Witness Talk on Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults by Jeff McCarthy
February 23/24,2008

RCIA or Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is a process through which men and women can enter the Catholic Church.

-It is for those

            *who have never been baptized

            *those who have been baptized in a different tradition or

            *for those baptized Catholic but who have not been confirmed.

-It includes several stages of preparation that are marked by study, prayer, as well as rites at Mass;

-One begins as an inquirer, the stage when the person first decides to seek acceptance into the Church.

-That process leads to the Order of Catechumens.

-Catechumens undergo a process of conversion as they study the Gospel, profess faith in Jesus and the Catholic Church.

-The whole process is an ancient practice that goes back to the beginning of the Church and was restored in the aftermath of the Second Vatican Council becoming common practice in the United States in 1974.

-Probably most of us here have seen the inquirers standing in the midst of the parish community stating that they want to become full members of the Church.

-When a catechumen- and the parish team working with him or her- believes he or she is ready to make a faith commitment to Jesus in the Catholic Church, the next step is the request for baptism (for those who are unbaptized) and celebration of the Rite of Election. 

-This rite, which takes place on the first Sunday of Lent, includes the official enrollment of names of all those seeking full admission into the church.  It is performed with the bishop in combination with other churches from around the diocese.

-The days of Lent are the final period of purification and enlightenment leading to the celebration of initiation at the Easter Vigil.

-Now the person is a fully initiated member of the Catholic Church and will continue to live out his or her response to God as a member of this faith community.

-Three or four years ago, when the parish asked us to check off those volunteer areas in which we might have an interest, I believe I accidentally checked off the RCIA box.

-I had only a vague idea of what RCIA was and I can recall on more than one occasion, as I sat in the bass section of the choir, asking a fellow baritone to remind me what the initials RCIA stand for.

-Whether I checked off the box accidentally- or some impurity in the recycled paper resembled a check mark- I received a call from Mary Boris (within days I might add) asking me to take on an RCIA assignment.

-She asked me to sponsor a graduate student from the Johnson School who, after 3 years of marriage, had decided to join his wife and son in full communion with the Church.

-Our group met every other week, starting in the fall, around a variety of topics.

-Major concepts related to our faith were discussed- the meaning of the Eucharist, the architecture of the mass, the Old Testament, various gospels…

-Presentations were made by parishioners on these topics, as well as by Mary, Father Mike, and others.

-While the presentations were a starting point, however, the discussions that took place around these topics as well as the side conversations- the personal vignettes, the commentary that each of us could make about our own faith journeys- were the heart of the evening.

-As a sponsor I came to realize that I was supporting someone who was willing to share his search for God with me.

-And I, over time, learned to share my own on-going search for God with him- and with the larger group too.

-Since that time, I have participated in the RCIA process in a number of ways.  I have been asked to present my thoughts on topics such as the Holy Eucharist. 

-I have gone with the group on retreats to Mt. St. Saviour in Elmira.

-Imagine my surprise this past fall when I saw that I was assigned a topic simply entitled “God.”

-Sure I thought, no problem, I’ll whip through Thomas Aquinas this weekend.

-Next week I have to lead the group in a discussion about the Man Born Blind.

-All of this may sound intimidating but it shouldn’t and it isn’t.

-No one in this group is expecting an intense course in Catholic theology.

-Rather what all of us want and all of us need are people who can bear witness to their faith, people like you and me who struggle every day with our faith, whether in understanding it or fully embracing it.

-The RCIA process is a way of welcoming new-comers and telling them that they are not alone on what is going to be their new life’s journey.

-It’s a way of saying that your fellow parishioners are willing to pray with you and for you and that they, after decades of practicing their religion, are- like you- still very much in a learning mode and still undergoing conversions of their own.

-While working with the RCIA group does require a commitment of time and energy, these are by no means overwhelming.  And it’s rewards are stunning:

*a deepening of faith,

*an understanding of aspects of the Church that you didn’t have before

*a sense of communion that goes to the very heart of the Church, a church that is rooted in the here and now but which has been shaped and nourished by a holy spirit working in us for almost 2000 years.

-I would urge any of you to accidentally check off the box to volunteer for RCIA. 

-Better yet, talk anytime, with Mary Boris who will be in the back of the church or with Jane Doyle or me who will be at the sides of the church.

-We need more volunteers and we would love to talk with you.