Confirmation
and active participation in the life of the Church and to become a fully initiated member.
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Immaculate Conception & St Wenceslaus
Catholic
Churches 2008-09 Confirmation
7:00 am
Depart
from St. Wenceslaus parking lot 9:15 am
New
Melleray Abbey
10:45 am
lunch on bus
Refection time/tour of cathedral
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RETREAT PHOTOS
Tour of St Raphael Cathedral before attending Mass
RCIA
Right of
Christian initiation
for adults
Parish of Immaculate
Conception
Parish of St. Wenceslaus
Cedar Rapids, IA
What is RCIA?
The
RCIA is a process through which adults become members of the Catholic
Church.
The period of information encompassed by the RCIA process will allow
you to
deepen your faith, understanding, and readiness, which will culminate
in the
reception of the Sacrament of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Eucharist
during
the parish celebration at Easter.
The
main purpose of the RCIA processes is to assist you in your
introduction into
the faith of the Catholic Church. People are introduced into the faith
through
the study of the church doctrine, Christian living, the Liturgical
worship, and
works of service. The process of the
RCIA reflects only the beginning of Christian life, a never-ending
process of
the deepening our love and relationship with Jesus Christ.
The
RCIA process involves both those seeking to be baptized, as well as
those who
have been previously baptized in the Catholic Church but never
catechized or
those baptized in other Christian denominations, and who seek to become
Catholics.
How does RCIA work?
During
the period of RCIA, which is separated into four periods, candidates
are formed
into a deeper participation in the Catholic faith through study,
discussion,
and experiences concerning doctrine, Christian living and charitable
works, and
the liturgical worship. Accompanying this formation are three
Liturgical “landmarks”, each indicating the
deepening progress of a candidate toward full initiation into the
Catholic
Church.
The first period is a period of inquiry, or pre-catechumenate, it is a time for genuine questioning about the meaning of what life can be like as a Catholic, and how the church provides that meaning. If, after this period, a person still feels the desire to become a member of the church, he or she can request entrance into the church. This desire leads to the Right of Entrance into the catechumenate/Candidacy. This first “landmark” is celebrated during a Sunday mass, the normal place where the Parish community gathers for worship.
The
celebration of the right begins the
second period of RCIA, the period of the catechumenate/Candidacy.
As their relationship to the church deepens, these people
[traditionally
called catechumens] continue in their work to deepen their
understanding an
appreciation of the Catholic faith. This second leads to the Right of Election/Enrollment. The
Right
of Election usually takes place at the beginning of Lent [the
period of
40 days in which Catholics prepare for Easter} at this time, the
catechumens or
candidate formally states his or her intent to become a Catholic. With this begins the third period of RCIA,
The Period of Enlightenment.
This
third period corresponds
with the season
of Lent. This is a time when those desiring membership into the church
make
their final preparation for full initiation.
This full initiation will involve the Sacrament of Baptism [if
not already
baptized] and a profession of Catholic faith, the Sacrament of
Confirmation,
and the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist. This third period is completed
with the
Easter Vigil On Holy Saturday night. On
this most holy night of the Catholic year of worship, the community
gathers to
hear the retelling of the actions of God in the history of humanity,
and to
celebrate God’s greatest action, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the
source
of universal salvation. During this
liturgy, the community professes their faith once again, and along with
the
first profession by the new members, then the church itself is reborn
in the
resurrection of Christ, and renewed in his Spirit!
The
Fourth Period, between
Easter and
Pentecost [50 days after Easter, commemorating the gift of the Holy
Spirit upon
the church] is the beginning of the new initiated person’s new life as
a member
of the church. This is a time for study
and reflection on all that has happened in each person’s journey to his
or her
new life in Christ Jesus, especially during the Easter Vigil.
During this journey toward full initiation into the church, the parish community will play a very important role. Some will be teachers, some will be sponsors, and others will help with their support, interest, and prayers. As the future of the parish, we take a real concern in your journey towards full initiation.