RCIA / RCIC
RCIA / RCIC
Classes for the Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) and those adopted for children (RCIC) are available for anyone who, after hearing the mystery of Christ proclaimed, consciously and freely seeks the living God and enters the way of faith and conversion in the Catholic faith.
The process of becoming a Christian goes through a process of gaining knowledge of Jesus Christ and his/her growing in faith.
1. Pre-Catechumenate, also known as a Period of Evangelization, is for baptized or unbaptized persons. It involves a long period of searching, inquiring about the Catholic way of life.
2. The Catechumenate period of the process is when the individual is invited to pattern their lives after Jesus, hence focusing on formation in God’s word, Catholic doctrine, liturgy and sacraments, outreach, and involvement in the life of the parish community.
3. The Rite of Election celebration is when a Catechumen and the priest and the parish team working with him or her, believes the person is ready to make a faith commitment to Jesus in the Catholic Church. The Rite includes the enrollment of names of all the Catechumens seeking baptism at the coming Easter Vigil. The Catechumens, their sponsors and families gather at the cathedral church on the first Sunday of Lent where these Catechumens publicly express their desire for baptism to the diocesan bishop. Their names are recorded in a book, and they are called the Elect.
4. The Purification and Enlightenment Period is the final preparation for the sacraments of Initiation. It is a time of prayer, celebrating scrutiny rituals, uncovering sin, discernment and spiritual preparation for the sacraments the person will receive.
5. Mystagoia is a time to gather after Easter to reflect on the experience of Easter sacraments and how one can serve Christ and help in the Church’s mission and outreach activities.
Full Communion with the Church
Coming into full communion with the Catholic Church describes the process for entrance into the Catholic Church for already baptized Christians. In most cases, these individuals make a profession of faith but are not baptized again. To prepare for this reception, the people, who are called Candidates, usually participate in a formation program to help them understand and experience the teachings and practices of the Catholic Church. Although some preparation may be with Catechumens preparing for baptism, the preparation for Candidates is different since they have already been baptized and committed to Jesus Christ, and many have also been active members of other Christian communities. The Candidates may be received into the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil or at another Sunday during the year depending on pastoral circumstances and readiness of the Candidate (USCCB)