What is RCIA?

RCIA – what is it, why is it important,

what is the structure of the process,
who’s involved, what is the time of
initiation

June 28, 2009 1

 Overview
 What is RCIA?
 Why is RCIA important?
 What is the structure of the RCIA process?
 Who is involved in RCIA?
 Time of initiation

Before we begin,
please join me in prayer

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 Prayer

 Almighty God, grant that we

may hear your voice and
respond faithfully to your call
with an open heart. Amen.

 “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any

one hears my voice and opens the door, I will
come in to him and eat with him, and he with
me.” (Rev 3:20)

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 What is RCIA?

 RCIA stands for “Rite of Christian Initiation of

Adults”
 The Second Vatican Council prescribed a
revision of the rite of baptism of adults
 Christian initiation of adults is…
Divided into several steps
Intended as “a period of well-suited
instruction”
Sanctified by liturgical rites to be celebrated
at successive intervals of time
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 What is RCIA?

 Endorsed by the
ancient practice of
the Church
 Designed for the
preparation of a
group of candidates,
but can be adapted
by pastors for one person

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 What is RCIA?
 Contains usual rites
and those for special
circumstances, to
include optional rites
and combined rites

 RCIA is a “gradual process that takes

place within the community of the
faithful”

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 Why is RCIA
important?
 Baptism incorporates us into Christ and
forms us into God’s people, it is the door to
life and to the kingdom of God
 “Go therefore and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”
(Matt 28:19)
 The Church believes that it is its most basic
and necessary duty to inspire ALL to be
baptized
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 What is the structure
of the RCIA process?
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults

Post-baptismal
• First hearing of Catechesis
the Gospel Formed by Spiritual Formation • Easter Season
• Beginning of • Word Intensified liturgies
faith • Prayer
• Community • Homilies
• Stirrings of
• Liturgy • Fasting • Special place in
repentance
• Almsgiving the assembly
• Practice of • Mission
• General
Prayer Kindly Dismissed Intercessions
• Sense of Church
• Participation in
parish ministries

Faith Formation/ Prayer & On-going

Evangelization Discernment Formation
Catechesis

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 Who is involved in
RCIA?
 Inquirers seeking Christ – non-baptized
adults, or previously baptized Christian
adults from non-Catholic Christian
communities, or adult Catholics who are
not fully catechized (educated in the faith)
 All the baptized -- Initiation of adults is the
responsibility of ALL the baptized—to give
help to those who are seeking Christ

June 28, 2009 9

 Who is involved in
RCIA?
 Sponsor – accompanies any candidate
seeking admission as a catechumen
Sponsors are persons who have known
and assisted the candidates
Stand as witnesses to the candidates’
moral character, faith, and intention for
rite of acceptance and period of
catechumenate

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 Who is involved in
RCIA?
 Godparent(s) – may be different person
from sponsor for rite of acceptance and
period of catechumenate
 Accompanies the candidate on the day of
election, at the celebration of the
sacraments of initiation, and during the
post-baptismal catechesis (mystagogy)

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 Who is involved in
RCIA?
 Godparent(s) continued…
 Chosen by the candidate before election,
on the basis of example, good qualities
and friendship, delegated by the local
Christian community, and approved by the
priest

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 Who is involved in
RCIA?
 Godparent(s) continued…
Responsibility of the godparents
 Show the candidates how to practice the
Gospel in personal and social life
 Sustain the candidates in moment of
hesitancy and anxiety
 Bear witness and guide the candidates’
progress in the baptismal life

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 Who is involved in
RCIA?
 Bishop - in person or through delegates
 Provides pastoral formation for
catechumens and admits the candidates
for election and sacraments
 Priests - minister of baptism, confirmation,
& Eucharist; also attends to the pastoral
and personal care of the catechumens
 Provide instruction for the catechumens
 Approves the choice of godparents

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 Who is involved in
RCIA?
 Deacons – assist in the ministry and
instruction to catechumens
 Catechists – help others to believe in
Christ
 Active part in the rites, whenever possible
 When deputed by the bishop, perform
minor exorcisms and blessings contained in
the ritual
 Provide instruction in the faith, filled with
the spirit of the Gospel
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 Time of Initiation

 General rule - sacraments are celebrated

at the Easter Vigil; rite of election on the
First Sunday of Lent
 Pastoral needs – can be arranged
differently

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 Time of Initiation

 Rite of Acceptance into the order of

catechumens
 Not to be celebrated too early
 Delayed until candidate has had
sufficient time to conceive an initial faith
and to show the first signs of conversion
 Should be delayed until group is formed
that is sufficiently large for catechesis and
liturgical rites

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 Time of Initiation

 Rite of Acceptance (cont.)

 Two or three dates of the year are to be
fixed as the usual times for this rite
 Rite of Election – generally celebrated on
First Sunday of Lent, or other times for
pastoral reasons
 Scrutinies – on 3rd, 4th, and 5th Sundays of
Lent, or other Sundays of Lent or
weekdays if necessary
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 Time of Initiation

 Presentations – by ancient usage, take place

after the scrutinies, celebrated during the
week
 Creed – week after 1st scrutiny
 Lord’s Prayer – week after 3rd scrutiny
 May be transferred for pastoral reasons
 Holy Saturday – elect refrain from work and
spend time in recollection
 Various rites, recitation of Creed, ephphetha
rite, choosing of Christian name
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 Time of Initiation

 Sacraments of Initiation – should take place

at Easter Vigil; may be transferred to days
within Easter octave
 Confirmation may be postponed until near the
end of the post-baptismal catechesis, e.g.,
Pentecost Sunday
 Masses for neophytes – celebrated on all
Sundays of Easter after Easter Sunday
 Even if above times are changed, the
structure of the entire rite remains the same

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 End with a quote

 St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (d.1942)

“By its own power, [grace] can, at
best, come up to his door but
never force its way inside…All-
merciful love can thus descend
to everyone. We believe that it
does so....faith in the
unboundedness of divine love and
grace also justifies hope for the
universality of redemption … ”

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 End with a quote

“Human freedom can be neither broken nor

neutralized by divine freedom, but it may well be, so
to speak, outwitted [by grace]. The descent of grace
to the human soul is a free act of divine love. And
there are no limits to how far [grace] may extend.”

St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross,

Carmelite Nun, Doctor of Philosophy,
Arrested by the Gestapo and gassed at
Auschitz in August 1942
Read more here:
http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/saints/ns_li

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 Further Study

Rite of Christian Initiation of

Adults:
Study Edition
Liturgical Press, 1988
ISBN:978-0-8146-1593-5
Paper, 378 pp., 7 1/4 x 10 1/2
Price: $29.95
http://www.litpress.org/Detail.aspx?ISBN=0814615937

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