Adults who are interested in exploring Catholic belief and practice are invited to participate in the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults). This is a process of prayer, reflection and study spread over several months, during which the inquirer participates in Catholic life and worship.
The focus of the process is Christian conversion – a change of heart in which the individual turns toward God and away from whatever is in the way of living a full Christian life
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The Christian faith is lived out in community, and so one must be part of a community of believers. Catholic belief and practice are explained, both in terms of what Catholics believe and the implications of accepting that belief.
The RCIA invites participants to journey through a process in which movement is marked by rites, leading to reception of the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and Eucharist at the Easter Vigil. These are called the “sacraments of initiation”. Through them, a person begins a new way of life in Christ.
The process begins with a period of Inquiry. Stories are shared, questions are asked, and the basics of Christianity are explored. The inquirer is invited to get to know the community and, hopefully, to see in that community an example of the Christian life. Each inquirer has a sponsor, a person from the parish who serves as a companion, a guide, an advocate.
At the end of the inquiry period, the first Rite takes place. In the Rite of Welcome, participants ask to be formally enrolled into the Catechumenate. During the Catechumenate phase, candidates for the sacraments attend Mass regularly with the community, share discussion on the Sunday scriptures and continue to learn and reflect on Catholic belief. They participate in the parish’s ministry and its social life.
On the first Sunday of lent, the Catechumenate ends, and the Rite of Election is celebrated. Election refers to choice and call. When we elect someone to office, we choose that person and call him or her to service of the community. Similarly, the Church calls the members of the Catechumenate to the Easter sacraments, affirming that God has called them to a deeper relationship which they will live out as Catholic Christians.
Lent, the forty days before Easter, is a special time in the Catholic Church. It focuses on nurturing our spirituality, our relationship with God and the community. We are called to examine our lives to see what is standing in the way of living a full Christian life. The Catholic tradition regards conversion as a lifetime process which begins at baptism and ends with death.
Lent is a time for recommitting ourselves to conversion. During the period of Lent, the candidates, now called the Elect, are led into a deeper prayer life and come to understand and experience the living out of the faith. A retreat, a time apart for prayer and reflection, is part of the shared experience.
Finally, at the Easter Vigil, the Church invites new members to enter the waters of baptism, from which they emerge as new creations, sharing the life of the Risen Christ. Confirmation empowers them in the Spirit, and they are nourished at the Table of the Lord as they take communion for the first time. Their new way of life has begun!
Post-Easter gatherings are held until Pentecost, fifty days after Easter. The newly initiated reflect on the sacramental experience and discern their ministry in the parish community. The journey of the RCIA is now complete; the Christian journey of life is just beginning!
SOME COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT BECOMING CATHOLIC
Why does it take so long? The decision to become a Catholic Christian is a lifetime decision which affects the way we live our whole lives. It impacts our business decisions, our family life, our relationships. And so it is worthy of careful examination in order to be sure that this is the right choice. The Christian life is an ever-deepening relationship with the Risen Christ, present within us and in the community of believers. Like any relationship, it takes time and attention to develop and deepen.
Will there be pressure on me to join the Church if I attend the inquiry classes?No. The purpose of the process is to provide you with the information and experience you need to decide whether God is calling you to the Catholic way of life. You are the only one who can make that decision. Our role as leaders and teachers in the RCIA is to help you discern for yourself. If you decide that this is not for you, we will wish you well and pray for you as you continue your search. We do not expect you to have made a decision to become Catholic when you enter the RCIA.