St. Charles Borromeo
Cinnaminson, New Jersey
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Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
If you are considering becoming a Catholic or are already a Catholic but have not
received Eucharist and/or Confirmation; are searching for that special something in
your faith life and discerning God's place in your life or are merely curious - YOU are
MOST welcome to join us. We meet regularly at 9:30 AM in the School Library. You
are warmly invited to just come up to the Library and experience what happens. We
think you will find what you see and feel to be enjoyable and spiritually uplifting.
If you would rather, just contact Ernie & Kathy Leven at 829-9469 and we will be
pleased to answer any of your questions.
Background Information on the RCIA Process:
The letters "RCIA" stand for the "Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults", the document
flowing from Vatican II which guides the process by which adults are initiated into our
Roman Catholic community. The RCIA describes a process in which men and women
are guided and cared for as they awaken in faith and are gradually introduced to the
Catholic way of life.
The RCIA process is a series of carefully planned stages, marked by liturgical rites in
the presence of the whole community, in which new Catholics embark on and join us in
a continuing and deepening conversion into faith and discipleship. The RCIA takes the
distinctive history and spiritual needs of each person into account, differentiating
between the baptized and the unbaptized, the catechized and the uncatechized. The
needs of mature, practicing Christians from other faith traditions are considered on an
individual basis.
The RCIA draws its model from the "catechumenate" of the ancient Church. Becoming
Christian in the early days of the Church involved a sharp break with the surrounding
culture. New 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 the
catechumenate -- 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 through the RCIA comes about in a
variety of ways. The first step for some is a sense that "something is missing" -- a
sense, perhaps provoked by some crisis, that there is more to life than what they now
have 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 seeing 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 for the awakening and decision to seek, the RCIA process is the first step on a
lifelong journey of intellectual, emotional and spiritual conversion.