Becoming Catholic (RCIA)

More about . . . the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults

The RCIA describes a process by which men and women are accompanied and guided as they seek to grow in faith and are introduced to the Catholic way of life. 

How long does it take?

The Rite of Christian Initiation is the church's way of ministering sensitively to those who seek membership. We take the distinctive history and spiritual needs of each person into account.  For that reason some people will need more time than others to prepare for the lifetime commitment that comes with membership in the Catholic Church.

The RCIA draws its model from the early Church. Those first Christians entered into the joy of new life and a life-sharing community of faith, but also entered into a way of living which demanded deep commitment and entailed great risks. In the modern world, our faith also demands deep commitment -- our beliefs and the beliefs of our society are often in tension. The Church revived this longer process embodied in the RCIA because new believers in the modern world need careful preparation and caring support as they enter into the mysteries of Christ and the commitment of Christian living.

Conversion: a Journey of Mind, Heart and Spirit

Awakening to Christ and seeking out the Church comes about in a variety of ways.

• For some it is a sense that "something is missing" -- a sense, perhaps provoked by some crisis, that there is more to life than what they now experience or a better way to live than how they now live.
• For many others, the journey begins because of a relationship with a Catholic -- a close friend or a potential spouse.
• Still others are drawn by the example of a Catholic life well lived, or by exposure to a Catholic writer like St. Augustine, Thomas Merton or Dorothy Day.

Whatever the reason, the RCIA is the place to begin a lifelong journey of intellectual, emotional and spiritual conversion. 

Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)

Re-membering Church (Becoming Catholic even if you already happen to be one)

More about . . . the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults

Outline of the RCIA Process