*PERSONS WISHING TO JOIN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, whether baptized in another faith or unbaptized and over the age of seven [7], may contact the pastor at any time of the year to begin the process known as RCIA [Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults]/RCIC [Rite of Christian Initiation of Children].
Do you have a friend or relative interested in learning more about the Catholic Church with the possibility of maybe joining the Catholic Church? Pray for your friend or relative and gently invite them to consider these classes. You or they may call the parish office to learn more or to sign up if they are interested.
SOME PEOPLE ARE CONFIRMED before their First Communion and others afterwards because of changes in Church practice over the centuries. In the early centuries of the Church, people were fully initiated all at one time by being baptized, then confirmed, then given Holy Communion. Those three sacraments of initiation were always celebrated together and in that order. However, over many centuries the three sacraments were separated in time, with baptism being given to infants and only later was Confirmation and then First Eucharist celebrated. And then the order in which Confirmation and Eucharist were celebrated sometimes was reversed after 1910. (Baptism, of course, has always remained the first sacrament to be celebrated.) In recent years, there have been various efforts to restore the ancient order for the initiation sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. This is the required sequence when any adult or child over the age of seven is baptized or received into the Catholic Church through RCIA/RCIC. In addition, more and more bishops are now restoring Confirmation before First Eucharist for the young people who were baptized as infants.
RCIA/RCIC* is the process by which the Catholic Church prepares and welcomes new members who are over the age of seven and who have either not been baptized or have been baptized in other faith communities and who which to join the Catholic Church. This process includes learning sessions and prayer with the catechumens (those who have not been baptized) and with the candidates (those who have been baptized).
RCIA/RCIC classes are held over the course of several months to learn what the Catholic Church believes and participants are given the opportunity to ask question about those beliefs.
Those who begin RCIA/RCIC are not required to join the Church, but are merely curious about what Catholicism is and a free to choose to join or not join at any time of the process.
RCIA/RCIC includes several liturgical rites celebrate at key steps in the process.
The first ritual in the process occurs after the catechumens and candidates have spent some time in the “inquiry” process learning some of the basics of our faith.