Welcome to inquiry into the Catholic faith! Above all else, Catholicism is
centered on the person of Jesus Christ, who has reconciled us by His life,
death and resurrection with God the Father through the power of the Holy
Spirit. God created us to know Him, to love Him and to serve Him in this
world, and to be united with Him eternally in heaven. God is love, and
Love's desire is union with His beloved; that is you! God desires that all
men be reconciled to Himself. As Catholics, we believe that God is always
approaching us in love, drawing us to Himself, but giving us freewill to
decide how we will answer His call.
Faith is a journey, and each of us brings his or her own experience along
the way. Becoming Catholic involves not only God illuminating our minds
with knowledge ABOUT Him, but enlivening our hearts with love for Him.
The process through which one comes into full communion with the
Catholic Church is called RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults). One
enters into full communion by the three Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism,
Confirmation, and First Holy Communion. So, the complete process is for
those who have never been baptized. (More about the process for those
previously baptized later). A rite is a ceremony, and the rites associated
with RCIA divide this journey into three distinct periods.
The first period is the Period of Inquiry. This is a time to ask questions, and
take an overall look at the Faith. If the Holy Spirit urges you to proceed with
your journey into the Church, you will participate in the first rite, the Rite of
Acceptance. In this rite you are accepting God's call to become a member
of the Body of Christ. This first rite occurs before or early in the season of
Advent. Even if you are not yet ready to move into the next phase, you are
always welcome to continue to come to class as you explore your faith.
After the Rite of Acceptance, we move into the Period of the
Catechumenate. This period is more intense, as we focus on the teaching
of the Church. Christ gave us a deposit of Faith, and His Church, through
the Holy Spirit, is its guardian. You will be given much information, but
always keep in mind that faith involves transformation. The development of your relationship with Christ is your journey; our RCIA team will support you
in any way we can as you co-operate with God's grace.
At the end of this period comes the second rite, The Rite of Election.
The second rite occurs the first Sunday of the season of Lent. In
participating in this rite, you are affirming that God has called you into His
Church, and that your intention is to enter into full communion with the
Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil Mass. This begins the Period of
Purification and Enlightenment. This period is a time for more intense
prayer and reflection. As we travel through the penitential season of Lent
with Christ through His passion, we are on our way to the joy of Easter and
Christ's resurrection.
The final rite is the Rite of Christian Initiation, in which the Sacraments of
Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Communion are received at the Easter
Vigil Mass. At baptism, you profess the Creed, and belief in the Catholic
faith.
For those who have previously been baptized with water and with a
Christian Trinitarian formula , the Church recognizes this sacrament as a
valid entry to the Body of Christ. The baptized have received their first
Sacrament of Initiation, so to be in Full Communion with the Catholic
Church , two other initiation sacraments are needed: Confirmation, and
First Holy Communion. For the baptized, the Sacrament of Confession is
needed before these two remaining Sacraments of Initiation, and a
Profession of Faith is made in Mass. Our goal is to help you, as you cooperate
with God's grace, to make that profession with your whole heart
and soul.
While this process is full of information, the most important part is the
transformation the Holy Spirit makes in each of us as we form our individual
relationship with Christ. As Catholics, we believe that God is continuing to
sanctify each of us as we co-operate with His grace, so that we become
more nearly conformed to the image of His son, Jesus. Conversion takes a
lifetime; welcome to the adventure!