St. Richard
Catholic Community
RCIA
What is faith?
What
are the Seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church?
What
do Catholics believe and why is it different from other faith traditions?
What's
going on in Mass?
How
do Catholics interpret and use The Bible?
Do Catholics worship Mary and the Saints?
What's
what in the Church?
Who's
who in the Church (from the pope to the people)?
What
are some Catholic prayers and practices?
What
is Catholic morality and ethics?
Each year, adults inquire
about the Catholic faith for many different reasons.
Whatever the reason, I highly
encourage anyone who has ever thought about the Catholic faith to, as Jesus
told his apostles, "Come and see."
Our process is called the
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) and I invite anyone interested to
"come an see". This is a process that looks
at Catholic beliefs and rituals. There is no fee and there is no force to
become Catholic. If at any time during the process a person feels they are not
ready or feel God may be calling them to something else, we respect that
decision and try to help them come to an understanding of God's call for them.
Period of Evangelization and
Pre-Catechumenate:
This is a time, of no fixed
duration or structure, for inquire and introduction to Gospel values and an
opportunity for the beginnings of faith.
Each candidate in the
process will be paired up with a sponsor, who acts as a companion on the
journey and is already a practicing Catholic. This sponsor walks through the
process with the candidate to encourage and support them. It is amazing how
many sponsors even say they learn so much from the sessions!
Rite of Welcome and Acceptance
into the Order of Catechumenate:
This is the liturgical rite,
usually celebrated on some annual date(s), 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.
Period of Catechumenate:
This is the time, in duration corresponding
to the progress of the individual, for the nurturing and growth of the
catechumen's faith and conversion to God; celebrations of the word of prayers
of exorcism and blessings are meant to assist the process.
The Rite of Election:
This is the lturgical
rite, usually celebrated on the First Sunday of Lent, by which the Church
formally ratifies the catechumen's readiness for the sacraments of initiation
and the catechumens, now called the elect, express the will to receie these sacraments.
Period of Purification
and Enlightenment:
This is th time immediately preceding the elect's initiation,
usually the Lenten season preceding the celebration of their initiation at the
Easter Vigil. It is a time of reflection, intensely centered on conversion, marked
by the celebration of the scrutinies and
presentations and of the preparation rites on Holy Saturday.
Celebration of the
Sacrament of Initiation:
This is the liturgical rite,
usually integrated into the Easter Vigil, by which the elect are initiated
through Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist.
Period of Mystagogy or Post-Baptismal Catechesis:
This is the time, usually the
Easter season, following the celebration of initiation, during which the newly
initiated experience being fully a part of the Christian community. This is by
means of pertinent catechesis and particularly by participation with all the
faithful in the Sunday Eucharistic celebration.
I invite you to take some
time to seriously reflect whether there is someone you know whom God is calling
to the RCIA process this year. Please invite them to call Mary Warner
419-826-2791 ext. 229 or e-mail Maryw@saintrichard.org.
Yes, this is a time commitment. It is a commitment to the process, but more importantly a time commitment and a life commitment to God.