RCIA process follows ancient practice of church

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
Feb. 14, 2008

With Lent beginning, RCIA catechumens - who are now the elect - and candidates are getting closer to becoming full members of the Catholic faith.

RCIA, which stands for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, is a process through which men and women enter the Catholic Church. It includes several stages marked by study, prayer and rites at Mass.

Catechumens have not been baptized and candidates have been baptized in either the Catholic Church or in a Protestant community.

The catechumens and candidates undergo a process of conversion as they study the Gospel and profess faith in Jesus and the Catholic Church.

Mark Thomason, director of catechesis, evangelization and RCIA for the Diocese of Sioux City, said that RCIA programs are as varied as the parishes in the diocese.

"A lot of our priests are very involved in RCIA," he said. "I can't thank them enough for what they do. The priests are the primary, if not then secondary teachers, of RCIA. I think it is great that they are taking adult education and adult converts on personally."

The RCIA process follows the ancient practice of the church and was restored by the Second Vatican Council. In 1974 the Rite for Christian Initiation for Adults was formally approved for use in the United States.

"Augustine talks about the rites and the calling of the catechumen and the candidate," said Thomason. "He always talked about the baptism by desire. In the age of martyrs, if someone wasn't baptized but they were in the process, they had full rites of the church."

He talked about one of his favorite popes, Pope St. Flavian, who was a catechumen.

"He was walking in Rome and the conclave was trying to decide on a new pope. They couldn't decide forever. A dove landed on him and the conclave took it as a sign. They baptized him, confirmed him, gave him first Communion, ordained him deacon, priest, bishop and elevated him to the papacy. Talk about fast tracked. He is a pope and a saint," said Thomason.

He mentioned that someone coming into the church now could possibly be a pope someday.

"The candidacy process is for those that enjoy the grace of baptism but don't enjoy the grace of Communion of the church," said Thomason. "The candidacy process is a new process, but the catechumen process has always been a part of the church."

During the RCIA process, the participants learn about the basic tenants of the faith - the four pillars of the catechism, Scripture, the pope, Mary, the sacraments and many other aspects of the Catholic faith.

At the end of the process, catechumens receive the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and Holy Eucharist at Easter Vigil. The candidates receive confirmation and Holy Eucharist.

The process does not end at Easter Vigil. At most parishes, classes continue a few weeks after Easter.

This year there will be gatherings in the diocese after Easter to unite converts to the Catholic faith in the Diocese of Sioux City. These are being offered for all people, but especially those who have been involved with RCIA.

"What is mystagogy? How to keep the Fire" will be presented by David and Cecilia Lopez at 6:30 p.m. March 31 at Trinity Heights in Sioux City and at 6:30 p.m. April 7 at St. Mary's in Storm Lake.

"Jesus and the Catholic Church - Dominus Iesus" will be presented by Thomason at 6:30 p.m. April 1 at Trinity Heights in Sioux City and at 6:30 p.m. April 8 at St. Mary's in Storm Lake.

"The idea is to get them together as a whole group," said Thomason. "They can really come together and integrate into the whole church. We want to give them opportunities to come together on a big level and share that back in their local communities. The goals of these sessions are to help with continued formation and growth in the faith, as well as introduce people to the larger community of the Diocese of Sioux City."

Anyone interested in more information about RCIA should visit the Diocese of Sioux City Web site at www. scdiocese.org or call their local parish.