RCIA

What is RCIA?

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is a restoration of the ancient process of initiation into the Church.  The Catholic Church warmly welcomes new members and tries to provide appropriate spiritual formation according to each person’s needs.  Initiation into the Christian community is not concerned with programs that come and go, but rather with the fundamental values of the Christian way of life –of living lives of justice, service and charity as witnesses of the reign of God – of being Catholic.  It is a personal and communal journey of conversion and transformation. The goal is to help people become a part of the worshiping community, the Body of Christ, at St. Rita Parish.

The Christian Initiation process is for the un-baptized adult, the adult baptized in another Christian denomination, or the baptized Catholic adult who is un-catechized, and never celebrated Eucharist and/or Confirmation. The adult baptized Catholic or in another faith tradition may not need the entire RCIA process. There is no obligation on the part of those who enter the RCIA process to ultimately become Catholic. Those who participate in the 9-month long program are asked to attend the weekly sessions, attend Mass weekly, participate in the RCIA Group meetings, participate in the Rites of Welcome and Election, and to read the adult catechism material that is provided to all involved in the program. Most importantly, all candidates are asked to reflect on:

• God’s call in their lives.
• The stories of God’s love in scripture
• The need of an active prayer life
• The importance of making moral choices
• The basic Catholic beliefs