RCIA

Answering God’s Call

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is provided by the Roman Catholic Church for Adults who wish to answer God’s call and become Catholic.

The RCIA gives a foundational understanding of Catholicism and allows the candidate to grow in their faith development.

For unbaptised adults, it culminates with the Sacraments of Initiation, namely Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Communion.

Adults baptised in other ecclesiastical Christian faiths, are welcomed with the Sacraments of: Reconciliation, Confirmation and Holy Communion.

The RCIA is the Liturgical and Catechetical process, for adults attracted to Christ and His teachings. It supports and assists them as they seek to respond more deeply and enter the communion of the Catholic Church.

The journey of initiation into the Catholic Church is a gradual process and takes place within the community of the faithful. Team members from the parish meet with the candidates, usually weekly and these sessions provide the framework which enables candidates to grow in understanding of the faith and to gradually become part of the parish community of faith and its way of life.

A typical session would begin with exploring the Sunday Gospel, looking at its links to life and connection to the Liturgical Celebration. Discussions then explore the traditions and teachings of the Catholic Church.

The journey of faith has no definite time limit, but depending on where you are starting from it can often vary between six months and one year.