RCIA

    .ite 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 on Sundays at 9:30 AM in Marsh Hall.  You are warmly invited to just come in and experience what happens. If interested in attending please contact Steve Miller at 856-780-0434.   We think you will find what you see and feel to be enjoyable and spiritually uplifting.  If you would rather, just contact Steve 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.