RCIA

“Let the risen Jesus enter your life, welcome him as a friend, with trust: he is life! If up till now you have kept him at a distance, step forward. He will receive you with open arms. If you have been indifferent, take a risk: you won’t be disappointed. If following him seems difficult, don’t be afraid, trust him, be confident that he is close to you, he is with you and he will give you the peace you are looking for and the strength to live as he would have you do.”  Pope Francis

 

RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION FOR ADULTS

Is a process for preparing and welcoming new members into the Catholic Church. Enquirers may come from Christian or non-Christian backgrounds. Some may have Catholic spouses or Catholic friends who have influenced them by their example. Some may already be baptised in another Christian denomination and be interested in finding the fullness of their Christian faith in the Catholic Church.

THE RCIA TEAM CONSISTS OF: A Coordinator, who attends to all the meetings, prepares the resource material and liaises with the Parish Priests.

  • A Catechist, with some formal training to answer questions of Catholic Doctrine.

  • At least, one other parishioner who has committed to supporting the RCIA process (usually for at least 1 year).

The members of the RCIA Team are called to share their experiences of life as a Catholic – the beliefs, the joys, the struggles, and the graces bestowed on us. These are all discussed openly and in a way that does not place any pressure on Enquirers to make the next step unless they are ready and willing to.

The initial enquiry about becoming Catholic is usually received by the Parish Priest. He will explain the process and refer the Enquirer to the Coordinator.

In our Parish RCIA has a time frame of approximately 9 months with each group starting around August each year, with a view to receiving the Sacraments of Initiation at the following Easter Vigil.

To start the RCIA process, an information night is held in August. This is advertised in the parish Bulletin and at the local Catholic schools. Parishioners are also encouraged to extend the invitation to anyone who might be interested.

The information night is an opportunity to explain the RCIA process, answer questions about meetings, and to reassure people that there is no pressure or commitment to be made for many months. Experience has taught that it is particularly important to find out whether Enquirers may be living in relationships against Church teaching, including cases where people have been divorced and subsequently remarried. These situations must be attended to by the priest as soon as possible.

Enquirers who move through the various Rites of the RCIA process will at some stage in the process become either Catechumens (i.e. the unbaptised) or Candidates (i.e. those validly baptised in another non-Catholic Christian community). Each Enquirer will be invited to bring along a Sponsor.

A Sponsor is someone who is already a faithfully practising Catholic who will be able to assist you in your journey by their example, and also by answering any questions that may arise from time to time outside of the RCIA meetings.

If an Enquirer does not have an available Sponsor, the RCIA team will arrange one from within the parish community.

RCIA meetings are held weekly, with short breaks coinciding with the school holidays.

For more information, please enquire with Parish Office 9407 9815, Priests 9407 7512.