RCIA

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, or RCIA, is the process by which new people are initiated into the Catholic Christian community. People in the program, referred to as candidates, come from other Christian traditions or may have been baptized Catholic, and others, the catechumens, are unbaptized. Their journey of faith can be an inspiration to the rest of the faithful at St. Luke’s parish. Our candidates and catechumens are visible signs of our faith community, Christ’s Church, growing and becoming enriched.

St. Luke's RCIA Team welcomes inquirers at any time of the year.  Although the RCIA process tends to flow with the seasons, we are happy to meet with inquirers at any time of the year.  We also strive to avoid any pressure on an inquirer to continue through the RCIA phases.  One is welcomed to just attend one or more sessions to learn more about the RCIA process and what it means to become Christian in the Catholic faith tradition.  For those who feel called by God to pursue a path to initiation into the Catholic Christian community, we will be ready to help them along that wonderful spiritual journey

The following is a comprehensive explanation of this RCIA process. You can scroll down and read the portions you are interested in or click a link to go to the desired section(s).

History of RCIA
Steps of the RCIA Process
   - Inquiry Period
   - Rite of Acceptance
   - Catechumenate Period
   - Rite of Election
   - Purification Period
   - Easter Vigil
   - Mystagogy Period
RCIA and the St. Luke’s Community
RCIA Team and Sponsors

History of RCIA

The RCIA program has been active at St. Luke’s parish for many years, a sign of a vibrant and welcoming community. The Early Church (first to third centuries) had persons wanting to become Christian live with a small Christian community to learn their way of life. In a sense, this provided a period of “apprenticeship” for the Christian in training. This became known as the catechumenate. This structured process began to disappear in the fifth century. By then Christianity had become legal, and large numbers of people were becoming Christians. During the twentieth century, however, a revival of the catachumenate began to take place in France and Africa. The Second Vatican Council called for a reinstatement of the catechumenate and in the following years the RCIA program as we know it today became established in parishes throughout the United States and the rest of the world.

Steps of the RCIA Process

Inquiry Period:

When God calls one to find out more about the Catholic faith and the St. Luke’s community, the inquirer is invited to learn more about the parish and the Catholic faith during the inquiry period. The RCIA Team helps each inquirer to discover what he or she is seeking.

Rite of Acceptance:

This rite is for those inquirers who are unbaptized.  We offer a very similar parallel rite called the Rite of Welcoming to those inquirers who are already part of the broader Christian faith community by virtue of their baptism.  Although the Rites of Acceptance and Welcoming typically occur in the fall, they are not necessarily tied to the first or second Sunday of Advent.  In fact, we have been striving in recent years to hold the Rite(s) of Acceptance/Welcoming a week or two before the start of Advent.

Catechumenate Period:

This second phase of the initiation process is characterized by more formal training in the Christian way of life. This is accomplished through a discussion of the Scripture readings each Sunday and at weekly meetings. Starting with the Rite of Acceptance, the catechumens and candidates are dismissed at Mass following the Liturgy of the Word. As the rest of the parish proceeds into the Liturgy of the Eucharist, those seeking initiation into our faith break open the Word and reflect more deeply upon the readings and homily just heard. During the weekly meetings, members of the RCIA Team, other members of the St. Luke’s parish, and/or one of our priests lead a discussion on some aspect of our faith as derived from Scripture study and/or doctrinal teachings of the Church. The catechumens and candidates begin to develop their relationship with the Catholic Christian community during this time and learn how to live and serve others as apostolic witnesses.

Rite of Election:

The Catechumenate Period ends with the second major ritual of the RCIA process, called the Rite of Election. The Rite of Election occurs on the first Sunday of Lent and involves a ceremony presided by the Bishop of the Worcester Diocese at St. Paul’s Cathedral. Prior to the trip to Worcester, St. Luke’s parish celebrates a Rite of Sending, one of the ways that our parish community sends a message of support to those seeking initiation. At the Rite of Sending, sponsors publicly express that the catechumenate(s) and candidate(s) have heard God’s call to receive the initiation sacraments, have expressed their conversion of heart, mind, and spirit to the Christian teachings of faith and charity, and are ready to proceed into the Purification Period. The catechumenate(s) and candidate(s) (and their sponsors) sign their names in the St. Luke’s Book of the Elect.

Purification Period:

Following the Rite of Election, catechumens, now called the elect, enter the final period of preparation. This period of purification and enlightenment, filled with reflection and prayer, coincides with Lent and in many respects mirrors the Lenten journey undertaken by all the members of the St. Luke’s community. The elect and candidates celebrate (in the presence of the parish) the purifying rituals, known as the Scrutinies. Lent takes us to the sacred Triduum of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter.

