RCIA - Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults

March 25, 2022

Author: Hannah DeVivo

Peace be with you!

Today we will be talking about the RCIA, or the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults.

First off, no one is born Catholic. Many Catholics are baptized into the Church as infants, and a good number enter a bit later in life.

An unbaptized person may wish to explore becoming a Catholic. Every year, usually in the fall, a group of adults gather to begin that process. They meet regularly with lay leaders and a priest. The group (known as the Catechumenate) moves in stages or steps toward Lent and the Easter Vigil when Baptism is celebrated.

Someone baptized in a Christian church may now wish to be a Catholic. They meet with the RCIA community to receive instruction, guidance, and support. Reception into the Church usually also takes place at the Easter Vigil.

Baptized Catholics frequently discover they have yet to "become Catholic": some who missed essential religious formation may now be eager to continue the growth that all Catholics should experience.

The RCIA is a process through which non-baptized men and women enter the Catholic Church. It includes several stages marked by study, prayer and rites at Mass. Participants in the RCIA are known as catechumens. They undergo a process of conversion as they study the Gospel, profess faith in Jesus and the Catholic Church, and receive the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist. The RCIA process follows the ancient practice of the Church and was restored by the Second Vatican Council as the normal way adults prepare for Baptism. In 1974, the Rite for Christian Initiation for Adults was formally approved for use in the United States.

Let's begin with the process of this Rite.

• Inquiry (Precatechumenate): The initial period before you decide to enter the Catholic Church. This is the time for you to ask questions, attend some preliminary classes, and see if joining the Catholic Church is something that you are ready and willing to do. This is a great time to reach out to some of your Catholic friends or acquaintances if you know any. You may want to visit different Catholic churches in your area to see if any have the community and overall feel that you are looking for.


• Catechumenate: Once you have decided to enter the Church and are being prepared for and instructed in a life in Christ, you are known as a catechumen. This is long-standing name from the early Church whose preliminary use can be found in the Bible. In his Letter to the Galatians, Saint Paul writes, "Let him that is instructed in the word, [ho katechoumenos, is qui catechizatur] share with him that instructs him [to katechounti, ei qui catechizat] all good things" (Galatians 6:6). In this stage, you're developing your faith and are being "catechized." This means you are learning the Catechism--the teachings--of the Catholic faith and how they are lived out in daily life.


• Purification and Enlightenment: This is a period of intense study and preparation. It coincides with the season of Lent and includes detailed and beautiful meditations based upon the Gospels. Your prayer life is enriched with the help of the Church. The Creed and The Lord's Prayer are introduced, explained, and learned. This period concludes with the initiation and reception into the Catholic Church! During the Easter Vigil, you receive the sacraments that you have been preparing for. Those who have never been baptized receive the Sacrament of Baptism, and all receive the Sacraments of Confirmation and First Holy Communion, as appropriate.


• Mystagogy: This is the final stage of RCIA. After you are received into the Church on Easter, you are now able to participate fully with your fellow members in the Church. This period, which extends through Pentecost, is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on and learn more about the richness of the Catholic faith and the mysteries of the Mass with your RCIA community. Mystagogy is truly a lifelong process of discovering intimacy with God the Father, Jesus the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, deepening your knowledge of the Faith, and opening your heart and life to the possibilities and joys of this new Catholic life.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church has this to say about adult Baptism:

Since the beginning of the Church, adult Baptism is the common practice where the proclamation of the Gospel is still new. The catechumenate (preparation for Baptism) therefore occupies an important place. This initiation into Christian faith and life should dispose the catechumen to receive the gift of God in Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist.

The catechumenate, or formation of catechumens, aims at bringing their conversion and faith to maturity, in response to the divine initiative and in union with an ecclesial community. The catechumenate is to be "a formation in the whole Christian life... during which the disciples will be joined to Christ their teacher. The catechumens should be properly initiated into the mystery of salvation and the practice of the evangelical virtues, and they should be introduced into the life of faith, liturgy, and charity of the People of God by successive sacred rites."

Catechumens are already joined to the Church, they are already of the household of Christ, and are quite frequently already living a life of faith, hope, and charity. "With love and solicitude mother Church already embraces them as her own."

The RCIA process typically takes 8 months. It's also important to note that not all catechumens are at the same stage when they begin their journey to (or back to) the Catholic church. If someone was baptized into a different Christian denomination such as Baptist, Methodist, etc., it is not necessary for them to be re-baptized. As Catholics we believe in one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins. If they were baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, that Baptism is a valid and one-time sacrament.

Dear God, we pray for those who journey to You.

Strengthen their faith.

Open their hearts to the fullness of Your love.

Deepen their understanding.

Set their hearts afire for the Kingdom.

We ask this through Jesus,

Who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life for all.

Amen.

Here at Autom, we have so many resources for those entering the Church and gifts for those of you who are celebrating a new member!

Before You Go

Did you enter the Catholic Church as an infant, teenager or an adult?

Do you have any friends or loved ones who have gone through the RCIA?

Have you learned anything new in this article?

I would LOVE to hear from you. Send me an email to Catholic-Living@Autom.com

I wish you all a beautiful and penitential Lent! May you feel God's presence more intimately than ever before and follow Him more trustingly. Be sure to follow and subscribe to the links below for more tips and information.