RCIA

RCIA

1. RCIA is the process by which a catechumen and candidates are prepared to become full members of the Church.

   • Period of Inquiry
     • In this process, a person interested in being baptized begins by being an inquirer. You listen to the Good News, learn about the Catholic faith, and discern a call to live the Gospel life.
   • Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens
     • The inquirer declares their intention to follow Christ and are accepted as catechumens.
   • Period of the Catechumenate
     • They are gradually introduced to the Catholic faith and guided in the Christian way of living in love for God and in gratitude for Christ's salvation.
   • The Rite of Election or Enrollment of Names
     • The bishop admits t he candidates to the Rite of Election and to the Sacraments.
   • Period of Purification and Enlightenment
     • This period purifies and enlightens the minds and hearts of the elect. It involves an examination of conscience and penance
   • Celebration of the Sacraments of Christian Initiation
     • During the Easter Vigil, the elect are received into the Church through Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist.
   • Period of Postbaptismal Catechesis or Mystagogy
     • The community and newly initiated Catholics grow in deepening their grasp of the paschal mystery and making it part of their lives