RCIA is bringing the "Good News" of Jesus Christ to people who wish to become part of the Roman Catholic Church.
The letters "RCIA" stand for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, the document flowing from Vatican II which guides the process by which adults are initiated into our Roman Catholic community. The RCIA describes a process in which men and women are guided and cared for as they awaken in faith and are gradually introduced to the Catholic way of life.
The RCIA process is a series of carefully planned stages, in which people embark on and join us in a continuing and deepening conversion into faith and discipleship. The RCIA process takes into account the history and spiritual needs of each person, differentiating between person's who are baptized or unbaptized, the catechized or the uncatechized. Just as each person's needs are unique, each RCIA group that forms becomes a unique group whose members grow in faith and love with God.
The RCIA draws its model from the "catechumenate" of the ancient Church. Becoming Christian in the early days of the Church involved a sharp break with the surrounding culture. New Christians entered into the joy of new life and a life-sharing community of faith, but also entered into a way of living which demanded deep commitment and entailed great risks. In the modern world, our faith also demands deep commitment -- our beliefs and the beliefs of our society are often in tension. The Church revived the catechumenate -- embodied in the RCIA -- because new believers in the modern world need careful preparation and caring support as they enter into the mysteries of Christ and the commitment of Christian living.
Conversion: a Journey of Mind, Heart and Spirit
Awakening to Christ and seeking out the Church through the RCIA comes about in a variety of ways. The first step for some is a sense that "something is missing" -- a sense, perhaps provoked by some crisis, that there is more to life than what they now have or a better way to live than how they now live. For many others, the journey begins because of a relationship with a Catholic -- a close friend or a potential spouse. Still others are drawn by seeing the example of a Catholic life well lived, or by exposure to a Catholic writer like St. Augustine, Thomas Merton or Dorothy Day. Whatever the reason for the awakening and decision to seek, the RCIA process is the first step on a lifelong journey of intellectual, emotional and spiritual conversion.
In her book Turning: Reflections on the Experience of Conversion, Emilie Griffin reflected that "conversion" is the process of "turning over one's life and energies to God." While we know that the concept of "turning" is apt -- the root image of conversion is the proverbial "one hundred eighty degree change" -- we also know from our own lives and experience that conversion is an ongoing, lifelong process of personal spiritual growth as well as a social process in which we strengthen and draw strength from others. The RCIA recognizes both the ongoing quality and the communal nature of conversion, providing an intellectual and spiritual framework and a faith community in which an individual's conversion experience can be understood and supported. Caring for people in the midst of this life-changing experience is the goal of the RCIA ministry.
Inquiry
The word catechumenate means "time of serious study" and inquirers who become catechumens -- those who have not been baptized -- or candidates -- baptized Christians who have not been confirmed as Roman Catholics -- join us in reflecting on the Scriptures and our Tradition. The length of the catechumenate varies according to individual needs, although the norm at our parish is to form a group that meets once a week for approximately an hour to an hour and a half from September until Easter. The decision to join the Church though is a serious commitment and requires attendance at the weekly meetings and participation in the Sunday liturgies.
Our catechumens and candidates do not travel alone during this period. The RCIA team of teachers and faith sharers act as spiritual companions, providing personal support, sharing experience of Christian life and helping make the catechumens and candidates feel "at home" with Catholic religious practice.
The Rite of Christian Initiation is not a program.
It is the church's way of ministering sensitively to those who seek membership. For that reason some people will need more time than others to prepare for the lifetime commitment that comes with membership in the Catholic Church. Sometimes those who come into the RCIA have issues regarding marriages that must be addressed and annulments that must be obtained before they can come into the Church.
If you or someone you know is interested in more information about becoming Catholic or if you are a Baptized Catholic Adult who has not completed your Sacraments of Initiation (First Communion and/or Confirmation), please call the parish office and ask to speak to the Pastor or the Adult Faith Coordinator. They will most likely make an appointment with you to discuss your life story and discern if there is any marriage or other special issues that may affect your participation in the RCIA journey. You will then be on your way to becoming or completing your initiation into the Catholic faith.