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RCIA definition, General
Information, Conversion, Stages in a Process, Inquiry, Rite of Acceptance and
Welcome, Catechumenate,
Rite of Election
and Call to Continuing Conversion, Purification, Easter Vigil, Mystagogy, Catechumen or Candidate?, How long does it take?, What is the first step?
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The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) names the process by
which interested persons gradually become members of
the Roman Catholic Church.
The R.C.I.A. is primarily a journey of faith:
- "From the awareness of stirring of faith
and curiosity within one's heart,
- through all those
stages of asking and seeking,
- through beginning
involvement with Roman Catholic people,
- through hearing the
Gospel proclaimed and by faithful reflection and prayer on this Word of
God,
- through study and
discussion about the Catholic experience,
- through doubts and
hesitations,
- through discernment
of God's call for them as individuals,
- through the steps
of commitment,
- through the
sacraments of initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist)
- to a life of faith, love, and justice lived in
communion with Catholics throughout the world.
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General Information
- The implementation
of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is addressed to the
following groups:
- Unbaptized Adult
Converts (RCIA Part I);
- Unbaptized Children
of Catechetical Age (RCIA Part II, chapter 1);
- Baptized but
Uncatechized Adults and Children of Catechetical Age (Catholic or
Non-Catholic) Preparing for Confirmation and Eucharist (RCIA Part II,
chapter 4);
- Baptized Christian
(Non-Catholic) Candidates for Reception in the Full Communion of the
Catholic Church.
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Conversion, a gradual process
- The R.C.I.A. as a
rite, marks stages along the path to full commitment in the Roman
Catholic Church; the R.C.I.A. as a process, describes in broad terms
what this gradual commitment means.
- The R.C.I.A. as
formation gradually looks both to the inner transformation of the
individual to God's call as given week by week in the lectionary of
Scripture readings at the Sunday Eucharist and to the gradual
transformation of the person to an active member of the local church
wherever he or she lives.
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The R.C.I.A. contains five main stages or phases:
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The Period of Inquiry
Period of Inquiry has as its
purpose a time
- to become
acquainted with the Roman Catholic Church and
- to hear the good
news of salvation from Jesus Christ our Savior;
- it is a time to
look within at one's one life story and see connections to or needs for
the gospel story of good news.
- During this period,
the gospel of Jesus is proclaimed, and inquirers look within their own
story to make and mark connections.
- This reflective
process becomes a continuing, on-going method used by inquirer
and team member alike.
- This period lasts
as long as the person needs it to last, from a few months to
several years, if necessary.
- During this period,
some may decide that this is not the right time for them to
become a Catholic.
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The Rite of Acceptance (and Welcome)
- The Rite of
Acceptance ( and Welcome) is a liturgical rite, marking the
beginning of the catechumenate proper, as the candidates express and the
Church accepts their intention to respond to God's call to follow the
way of Christ. (RCIA, Part 1)
- This rite may be
celebrated at any time of the year, and more than once during the
liturgical year, as groups of candidates in the precatechumenate become
ready to celebrate it.
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Period of the Catechumenate
- Period of
catechumenate embodies the first stages of commitment leading to
full membership. It is the lengthiest period of the initiation process.
- The four ways in
which the catechumenate period brings to maturity the initial faith that
is manifested in the Rite of Acceptance and Welcome are: (1) catechesis,
(2) liturgical rites, (3) community life, and (4) apostolic works (RCIA
no.75)
- During this phase,
the catechumens now gather with the Catholic community on Sundays for
the first part of the mass, during which, together, we hear the
Scriptures, respond to them, and reflect on the meaning of God's Word
for us personally and as community through the homily. After the homily,
catechumens are dismissed , and with their Catechist, continue a process
of reflection and application of the Word of God proclaimed in the
Sunday assembly.
- With the help of the
sponsor, the catechumen or candidate should be introduced to other
members of the parish community, and take part in parish activities to
the extent that they are able.
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The Rite of Election (and Call to Continuing Conversion)
- The Rite of
Election (and Call to Continuing Conversion) is the liturgical rite,
celebrated at the Cathedral, on the First Sunday of Lent, by which the
Church formally ratifies the catechumens' readiness for the sacraments
of initiation and recognizes the candidates preparing for Confirmation
and Eucharist or reception into the full communion of the Catholic
Church and the catechumens, now the elect, and the candidates express
the will to receive these sacraments. (RCIA, Part 1) The presiding
celebrant of the rite is the Bishop of Metuchen.
- Before the rite is
celebrated, the catechumens and candidates are expected to have
undergone a conversion in mind and in action and to have developed a
sufficient acquaintance with Christian teaching a well as a spirit of
faith and charity. (RCIA no.120)
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Period of Purification and Enlightenment
- The Period of
Purification and Enlightenment corresponds to that time known in the
Roman Catholic Church as Lent and has the character of a time of retreat
for the elect who are preparing for Baptism, for the candidates
who will complete their initiation or enter the full communion of the
Catholic Church, and for the faithful who will commemorate their
own Baptism at Easter.
- The centerpiece of
this period of prayerful preparation is the celebration of the Scrutinies.
