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Rite of
Christian Initiation of Adults
Sally Greig
Phone: (831) 624-1271 ext 216
Email:
sally@carmelmission.org
R.C.I.A. is a gradual process of
Christian formation. It begins some what
informally with the first stage called
Inquiry. After an initial interview, a
person will be invited to join other
“inquirers” who are exploring the
possibility of becoming a Catholic.
Individuals will have the opportunity to
ask question about the church, learn
about the message of Jesus Christ and
how that message is lived out in the
Catholic Church. There is no set time
frame for this stage. It lasts as long as
necessary for a person to decide if he
or she wants to pursue the process of
becoming a Catholic.
When the inquirer decides to continue
the process of becoming a Catholic, he
or she will be accepted into the Order
of Catechumens. The inquirer stands in
the midst of the parish community and
states that he or she wants to continue
the process and become a baptized member
of the Catholic Church. The local parish
assembly affirms their wish and the
unbaptized inquirer then becomes a
catechumen. An inquirer baptized in
another Christian faith will become a
candidate.
During the Period of the Catechumenate
the catechumen and candidate will be
paired up with a sponsor. This spiritual
companion will offer support and
encouragement during this phase of the
journey. The Catechumenate is a time of
catechesis (the passing on of the
teachings of the church), prayer,
spiritual guidance, experiencing the
Catholic Church through the seasons of
the church calendar, involvement with
the church community and participation
in the work of the church. The period of
the Catechumenate usually take at least
one year. This allows the catechumen to
experience one full cycle of the church
year.
Purification and Enlightenment is a time
leading up to the celebration of
initiation at the Easter Vigil. This
time of intense preparation coincides
with the season of Lent. During this
time of Lenten retreat, the elect and
the parish community focus together on
conversion.
The Sacraments of Initiation: The elect
become full members of the Catholic
Church through the celebration of the
sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and
Eucharist which usually takes place at
the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday night.
The person is now a fully initiated
member of the Catholic Church and will
continue to live out his or her response
to God as a member of this faith
community. These new members of the
Catholic Church are now called
“neophytes.”
Mystagogy, Post Baptismal Catechesis:
During the fifty days of Easter, the
neophytes will continue to meet weekly,
pondering on the experience and meaning
of the sacraments as they participate
with the faithful in the Eucharistic
life of the church. To help the
neophytes become incorporated into the
full life of the Christian community,
formation and teaching will continue for
one year.
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