For many years, St. Paul of the Cross Parish has participated in the very fruitful process of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. But as often happens with familiar things, we may forget and/or fail to appreciate their true meaning. And so, we present this brief summary of what R.C.I.A. is all about and why each parishioner should feel involved - on some level.

The main purpose of the Rite is to assist inquirers in their journey to learn about the Catholic faith. Frequently each group is made up of the unbaptized, those baptized in another Christian church and those baptized in the Roman Catholic Church who have not received the other Sacraments of Initiation (Confirmation and Eucharist).

The group of inquirers meets weekly to study the Scriptures, to share their faith stories and to reflect on God's place in their lives. This is a very profound experience for them. This period is called pre-Catechumenate.

Moving into the next phase, Catechumenate is celebrated with the Rite of Acceptance for the unbaptized and the Rite of Welcome for the baptized. During Catechumenate, the catechumens (the unbaptized) and the candidates (the baptized) study the Scriptures and learn about the beliefs and dogmas of the Catholic Church.

On the first Sunday of Lent, the catechumens and candidates are involved in two rites. The Rite of Sending takes place in their parish church presided over by the pastor. The Rite of Election takes place in the cathedral with the Bishop recognizing the preparation they have made thus far and encouraging them to persevere.

During the weeks of Lent the focus is on the conversion and more spiritual preparation for reception into the Church at the Easter Vigil. The Easter Vigil which takes place in the evening of Holy Saturday is the most celebrated liturgy of the Church year. Christians all over the world celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, His triumph over sin and death. And so, it is most fitting for the Elect (so-called since the last Rite) to be received into the Church on this most blessed night. It is a night of great joy and jubilation!

The newly received continue their catechesis for six more weeks until the feast of Pentecost. During this time they concentrate on full participation in the Eucharistic Liturgy, a deeper understanding of Scripture and the mysteries of faith, and learning to become active members of the parish through participation in some of the parish ministries.

In 1972, the Church restored the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults as the manner of preparation for "new Catholics". Recently released figures indicate that over 160,000 adults each year enter the Catholic Church in the United States through R.C.I.A. The extraordinary popularity of this process and the passion R.C.I.A. team members and sponsors bring to their involvement in it, are living proof of the effectiveness of this process.

For further information on R.C.I.A. at our parish, you may call Sister Sara Cannon at the parish office at 561-626-1873. Also see our weekly bulletin for upcoming R.C.I.A. events.

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