Although the candidates will not be the subject of the Scrutinies,
catechesis for both the elect and the candidates during this period is
related to the celebration of the Scrutinies.
- Throughout this
period, the elect and the candidates are invited to join with the whole
Church in a deeper practice of works of charity and in the practice of
fasting.
- The Scrutinies are
celebrated on the third, fourth, and fifth Sundays of the Lenten season.
At the Masses at which the Scrutinies are celebrated, the cycle A
readings must be used (RCIA no.146).
- The presentations,
to the elect, of the Creed and the Lord's Prayer are also celebrated
during this period.
- The elect and the
candidates are advised that on Holy Saturday they should refrain from
their usual activities, spend time in prayer and reflection, and as far
as they can, to observe a fast (RCIA no.185). The preparation rites
(RCIA no. 185ff) assist this process of prayer and reflection.
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Celebrating the Sacraments of Initiation
- The Sacraments
of Initiation is the liturgical rite, integrated into the Easter
Vigil, by which the elect are initiated through Baptism, Confirmation,
and the Eucharist. (RCIA Part 1).
- By the waters of
Baptism, a person passes into the new life of grace and becomes a member
of the Body of Christ.
- Anointing with
special holy oil called chrism seals the initiation by the power
of the Holy Spirit and participation at the Table of the Lord in the
Eucharist marks full membership in the church.
- Reception of
baptized Christians (candidates) into the full communion of the Catholic
Church can be integrated into the Easter Vigil or may be celebrated,
within Mass, at another time, when the candidate is ready..
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Period of Mystagogy
- The Period of
Mystagogy lasts from Easter Sunday until the completion of the Easter
season, fifty days later on Pentecost Sunday and completes the
initiation process. Those who have just shared in the sacraments of
initiation are now called Neophytes and during this period of
Easter joy they reflect on what they have just gone through and look to
the future as to how they can now share in the mission of Christ who
came to bring salvation and life to the whole world. This period of time
reminds the whole church that life in Christ constantly calls us to grow
and to look for new ways to live the life of grace, personally and
together.
- The Bishop gathers
with the neophytes for a celebration during the Easter season.
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Catechumen or Candidate?
- By means of the
processes described in the document, R.C.I.A., interested non-baptized
persons become Catechumens, and Catechumens become full members
of the Catholic Church by means of baptism, confirmation, and eucharist,
which are referred to as the Sacraments of Initiation.
- Those adults who
were baptized as infants either as Roman Catholics or as members of
another Christian community but did not receive further catechetical
formation, nor, consequently, the Sacraments of Confirmation and
Eucharist are also included in the RCIA process. They are referred to as
Candidates - a candidate for the Roman Catholic Sacrament of
Confirmation and a candidate preparing to receive Holy Communion in the
Catholic Church and thus become a full member of the Catholic Church.
- As in the case of
catechumens, the preparation of candidates requires an extended time. Most
often, a program of training, catechesis suited to the Candidate's
needs, contact with the community of the faithful, and participation in
certain liturgical rites are needed in order to strengthen them in the
Christian life.(RCIA 401) For the most part the plan of catechesis
corresponds to the one laid down for catechumens. The differences in the
process are tailored by the candidate in conjunction with the RCIA
Director and the Church-provided Sponsor.
- Since candidates
are already baptized, the liturgical rites that mark the steps of the
formation process are different from those of catechumens. There is the
Rites of Welcoming The Candidates, the Rite of Calling The Candidate To
Continuing Conversion and a Penitential Rite. Reception Of Baptized Christians
Into The Full Communion Of The Catholic Church is the liturgical rite by
which a person born and baptized in another Christian Community is
received into the full communion of the Catholic Church.
- The R.C.I.A.,
sometimes generically called the Catechumenate, is a responsibility of
the whole Church; this responsibility takes particular shape mainly in
parishes, the normal locus of Roman Catholic community life. In
view of this commitment and obligation of the Church, we provide an
outreach person for each person who presents himself or herself as a
"seeker"; these church-provided Sponsor will serve as
spiritual companions as they seek to discover God's call.
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How long does it take?
- "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.
The usual length of preparation is from one to two years. For those
already baptized and who seek full communion in the Catholic church, the
time will also vary.
- It seems reasonable
that catechumens or uncatechized candidates experience the yearly
calendar of Catholic practice at least one time around in order to make
an informed decision.
- The process of
spiritual renewal and catechesis should not be hasty, especially for
those not accustomed to the fasts and feasts and Sundays and seasons the
way Catholics observe them.
- The Christian
Initiation of Adults must be integrated into the Easter Vigil, except in
exceptional circumstances. The Reception of Baptized Christians Into The
Full Communion Of The Catholic Church may take place at any Mass,
whenever the candidate is ready to make a Profession of Faith and/or
receive the Sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist."
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What is the first step?
- Anyone who is
seriously thinking about become a Roman Catholic-Christian or who would
simply like more information can contact their parish office for more
information. You may also
contact your local Diocese Office ask for the Diocesan Office of
Evangelization.
- At Presentation of
The Blessed Virgin Mary Parish, the parish office number is (916) 481-7441
the Parish’s Religious Education Office’s telephone number is (916)
482-8883.
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