ARE YOU INTERESTED IN THE CATHOLIC FAITH?
Have you been coming to Mass for a while but haven’t decided to make a total commitment to the Catholic faith? We invite you to look deeper into the richness of what the Catholic Church can teach. Maybe you are Catholic already but have been looking for something more in the Church. Maybe becoming part of someone else’s faith journey to become Catholic is something for you. We have many discipleship / volunteer opportunities. Please see below.
Becoming a Catholic can be one of the most profound and joyous experiences of life. Some people are blessed enough to receive this great gift while they are still infants, and over the course of time they grow into a recognition of the enormous grace that has been given them. Others come into the Catholic family while they are older children or adults. In these cases, it is necessary for people to know of the process by which someone becomes a Catholic.
A person is brought into full communion with the Catholic Church through reception of the three sacraments of Christian initiation—baptism, confirmation, and the holy Eucharist—but the process by which one becomes a Catholic can take different forms. One of these is the RCIA journey.
What is RCIA? RCIA, stands for Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (and teenagers, and children). It includes several stages marked by study, prayer and rites at Mass. RCIA is the way to come to learn about our Roman Catholic tradition, and become initiated into the life of our Church through the celebration of the Sacraments.
RCIA at Resurrection is held every second Wednesday night from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. The sessions includes speakers, video presentations, testimonies, rites and good conversation. The entire process lasts about 9 months with receiving sacraments at the Easter Vigil. During this period of preparation, a candidate is given the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of our faith and grow in a personal relationship with God through prayer and community.
THE RCIA FORMATION PROCESS IS FOR:
- Unbaptized persons who have attained the age of reason (7 years and older) follow a process to help them grow in awareness of God's call to conversion as well as ways to respond to that call. RCIA gradually uncovers the story of God’s salvation for all; the mystery of Jesus’s life, death and resurrection; and the workings of the Holy Spirit as revealed in the beliefs, sacramental life and spiritual practices of the Catholic Church. RCIA prepares you to enter into the Catholic Church by celebrating what are called the sacraments of Christian initiation: Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist.
- Baptized in Another Christian Church - persons (7 years or older) who are baptized in a Christian Faith and are seeking full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. If you were already baptized in another Christian tradition, the initiation process prepares you to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church by celebrating the sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist.
- Baptized in the Catholic Faith but haven’t received other Catholic sacraments - persons (approx. 12 years or older) who were baptized and not given any religious upbringing within the Catholic Tradition. These adults/teenagers/older children will be prepared to celebrate the sacraments of Penance, Confirmation and Eucharist. Children between 7 and 12 years of age will journey through the sacrament program at Resurrection Parish.
THE FIVE PHASES OF THE RCIA PROCESS
There are five different phases of this journey:
- Period of Inquiry - where one becomes acquainted with the Catholic Church and hears about salvation through Jesus Christ. This is a reflective period where individuals look at their own life story and begin to make connections with the gospel. This is a time for inquirers to explore questions they have about the Church. The length of time this takes will vary from person to person. Some may discern that they are not ready to move forward at this time, while others will determine that they want to move to the next stage.
- Period of Catechumenate - This stage comes after one has come to faith in Jesus Christ and desires to become a member of the Catholic Church. Individuals are welcomed formally into the "Catechumenate," where they will gather with the parish community on Sundays for the first part of the Mass. They will be dismissed after the priest's homily to spend time with their Catechist and continue a period of study and reflection on the scriptures and how they apply to their lives.
- Period of Purification or Enlightenment - this is a very prayerful time for catechumens. Usually beginning on the First Sunday of Lent they are formally welcomed by the Bishop and are accepted as candidates for the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist. This celebration is called the Rite of Election and from this time catechumens are known as the Elect. During Lent, special prayers called scrutinies are offered for the elect. Scrutinies are prayers for strengthening and purification from any past wrongdoing.
- Celebrating the Sacraments of Initiation - This celebration takes place during the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday when the Elect are Baptized, Confirmed, and receive the Holy Eucharist. At this point, the person is fully initiated into the Catholic Church.
- Period of Mystagogy - Newly initiated Catholics continue their education and formation through the post-baptismal or mystagogy period. This is a time to reflect on the sacraments and the teachings of the Catholic Church. It is also a time to discern how best they can serve Christ through His church by becoming active in ministry.