The earliest Christians were converts to the faith. To this day the Church continues to renew herself through the welcoming of new members into the life of faith and into the community of believers. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adult (RCIA) is the process through which persons considering becoming Catholic are introduced to the beliefs and practices fo the Catholic faith as well as the means through which persons become full members of the Catholic Church. The goal of the RCIA process is not to simply indoctrinate persons into the faith but to build up the Body of Christ through the building up of Christ's Church.
The RCIA process is intended for persons who are not baptized in a Christian faith and for those baptized Christian but not Catholic. Persons baptized Catholic but needing to receive first Eucharist and/or Confirmation may be asked to attend RCIA sessions depending upon their faith history and level of catechesis. We welcome both college students and those beyond the university to this process.
In our parish the calendar for RCIA is determined by the academic calendar. We being the process mid-September and conclude the formal process in early May. We meet Wednesday Evenings from 7:00-9:00 pm. Our first meeting is September 21, 2022.
Believing that faith is a gift from God, we understand that participation in this program is voluntary. Should a person discern that they are not called to life in the Catholic faith, he or she may discontinue participation in the process at any time up to receiving the Sacraments of Initiation.
A brief overview of the process is as follows:
Inquiry: A period of time in which those persons interested in becoming members "inquire" about the faith. This period emphasizes the "nuts and bolts" of Catholic belief and practice. The period of Inquiry concludes with the Rite of Welcome, often celebrated at Mass on the first Sunday in Advent, which is the beginning of the Church year. Due to the first Sunday in Advent being during Thanksgiving Break, the Rite of Welcome will likely be celebrated on December 4, 2022.
The Catechumenate: For the un-baptized, the Rite of Welcome marks his or her entry into the order of the Catechumenate (those already baptized are called "Candidates"). Catechumens and Candidates continue their formation and catechesis with faith and the experience of God becoming the focus of this period rather than the "why and how" associated with the period of Inquiry. At this stage of the process, Catechumens and Candidates will be paired with sponsors from the parish who will accompany them on the journey toward full initiation. The period of the Catechumenate concludes on the first Sunday of Lent with the welcome of the Catechumens into the order of the Elect at the Rite of Election on Sunday, February 26, 2023.
The Elect: Lent is the six week period that precedes the celebration of Easter. For the Church it is a time of intense preparation for Easter marked by prayer, fasting, almsgiving and acts of penance. For the Elect, it is the final season of preparation for their full initiation into the Catholic Church. As for the rest of the Church, this period is a time when the Elect reflect on the need for God's mercy and the unlimited depth of God's love.
The Rites of Initiation: The Elect are welcomed into the Church through the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and first Eucharist celebrated at the Easter Vigil, or night before Easter. The Easter Vigil for the 2022-2023 school year is Saturday, April 8, 2023
Mystagogy: This is a period of time when the Neophytes, as the newly initiated are called, reflect upon their experience of the Mystery of God and consider how they may contribute through their time and talents in building up the community that has supported them to this point.
God is a mystery to be experienced, not a problem to be solved.
For more information regarding RCIA please contact Mrs. Carmen Roebke at [email protected] or 330.678.0240.