RCIA Inquiry nights

God’s Love
Jesus and Me
Who is the Holy Spirit?

What is RCIA? 
Every year, thousands of people are received into the Catholic Church. In times past, inquirers were normally prepared in individual or small-group private sessions by a Catholic priest and were received into the Church at any time of the year. In 1971, in response to the call of the Second Vatican Council, the Church dramatically revised the process of becoming Catholic and decreed the new process for welcoming new Catholics to be the
"Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults."

The RCIA, while in a sense new, was not really new, but an effort to restore the spirit of the early Church Christianity by emphasizing conversion as a participation in the passion, death and resurrection of Christ. In giving support and shape to the journey which the would be Catholic undertakes during the process, the entire praying, witnessing and teaching Body of Christ – people in the local Church, Experience renewal

The process includes a series of rites, carried out whilst candidates learn about the, experience spiritual development and are finally fully included into the Body of Christ, the Church.

There are four stages in the RCIA:

- the Precatechumenate or period of inquiry and evangelization;

- the Catechumenate which is a time of serious and dedicated formation;

- the Period of Purification and Enlightenment which coincides with Lent;

- and Mystagogy (Greek, meaning "interpretation of mystery") which lasts from Easter to Pentecost.

How Long Does It Take?
There is no set time period for the process of becoming a Catholic. Different parishes and dioceses may set their own timetables. However, the Church makes clear that what is important is not meeting a schedule, but instead ensuring adequate preparation. Some may require more, some less, depending on their spiritual readiness. Whatever precedes it, though, the Sacraments of Initiation should normally be celebrated during the Easter Vigil.

Contact: Janette James