Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (R.C.I.A)

Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.- Matthew 4:4

RCIA is for those who wish to enter into full communion with the Catholic faith. Instruction for RCIA is begins each year in September, meets once a week and continues through the year until the Easter Vigil.

Sessions are for unbaptized adults and baptized non-Catholics who wish to inquire about certain aspects of the faith, learn more about the Catholic Church, her practices and history and/or seek full membership. Active Catholics who wish to renew, to deepen, or to share their faith are cordially invited as well.

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (R.C.I.A.) is open for your questions, reflection, and searching!

Until further notice, classes will take place on Zoom.

Classes are on Mondays at 6:30pm,
September 20-April 25*
*You receive your sacraments at the Easter Vigil on April 16. April 25 is a "debrief" final meeting for the class.

Dates OFF - No Class:
Columbus Day, October 11
All Saints' Day, November 1
Christmas Break, December 20-January 3
MLK Day, January 17
President's Day, February 21
Holy Week, April 11
Easter Monday, April 18

VIEW SYLLABUS FOR THE COURSE

The RCIA program meetings are held on a weekly basis beginning on Monday, September 20 at 6:30pm, and ends no later than 8:00pm. The program will culminate with the Easter Vigil on Saturday, April 16, 2022 at St. Ann's Church.

This program is an introduction to the Catholic faith and we will use a fundamental approach to faith formation. Our focus will be on the Creed (i.e. the central doctrine of the Catholic Church) and preparation for the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation). Meetings will be facilitated by pastor Msgr. Watkins, other priests and seminarians from the St. John Society.

Catechumens (unbaptized adults) and candidates (baptized non-Catholics or Catholics seeking full initiation through receiving the sacraments of Confirmation or Eucharist) participating in the RCIA program are to identify a sponsor (an adult Catholic in good standing) to accompany them on the journey of faith formation. Sponsors are encouraged to attend the RCIA meetings.

Materials we will be using in the program are the following: Bishop Robert Barron's video series entitled Catholicism and the Catechism of the Catholic Church (available at any Catholic bookstore).

VIEW SYLLABUS FOR THE COURSE

Optional $25 Supplemental Resource for Purchase (we will email the class a digital download of the PDF of this book before our first session also):

• on Amazon here
• on the Word on Fire website directly here

Meetings will include lecture, video presentation and discussion. Please ask any question you have; this is a safe space.

There is no commitment to complete the RCIA program.

Class absences at times are expected and do not need to be reported to the teachers. We simply ask that you are actively engaged and attend most of the sessions.