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RCIA
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is the process by which adults come into full communion with the Catholic Church. Over two decades ago, the Church recognized that the method of bringing adults into the Church through private instruction with the local priest could be improved. To find a better way, she turned to history, particularly that of the early Church. In the first centuries following the crucifixion, becoming a Christian was a dangerous process, and one in which the prospective member needed to be thoroughly prepared. Consequently the catechumenate was lengthy and very oriented to establishing the catechumen in the Christian community.
By looking to the past, the Church has restored the process of the catechumenate with its defined stages of development, which echo the human journey of conversion. Each step draws the inquirer more deeply into a relationship with Christ, through stages of evangelization, stirrings of repentance, instruction, growth in faith, purification and enlightenment. During this period the RCIA process seeks to meet the needs of those for whom this is the first Christian instruction they have received, while at the same time respecting the background of those already participating in a Christian life, who are seeking full communion with the Catholic Church. The inquirer will encounter academic instruction in the Church traditions, spiritual formation springing from the good news of the Gospel, and a call to a deeper discipleship within our community of faith.
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