cana and Calvary

RCIA is for:

Those who want to be baptized.

Those baptized in another tradition who desire to become Catholic.

Those asking to receive the Sacraments of Eucharist and/or Confirmation.

 
The RCIA program involves personal prayer and meditation, the prayer and support of the parish community, and learning about the Catholic faith.
 
This process is broken down into stages or steps:

1. PRECATECHUMENATE                                                                                               The first stage is a time for inquiry, for asking questions, to begin to learn about the Catholic  faith. It involves no commitment other than attendance at the Precatechumenate meetings.
2. CATECHUMENATE                                                                                                     Formal entrance into the ORDER OF CATECHUMENS indicates that a person is seriously considering joining the Catholic Church.  At this stage, one continues to learn what it means to live a Catholic life. For those continuing with the process we reflect on Scripture and study the traditions and prayers of the Catholic Church.  We look at our liturgy, our form of worship.  We explore Church teachings for living a moral and socially just life in the world today.
3. PURIFICATION & ENLIGHTENMENT                                                                           Prior to initiation into the church Catechumens prepare themselves spiritually for this important step. The season of LENT is the time for this final preparation. It is a time of prayer and reflection on our lives.
4. INITIATION                                                                                                                   The reception of the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist are celebrated at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday Night.
5. MYSTAGOGY                                                                                                           Having become a fully initiated member of the Catholic Church, the initiated continue to meet with sponsors and other newly initiated Catholics. This is a time to reflect upon their experience as a Catholic. It is a time of prayer, community and service.  We explore what it means to be fully initiated and an active Catholic.

The RCIA Group meets in the Gathering Hall

Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m.
If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about the Catholic faith, please get in touch with us.  You may complete the RCIA Interview Form in advance or during a meeting with the Director of Adult Faith Formation. 
 

Would you consider being an RCIA Sponsor?

Everyone going through the RCIA process is asked to have a sponsor.  This person will walk the journey beside the candidate, witnessing to the love of Christ and offering support. 

A sponsor must be at least 16 years of age a confirmed Catholic who lives their faith.  A Sponsor may not be the candidate’s parent or spouse, and if married, must be married in the Catholic Church.

A Sponsor Covenant will need to be completed by the person invited to be a sponsor.

To Sponsor for Baptism & Full Communion: 
CATECHUMEN SPONSOR COVENANT

To Sponsor for Full Communion (Eucharist & Confirmation):
CANDIDATE SPONSOR COVENANT

To Sponsor for Confirmation: 
CONFIRMATION SPONSOR COVENANT

The RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults), also called the Catechumenate, is a process of initiation into the Catholic Community of Faith for persons who are experiencing a conversion in their lives and seeking either Christian baptism in the Catholic Church or full Communion with the Catholic tradition through Eucharist and Confirmation.

It is a process which enables the study of the Gospels, Catholic Christian teaching, the acceptance of Christian values and morality, the development and deepening of a life of prayer and action with the support and involvement of the local Christian community. The RCIA is more than a course of instruction. It is a process of conversion, designed to meet the unique and individual needs of the participants
 

Sacrament of Baptism

“Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit, and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: “Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word.” (Catechism 1213)

 

Sacrament of Confirmation

“Confirmation, with Baptism and Eucharist, is one of three sacraments of initiation and is necessary for the completion of baptismal grace. By the sacrament of Confirmation, the baptized are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit.  Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed.”  (Catechism 1285)
Adults who have not been confirmed should seriously consider preparing for this sacrament which completes their full initiation into the Catholic Church. Completion of the sacraments of initiation is strongly encouraged prior to celebrating the other sacraments including marriage.

Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist

 “The holy Eucharist completes Christian initiation. Those who have been raised to the dignity of the royal priesthood by Baptism and configured more deeply to Christ by Confirmation participate with the whole community in the Lord’s own sacrifice by means of the Eucharist.” (Catechism 1322)
The celebration of Mass forms our local Church, connects us with the apostolic faith, and links us with the Church universal. All parish life revolves around the Sunday celebration of the Lord’s paschal mystery in the Eucharist.
For adults, the reception of the Eucharist is the culmination of their Christian initiation through the RCIA Process.