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The RCIA Process: Entering into the Catholic Life and Growing Closer to God
This past Easter, we welcomed the newest members of the Church after they took part in the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults process, or RCIA. Here at the Cathedral, candidates and catechumens embark on a journey of discovery that can take anywhere from eight months to two years or more. Through this process, adults are able to discern their call to the Christian life, learn about the Catholic faith, and through formation and prayer, be formed and prepared to receive the Sacraments of Initiation — Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist.
“We have year-round formation for adults seeking to become Catholic through the RCIA, so we receive people in our program whenever they are ready to begin their journey,” says Sister Lisa Marie Doty, FDCC, who is the Director of Family Faith Formation and Education as well as the Coordinator of RCIA. “The RCIA process has six distinct phases — Inquiry (or pre-Catechumenate), Rite of Acceptance / Rite of Welcoming, the Catechumenate, the Rite of Election, Sacraments of Initiation and lastly, Mystagogy. When someone comes knocking on our door, we do an initial interview to get to know them and their faith journey; this is followed by three to four sessions in a questions-and-answers format with one of our RCIA Team catechists to answer any questions they have. We call this initial introductory phase ‘Inquiry.’ When the participants feel satisfied that their questions have been answered, they begin the second part of Inquiry which we call ‘pre- Catechumate.’
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“The readiness at this point of the pre- Catechumenate is not always definitive, but the person shows an openness to explore more deeply the teachings of the Catholic faith and the Gospel of Jesus. Some come to us with a knowledge of the Gospel and of Jesus and have a relationship with Him — others come to us seeking faith but are still unclear as to what that looks like, and need more time to explore the Gospel message and receive Christ. For this reason, each person’s journey is very distinct. After six or so sessions with us, we review with them their journey, and ask them if they wish to continue. We then prepare them for the second phase of their journey: the Catechumenate
Parishioner Chrissy Vang received her Sacraments of Initiation this past Easter.
“The Catechumenate begins when candidates (those who have already been baptized in a Catholic or Christian faith tradition) and catechumens (those who have not been baptized) are officially recognized in the Church through the Rite of Acceptance for Catechumens and the Rite of Welcoming for Candidates. As the title of the rites suggest, they are accepted and welcomed into the worshipping community at the Cathedral. The Catechumenate is the longest part of the RCIA formation process through which the participants learn the traditions and doctrine of the Catholic Church. It is a time of sharing stories, reading Scripture, and studying the Church customs, traditions and doctrine. The Catechumens and Candidates also participate in worship services and various Church rituals.
“With the beginning of Lent, the Catechumens move into their next phase: the Rite of Sending and Rite of Election, through which their formation intensifies as they begin their immediate preparation for receiving the sacraments. The period of Lent which is in itself a penitential season is the perfect backdrop for the Scrutinies, minirites of purification and denouncing of ‘old ways’ in order to prepare for the new way of life with the reception of the Sacraments of Initiation at Easter Vigil. Once the candidates and catechumens receive the Sacraments of Initiation — Baptism (Catechumens), Eucharist and Confirmation (both Catechumens and Candidates) — at the Easter Vigil, the next part of their journey begins: Mystagogy.
“We take time after they receive the sacraments to look back and reflect on everything they have gone through,” Sr. Lisa Marie says. “Then we discern with them what the next steps are in their faith journey — aligning them with adult formation and helping them to continue to grow and build on the formation they received during their time with us in RCIA. We also help them to consider different ministries where they can live out their baptismal call to service.”
Parishioner Chrissy Vang, who received her Sacraments of Initiation this past Easter, recalls how the formation process benefited both her and her fiancé, Jon Santos.
“Growing up, my family was Christian, but we were never really part of a church,” Chrissy says. “When I met my fiancé, he was religious, and had gone to Catholic school his whole life. After he proposed last year, I realized that I really wanted to start our family with one religion and one faith. My fiancé was my sponsor, and it was also a refresher for him. I feel like our relationship with God has progressed a lot from the beginning.
“Throughout the RCIA process, I was really impacted by the guidance provided, and how wellorganized it all was,” she adds. “Everybody was so nice and welcoming, and they made the experience so much better. They explained everything so well, and used humor, and it made us feel so comfortable and unafraid to ask questions. I really feel like I was meant to be here.
Chrissy Yang looks forward to continuing to grow her relationship with God along with her family.
“When I first started RCIA, I didn’t fully understand the purpose of having a relationship with God,” Chrissy says. “But talking to Him every day and building that relationship to be close to Him was explained so clearly in the program. I still get emotional when I think about it sometimes! I really look forward to continuing to grow that relationship together with my family.”
“RCIA is also a means of awakening the Catholic life for all of our parishioners,” Sr. Lisa Marie says. “In moments like at Mass, when our catechumens are called forward after the homily to be dismissed for further study of the Word of God, the entire congregation witnesses that call to a deeper understanding of the faith and of Scripture. In those small steps that they are taking to become Catholic, the catechumens are already helping to awaken those who are already part of the faithful to hopefully deepen their desire to grow in faith and relationship with Jesus Christ.”
