What is the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA)?
A program designed for non-Catholics who wish to learn more about the Catholic Church and for their Catholic friend or spouse.
A Catechumen is an individual who has not been baptized in any faith.
A Candidate is someone who has been validly baptized in another faith.
The process prepares you to become a member of the Catholic Church, if so desired.
Fr. Mitchel McLaughlin will lead the program this year. Sessions include an overview of reading material, questions, answers, and discussions.
Here is the syllabus for the 2022-2023 RCIA Classes: 2022-2023 Syllabus
RCIA sessions will be held in the Roncalli Elementery School library (attached to Sacred Heart) beginning on September 25th, 2022. Subsequent classes will be (almost) every Sunday from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. through early May, with breaks during holidays.
To help us prepare for class or simply want to meet to discuss the faith, please contact Thomas Eskro at the parish (225-7065) or email [email protected] or simply by filling out the form on this page.
Three Rites are celebrated during the process: The Rite of Acceptance celebrated by the parish as an introduction of participants to the parish and a welcome from the parish as they continue learning about the Church; The Rite of Sending celebrated by the parish as participants are sent to the Bishop for The Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion when participants state their desire to come into full communion with the Catholic Church.
At the Easter Vigil, Catechumens are baptized, confirmed, and receive their first communion. Candidates, since they have already been baptized, are confirmed and receive their first communion, thus permitting them to participate fully in the sacraments of the Catholic Church.
"Some people begin RCIA with the intention of wanting to understand the Catholic faith, and during the course of the year recognize that coming into full communion with the Church is their desire."
For more information about RCIA, please contact the parish office.