What if I have never been baptized? RCIA is especially designed for adults who wish to be baptized. This process is designed to welcome and prepare people to celebrate baptism through a series of gatherings, rituals, classes and small groups. The purpose is to foster a relationship with God and with the community, to encourage a spirit of faith and charity, to teach or review the basics of the Catholic faith, to prepare for the sacraments, and to help the person feel "at home" in the Catholic Church.
What if I have already been baptized, but want to be Catholic? We normally recognize as valid any baptism performed in any Christian denomination by pouring or immersion with water and the words "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." This would include the baptism of most mainline Christian Churches. In this case, a person who journeys through RCIA would not be baptized again. When men and women who are baptized Christians but not Roman Catholics wish to become Catholics, they are coming into "full communion with the Catholic Church" through similar but distinct rites during the process. These people make a profession of faith once they are ready, but are not baptized again.
Who is involved in the process? Actually, the whole parish is involved in the RCIA process. Besides those seeking initiation into the Church, there are parish sponsors, prayer partners and a team of parishioners who walk the spiritual journey with the candidates. Throughout the process there are rites that are celebrated within the Sunday liturgies with the rest of the parish community. At the Sunday liturgies the parish assembly welcomes and supports the candidates in prayer. Regular parish bulletin articles help the parish to understand the RCIA journey, and become involved in this prayer and support. RCIA participants are asked to attend Mass with the community, and after the Rite of Election (explained below) they are asked to attend a particular weekend Mass together as a group and then study the scripture together, all while being supported by the prayers of the rest of the community.
What topics are covered? The formation includes several areas:
• · Scripture: the stories of God's people
• · Teaching: what Catholics believe
• · Prayer: how we communicate with God
• · Liturgy: how the community worships
• · Mission: how we live out what we believe
How long does it take? The time required to complete the journey may vary-- depending upon the background and circumstances of the individual. As each human is unique, each RCIA journey may be unique. Normally a person who is not baptized would participate in the RCIA process-for a minimum of one to two years from the time of beginning. For others who are baptized in another Christian denomination, the time frame may vary widely depending on their commitment to Jesus Christ, how active they have been in other Christian communities, their existing understanding of the Catholic Faith, and other factors. Prior to beginning the process, a member of the parish team will interview each person, and help them to discern their needs and their own unique situation, and will make recommendations for that person's participation in this journey we call RCIA.
What can I expect of the sessions? An initial period called "Inquiry" is an opportunity for those wishing to become Catholics to ask questions about Catholicism, share their own faith journey, explore the way that their life experience intersects with Catholic perspective, receive an introduction to the process of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, and an orientation to Catholic teachings. Other periods follow the period of Inquiry, and are described below. The whole process includes elements of learning (catechesis); questioning, reading, discussing, small group sharing, activities, prayer, scripture study, and social activities.
What is expected of me? We hope that you are inspired by the journey! We hope that each person will make a commitment to attend every session, to experience fully every part of this wonderful journey together. The more you put into learning about the Catholic faith, and engaging ill the discussions and activities, the more comfortable you will feel a year or two from now. We expect that each person will read the material provided, come to the sessions with questions and comments, and reflections, and participate actively in the RCIA journey.
Will there be pressure on me to join the Church if attend the inquiry classes? Not at all. The purpose of the Inquiry process is to provide information and experiences needed to decide whether God is calling you to the Catholic way of life. Our role as leaders and teachers in RCIA is to help you discern for yourself. Worship with us, explore our beliefs and practices, spend a year among us participating in the community, and then decide if you are called by God to this way of life.
What if I just want to learn about the Catholic Church without joining? We welcome those who just want to understand what being a Catholic really means. It is not unusual for people who are engaged or married to a Catholic to participate so that they I will understand their spouse's religion. This is also true of parents whose children are being raised Catholic - they want to know how to answer the questions posed by their children. All are welcome.
What are the Different Periods of the Process like? The RCIA is a journey, marked by rites (ceremonies) that lead to the reception of the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and Eucharist on the night before Easter (the Easter Vigil). These are called the sacraments of initiation. For those who are already baptized, the journey may be slightly different. In reality, we can speak generally about different "periods" of the journey, but each person is also on their own individual journey. The process consists of:
• · Inquiry (Pre-Catechumenate). 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 who serves as a companion, a guide, an advocate.
• · Rite of Welcoming (Initiation). Participants ask to be formally enrolled into the Catechumenate. The word comes from the Greek term meaning to teach by word of mouth and suggests instruction in the faith. This Rite can be celebrated whenever RCIA team and pastor agree that the individual is ready.
• · Catechumenate. The longest part of the process, the Catechumenate is a time of learning and formation in the traditions and doctrine of the Catholic Church. This is a time for sharing stories, reading scripture, and studying the Church customs, traditions and doctrine. Participants also participate in worship services and various Church rituals. This period can last for a variable period of time depending on how much the catechumen has learned and how ready the catechumen feels to take the step of becoming a Christian.
• · Rite of Election. Catechumens and Candidates are chosen to be received by the bishop and the community and to receive the Sacraments of Initiation at Easter. The catechumen again expresses the desire and intention to become a Christian, and the Church judges that the catechumen is ready to take this step. Normally, the Rite of Election occurs sometime after the first Sunday of Lent during the forty day period of preparation for Easter. Participants are now called the Elect, and are led into a deeper prayer life and understanding of what it means to be followers of Christ. On the second, third and fourth Sundays of Lent, the Elect participate in rites called “Scrutinies.” This is not a public examination of worthiness; instead the community prays for the and with the Elect, reminding us that we all still need God’s saving power in the process of ongoing conversion.
• · Sacraments of Initiation. At the Easter Vigil (Holy Saturday), all newly elected members of the community who have been journeying through the RCIA process are welcomed formally into the community of believers through receiving the Sacraments of Initiation – Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation. Usually the Bishop oversees the Easter Vigil service.
• · Mystagogy. Your journey as a Catholic never ends! But there is a final stage of Christian initiation. The final state of Christian initiation is known as mystagogy in which the new Christians are strengthened in the faith by further instruction and become more deeply rooted in the local Catholic community. The period of mystagogy normally lasts throughout the Easter season (the fifty days between Easter and Pentecost Sunday). For the first year of their life as Christians, those who have been received are known as “neophytes" or “new Christians.” Post- Easter gatherings are held to reflect on the sacramental experience and to discern ministry in the community. Christian initiation through RCIA is now complete but the road remains for a lifelong Christian journey of growing the Faith.
Why does it have to be so long and so public with all the rites and ceremonies at Mass? Although the decision to embrace the Catholic faith is deeply personal, it also has a community dimension. Catholics believe that we encounter the Risen Christ in the community of believers, in the Word of God and in the sacraments, especially so in the Breaking of Bread (Luke 24: 13-35). Faith is lived out within the context of community. Baptism invests us with bringing the mission of Christ to the world. Those standing before us during these rites are evidence that the Church is doing its work. The presence of those in RCIA is an occasion of celebration and gratitude. As for the length, this is an important decision, not to be rushed. It is not at all unusual for former participants who had this concern to gratefully acknowledge that they would not have missed this experience for the world.
Helpful Links:
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB): http://www.usccb.org
USCCB information on the RCIA Program: http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/who-we-teach/rite-of-christian-initiation-of-adults
The Catechism of the Catholic Church: http://ccc.usccb.org/flipbooks/catechism/index.html
Formed - The Catholic Faith on Demand: https://formed.org
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