How an Adult Becomes a Catholic

 So you are thinking about becoming Catholic?  How do I do that? Baptism is the obvious answer to the question:  “How does a person become Catholic?”   Most Catholic parents have their children baptized when they are infants and raise their child in the faith However, if the person seeking initiation into the Catholic Faith is an Adult, then the inquiring, learning, and faith formation happens as a prelude to Baptism not as a result of it.  This preparatory, formative period leading to sacramental initiation in the Catholic Church is RCIA:

Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.

Who might seek initiation and communion with the Catholic Church?

1.  Persons who have never been baptized.

2.  Persons who have been baptized but have no present affiliation with any church.

3.  Members of other denominations but are no longer active or interested. 

4.  Baptized Catholics with no other sacraments or sufficient training in their faith?

Perhaps YOU "fit-in" to one of these categories. In addition, something might be happening in your life that is stimulating your interest in the Catholic Church.   You may be experiencing what some people call the "FAITH QUESTION" or the "God Question." Spiritual and religious questions and concerns that may have been dormant in you for many years, may be surfacing in your life now. RCIA is the “way” in which the Catholic Faith community responds to people who are searching and inquiring. RCIA is an invitation to “Come and See.”

 RCIA – the JOURNEY - RCIA is an integrated journey with several sequential phases:

A.  PERIOD of Inquiry:  an informal time when interested and inquiring persons gather to look more closely at the church and at their own spiritual journey.  It is a time of seeking, questioning, and sharing. There is no commitment.

 B.  PERIOD of Instruction & STUDY:  a time to look more IN DEPTH at the Catholic Faith:  its traditions, wisdom, values, beliefs and foundations. This stage places a greater emphasis on study, prayer, and conversion of mind and heart. At some point during this period of instruction, we celebrate, the RITE of Candidacy or Catechumens. A "catechumen" is a person who was never baptized.  A "candidate" is a person validly baptized in another Christian denomination. In this Rite, catechumens and candidates are "introduced" to the whole community at Mass so that the whole parish might meet and pray for them.

C.  PERIOD OF PURIFICATION AND ENLIGHTENMENT:  this is the final preparatory stage of RCIA, which begins on the first Sunday of Lent and extends for the 40 days of Lent.  Those catechumens/candidates, who have completed the formal instruction period and have decided to accept full initiation and membership into the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil Mass, are formally recognized in the "Rite of Election.”

D.  SACRAMENTAL INCORPORATION:  Catechumens/Candidates who have discerned that the Lord is calling them to full incorporation into the Catholic Church are now called:  The ELECT. During the Lenten season, The Elect will undergo a special program of prayer, penance, and worship to help them prepare for the Sacraments of Initiation, which they will receive at the Easter Vigil Mass.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?

The RCIA is not actually a program that needs to be completed in a specific length of time.  It is the church's way of ministering sensitively and uniquely to each person who comes forward with a desire to know more about the church. Generally speaking, however, once the formal instruction period begins many people who commit to RCIA are prepared to be initiated at Easter.

WHAT IS THE FIRST STEP?

Make contact with us and let us know you are interested in attending the Period of Inquiry or you would like more information.  You can contact the RCIA Coordinator at saintsajrcia@hotmail.com.  The Coordinator will send you more detailed information, provide you with a phone number for immediate questions, and offer to meet with you if you need to before the Period of Inquiry begins.  The initial Period of Inquiry begins this year with the information/kick-off session on Tuesday, September 22, 2009 from 7:00 to 8:30 PM at the Penn Newman Center.

For Further Information…

Please Email - saintsajrcia@hotmail.com

OR…contact any of the priests by phone or meet them personally after any of the weekend masses.

Fr. Phil Florio                                     215-898-7575   [Penn Newman Center]

Fr. Vince Morabito                             215-590-8760   [Drexel Newman Center]

Fr. George Strausser                          215-386-9733, [Saint Agatha-St. James Parish]

Fr. Steve Marinucci                           215-386-9733   [Saint Agatha-St. James Parish]

Mr. John Dill, RCIA Coordinator