St. Thomas

Question:  Father, the bulletin had a question about candidates in the RCIA. What is RCIA?
Answer:    RCIA is the “Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults”. Most of us were raised in Catholic families and baptized as infants. We were instructed in the faith at Catholic school or Catechism. We made our sacraments with classmates. While that’s the norm, it isn’t the case for everyone. Some people choose to become Catholic later in life. Maybe they were raised Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu or some other religion, or perhaps with no religious faith at all. These people need to be baptized to join us.
     As adults, they have to be educated in the ways of the faith before the sacrament is conferred. We help educate them on the teachings and requirements of our religion so that they may make a well informed decision to convert. Some Christians of other denominations might choose to become Catholic. They wouldn’t be baptized Catholic, as they already have been in their previous denomination. (We never re-baptize.) But they would need instruction on Catholic faith and practice.
​​​​​​​     After this, they could be welcomed into the community with an act of reception. Some people may have been baptized as children but were never formed in the Catholic faith. To receive the sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation, they would have to be taught the elements of faith required to join us in full communion. RCIA address all these cases and helps people joining us in the Catholic faith or completing the Rites of Initiation. It prepares people to join fully into the sacramental life of the Catholic Church.