An Introduction To The Rite Of Christian Initiation Of Adults (rcia)

This article describes the whole process by which the Roman Catholic church brings new adult members into its communal life. The process culminates with baptism at Easter Vigil, which is both preceded and followed by periods of instruction and spiritual formation. Once upon a time, in the not too distant past, adults who wanted to join the Catholic church went through six weeks of "convert instructions" and were baptized quietly on a Sunday afternoon in a dark church with a few relatives present, two of whom probably also served as godparents. A short time later, perhaps the following Sunday, the new converts received their first Communion, but probably with little attention to the fact that they were joining the community at the Table of the Lord. Confirmation was left until the next visit by the bishop. Since 1972, that approach to adult baptism has changed radically, thanks to the revised Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). "New" Aspects of the RCIA Process The RCIA …