Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA)
Becoming Catholic
FIRST STEP
Contact our Pastoral Associate,
Sr. Brigid McGuigan for a meeting. She will help you better understand the process and discuss your schedule and needs.
ADULT FAITH FORMATION
The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) is a faith formation process by which adults become full members of the Catholic community.
People who feel called to the Catholic community are enabled to deepen their faith while at the same time they learn all the traditions of the
Catholic Church. While education is an important component, it is primarily a formation process.
The Faith Formation Process is led by one of our Pastoral Associates,
Sr. Brigid McGuigan
together with three teams of catechists. Our catechists are active members of Our Lady of Malibu Parish, who basically share their
Catholic faith and have been formed and trained to help lead the stage adult faith formation process.
The Process of Becoming Catholic
The process of becoming Catholic involves three stages:
Stage I: The Inquiry Process
During the Inquiry process the person is helped to discern if his or her desire to become Catholic is a genuine call from God and
has an opportunity to ask questions about what it means to be Catholic. During this process the person learns how to listen to the Word of God
and apply it to his or her life. Inquirers meet once a week with other Inquirers and with a team of catechists. Generally, people discern
within six to eight weeks whether or not they are ready to move to the next stage. If Inquirers are called to take the next step,
they are welcomed by the entire community into the Church and become Catechumens.
The word Catechumen is an ancient Christian word that means a person who is seeking to discover how the Word of God
and Catholic practices can echo in and change their lives.
Stage II: The Catechumenate
The Catechumenate has two complimentary parts: the Dismissal Process and the Catechesis. Each Sunday throughout the year
the catechumens attend the 8:00am Mass, and after they have heard the Word of God proclaimed in the Scriptures and the sermon, they
then are called forth (called The Dismissal) into a private group session. With the guidance of a cathecist, they spend 20-30 minutes reflecting on what
they heard during the Mass and what God is saying to them personally, and how their lives may be different because of what they heard.
Catechesis
In the catechesis process, the catechumens have an opportunity to learn about the whole range of Catholic beliefs, customs, and practices
in a way that also helps them to grow in their faith and be reshaped and transformed. This process is led by a different catechist each week
and takes place each Sunday (except during July and August) after the dismissal process. The session lasts for about one hour.
The catechumens will have sponsors to help them along. Generally, catechumens spend about one to one and a half years in the process.
When the catechumens are ready to become full members of the Catholic community, they go through a special period of preparation
during the forty days of Lent. At the Easter Vigil they are welcomed fully into the Church through the Sacraments of
Baptism,
Confirmation
and the
Eucharist.
State III: The Neophyte Year
During this stage, the newly formed Catholics (neophytes) meet monthly to develop a deeper understanding
of the Sacraments and God's Word. The meeting is held outside of the church, generally one of the Neophyte's residences,
and often followed by a pot-luck dinner. The Neophyte Year is brought to a close by a special Rite at the next Easter Vigil.
contact
Sr. Brigid McGuigan
or call 310.456.2361
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