Joining the Catholic Church

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.

Our pastor, Fr. Lichter, leads this program. Sessions include an overview of reading material, questions, answers, and discussions.

View the 2018-2019 RCIA Syllabus

RCIA sessions will be held at the church beginning in September. Subsequent classes will be every Sunday from 2 to 3:30 p.m. through May, with breaks during holidays. Class is held in the school library.

To help us prepare for class, please register by calling Thomas Eskro at the parish (225-7065) or email thomas@sacredheartaberdeen.net.

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, along with their sponsors, go to the Cathedral in Sioux Falls to 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.