What is RCIA?
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops describes the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults as a process in which participants "undergo conversion as they study the Gospel, profess faith in Jesus and the Catholic Church, and receive the sacraments. The RCIA process follows the ancient practice of the Church and was restored by the Second Vatican Council as the normal way adults prepare for baptism."
The language used in the RCIA process is that of the early Church formation programs. Catechumens are those people who are seeking full initiation into the Catholic Church through all of the Sacraments of Initiation – Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation. Candidates are people who have been baptized in a Christian tradition but are seeking full initiation into the Catholic Church through Eucharist and Confirmation. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, more commonly referred to as RCIA, is the spiritual process which prepares adults to receive one or more of the Sacraments of Initiation, namely the sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation.
Are you an unbaptized adult who is interested in developing your spirituality and may want to be baptized into the family of the Catholic Church?
Are you a baptized adult Christian who is considering expressing your faith as a Catholic Christian?
Are you a Catholic over the age of 18 who was never Confirmed and now would like to receive that sacrament?
Are you married to a practicing Catholic and would like to study your spouse’s faith to see if Catholicism is the right religion for you?If you answered “yes” to any of these questions or if you know someone who has expressed an interest in joining the Catholic Church, please share this information with them. Remember, joining RCIA is not a commitment to join our church but a process that leads to a deeper faith and hopefully a commitment to Jesus Christ as a member of the Catholic Church. If you have any questions, please call the church office at 610-866-4371 or email us at
notredamesec@gmail.com.
Notre Dame starts an RCIA class each year in September that runs until a few weeks after Easter. We meet in the Church Convent every Monday night from 7-830 PM. Participation is also requested at several Sunday morning masses throughout the process. There is also a retreat held at the church on a Saturday in the spring.
