RCIA

R.C.I.A (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) has been an implemented process in the Catholic Church for centuries! We can trace the history back to the early church at the point when the 12 Apostles were directly in charge of it! They would go through the towns and countries spreading the Good News and would come upon small communities where individuals would come together in small groups and study the works of Jesus. They would communally work on the call to conversion. This was being done at a time when persecution was very common place and most of the participants in this knew they faced and their conversion would demand possible martyrdom. The process has evolved over the centuries.

Today the process is a bit more established. The rite is to include the baptized and the unbaptised. From 1988 through the present, the process has been evolving. In 2000 the Bishops again visited the subject only to find that many parishes were not really fleshing out the program. But despite the tepid reception of the program and its installation, the Bishops to date have refused to change the program. They feel it is vey important to the community for conversion of the entire parish.

With the help of the Presentation Sisters Rural Ministry, the R.C.I.A program has been an established program of Holy Cross, St. Mary’s, and Holy Rosary since 2003. Since the program has been implemented: Twenty-nine adults and one child from all three parishes have been full initiated into full communion of the Holy Catholic Church.

Once you have decided this to be the next step in your journey of faith, the process has begun. You are now considered an inquirer of the Catholic faith. Visit with your current parish priest about how to continue the process. Chances are, they maybe other people in the community who are ready to continue the process with you. Arrangements for meeting with the R.C.I.A team will be made to help you continue the process.