St. Joseph Parish: RCIA

The letters "RCIA" stand for the "Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults", the document flowing from Vatican II which guides the process by which adults are initiated into our Roman Catholic community. The RCIA describes a process in which men and women are guided and cared for as they awaken in faith and are gradually introduced to the Catholic way of life.

	*Inquiry* Rite of Acceptance Catechumenate Rite of Election *Period of purification and enlightenment* Scrutinies; Sacraments of Initiation *Mystagogia* Pilgrimage of continuous conversion

The RCIA process is a series of carefully planned stages, marked by liturgical rites in the presence of the whole community, in which new Catholics embark on and join us in a continuing and deepening conversion into faith and discipleship. The RCIA takes the distinctive history and spiritual needs of each person into account, differentiating between the baptized and the unbaptized, the catechized and the uncatechized. The needs of mature, practicing Christians from other faith traditions are considered on an individual basis. The RCIA draws its model from the "*catechumenate*" of the ancient Church. Becoming Christian in the early days of the Church involved a sharp break with the surrounding culture. New Christians entered into the joy of new life and a life-sharing community of faith, but also entered into a way of living which demanded deep commitment and entailed great risks. In the modern world, our faith also demands deep commitment -- our beliefs and the beliefs of our society are often in tension.

The Church revived the catechumenate -- embodied in the RCIA -- because new believers in the modern world need careful preparation and caring support as they enter into the mysteries of Christ and the commitment of Christian living. Preparation: Awakening, Growth and Formation The full RCIA process consists of four periods of awakening, growth and formation marked by celebration of three major rites involving the St. Joseph community. *Inquiry* During the first period of the journey, the inquiry period, seekers ask hard questions about Christianity and receive truthful, life-sharing answers from Catholic Christians. The informal discussions during the inquiry period help the seekers link their personal life stories to the Good News as witnessed and lived by the Roman Catholic community. As each inquirer desires to continue the conversion journey within our faith community, he or she is invited to experience the first major rite of the RCIA process, the Rite of Acceptance. Several times each year at Sunday Mass, inquirers enter the second period of the journey, the catechumenate, by being marked with the sign of the cross on the ears, eyes, lips, heart, shoulders, hands and feet -- a symbol of both the joys and the costs of Christian discipleship.

*Purification and Enlightenment* The period of purification and enlightenment is a time of final preparation for initiation. The period is one of prayer, fasting and reflection for both catechumens, now known as the Elect, and candidates. During this period, the Elect experience scrutinies and exorcisms, special rites which seal their break with evil in preparation for baptism. *Easter Fire!* The candidates and the Elect are initiated through the third and consummating rite of the RCIA process, the Sacraments of Initiation, at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday. On that night, when light drives out darkness, joyful sounds fill the silence, and we proclaim and renew our resurrection hope, the Elect culminate their long journey to initiation in the waters of Baptism -- then, with the candidates, the newly baptized are sealed with the oil of Confirmation and share the bread and wine of the Eucharist as full members of the Roman Catholic community. *Mystagogia* Initiation begins the fourth period of the RCIA journey, the mystagogia, which means "leading into the mysteries". The newly initiated meet weekly between Easter and Pentecost to explore and confirm the Easter experience. From Pentecost until the following Easter, mystagogia continues with intermittent meetings. Mystagogia is the final stage of the RCIA process, but it is in turn the beginning of a pilgrimage of lifelong, continuous conversion in full communion with the Roman Catholic community of Christians. St. Joseph Parish participates in our cluster RCIA program along with St. Bonaventure, St. Peter, and Blessed Kateri Tekawitha Parishes of Plymouth and Our lady of Lourdes parish of Carver. The program is administered by Father Ken Overbeck of St Bonaventure. Teams consisting of priests, deacons, and lay people from each parish participate in inquiry, catechumanate, breaking open the Word, and mystagogy processes. St. Joseph Parish RCIA Team includes John Recke, John Scorzoni, Dick Cussen, Darrell Bailey and Father Hennessey. To express interest or to have any questions answered, please either call Dick Cussen at 781-585-9790 or e-mail info@stjosephkingston.com.

Preparation: Awakening, Growth and Formation