Easter Vigil:

At the stunningly beautiful and moving Easter Vigil, the elect and candidates celebrate the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism (for the unbaptized), Confirmation, and Eucharist. Those who responded to a calling many months ago now have become fully initiated into our faith community and in doing so have brought new blood and vibrancy to our parish and Christ’s Church.

Mystagogy Period:

The final period of the RCIA process is the period of mystagogy. During the Easter season, the newly initiated gather several more times to deepen their grasp of their new lives as part of the Body of Christ. And as now part of Christ’s Body, our newly initiated become inspired to continue the mission of Jesus Christ.

RCIA and the St. Luke’s Community

Through RCIA, our St. Luke’s community participates in the mission of the Church. Parish members help develop new disciples of Christ and in the process reinvigorate a commitment to continuing the mission of Jesus Christ in the Church throughout the world. All members of St. Luke’s faith community are invited to welcome and support newcomers to the Roman Catholic Church and through this action of faith beautifully exemplify the call to live and pray the Gospel in our daily lives.

RCIA Team and Sponsors

The RCIA Team devotes time to the ministry of guiding catechumens and candidates through the RCIA process from inquiry to mystagogy. Each catechumen or candidate has a sponsor, who companions with him or her through the RCIA process, an important step on one’s life-long journey of faith. Sponsors provide encouragement, answer questions, pray with and for the newcomers, introduce newcomers to other members of the community, and participate with newcomers in as many sessions as possible. St. Luke’s parishioners interested in becoming sponsors are encouraged to contact the RCIA Team Leader Bob Thompson at 508-341-7677
email: [email protected]

Being a sponsor not only supports one interested in joining our faith community, but invariably also enriches and strengthens the sponsor’s faith as well.

Rebeckah LaClair inquired into the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) very early in the fall in hopes of learning more about our Catholic faith and starting the preparation to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.  Although there are multiple paths that can lead to adult Confirmation, she and the RCIA Team concluded that the RCIA process would be the best approach to achieve her faith formation goals.  Rebekah had already joined the faithful through her baptism and received her first communion.  Her childhood catechism was a little spotty, and she never had the opportunity to prepare for and receive the Sacrament of Confirmation when younger.  Rebekah now is experiencing an awakening of the spirit to become more engaged in her Catholic faith.  Her interest, sharing, and enthusiasm have been great gifts for the RCIA Team.  We are so blessed that she felt the call to seek us out.

Born in Connecticut, Rebekah married a man from a practicing Catholic family.  She has a grown son and two daughters, ages 9 and 10.  Her daughters keep her busy!  Rebekah co-leads both of their Girl Scout troops and for the past 2 years have guided the troops to tend a plot at the St. Luke’s organic garden for donation to families in need.  Since both of her daughters have an avid interest in theatre, she spends considerable time at local plays.  Rebeckah has been a community health visiting nurse for the last six years.  Her nursing vocation as well as work with the Girl Scouts illustrate her sincere desire to help others.  Rebekah also loves musicals, reading, and sewing.  

A large focus of Lent in the early Church was the final preparation of those seeking the Sacraments of Initiation as they went through a period of purification and enlightenment.  Although there appeared to be considerable variability from one community to another, all the faithful adopted Lenten practices in the very early Church.  These practices became more standard throughout the Church by the end of the 4th Century.  Vatican II reestablished a Christian initiation process modeled after the early Church and in so doing provided a closer connection between the faithful preparing for Easter and those preparing for initiation into the Church.  

Those like Rebekah seeking one or more of the Sacraments of Initiation remind all of us the need to evangelize and refresh our faith commitments.  The success of RCIA bringing new people into God’s Church as disciples of Christ in our faith tradition is dependent upon the efforts of our entire parish community.  You may know someone who may be searching for meaning in their lives and/or a relationship to our loving God.  Or perhaps you know someone from a different Christian tradition who feels called to learn more about the Catholic faith.  Gently nudge them in the direction of RCIA if you sense that he or she is being called to the Christian faith or full communion in the Church.  Remember, too, that Lent is a natural time to purify our own souls, prayerfully reflect upon our own faith formation, and lovingly assist others, especially those who may in one way or another be less fortunate.  

The past several months of catechesis for Rebekah focused on a conversion of heart and mind to follow Christ in the Catholic faith tradition.  Our candidate is now immersed in a time of deep reflection on what it means to be a Christian in the Catholic faith tradition, an activity appropriate for all of us during Lent.  Please keep Rebekah LaClair in your prayers as she completes this final phase of RCIA preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation at the Easter Vigil on April 8.