The Rite For Christian Initiation For Adults

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The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is the process used by the Catholic Church to present the beliefs of this faith to those adults who have made a conscious decision to explore coming into full communion with the Church.
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Our RCIA Team, in conjunction with the pastoral staff, is committed to the presentation of the doctrine of our faith, in a welcoming and understandable manner, to members of our community who have made the decision to seek this step in their personal faith journey, and join with us as we strive to live the mission of Jesus Christ through prayer, service, outreach, fellowship and a true sense of family, as we minister to all members of our parish and community, especially to those in need.

​New Class Forming for Fall
RCIA, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is forming a new class beginning in August.
​If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about the Catholic Faith, please consider the RCIA process. Classes are for those who are baptized Christian or un-baptized. The only requirement is to have a strong desire to know better, and grow closer, to Jesus Christ. Our classes meet on Tuesday evening from 7:00 PM -8:30 PM, and run until the end of May 2020.
The person inquiring is prepared through these classes to become a fully initiated member of the Catholic Church through the sacrament of Baptism, if necessary, and full communion through the Sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist. Would you like to know more?
Contact  Deacon Wally Haarsgaard at 336-884-5352 or e-mail whaarsgaard@ihmchurch.org to set an appointment.

Become Catholic

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RCIA Participants

• Inquirers
  The period of inquiry, also known as the period of evangelization and precatechumenate, is a time to ask questions and become familiar with Gospel values. The period of inquiry has no fixed duration and structure, but rather is tailored to the needs of those being drawn into the mystery of God's love. This is a period in which the beginnings of the spiritual life and the fundamentals of Christian teaching take root, leading to a committment to change one's life by entering into relationship with God in Christ (RCIA, 42).
• Catechumens
  Catechumens are those who, "after hearing the mystery of Christ proclaimed, consciously and freely seek the living God and enter the way of faith and conversion" (RCIA, 1). Catechumens are those who have not been baptized; having both "undergone a conversion in mind and in action and...developed a sufficient acquaintance with Christian teaching as well as a spirit of faith and charity," (RCIA, 120) the Catechumens will be initiated into the Body of Christ with the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and eucharist.
• Candidates
  Candidates for reception into the full communion of the Catholic Church are those who have been baptized in other Christian denominations and are seeking communion and unity with the Catholic Church. Having already been incorporated into the Body of Christ by virtue of their baptism, both doctrinal and spiritual preparation guide candidates "to deepen an inner adherence to the Church, where he or she will find the fullness of his or her baptism" (RCIA, 477).
• The Period of Mystagogy
  In the ancient church the period of postbaptismal catechesis or mystagogy was the central time for those who had been baptized to learn about the faith. "This is a time for the community and the neophytes together to grow in deepening their grasp of the paschal mystery and in making it part of their lives through meditation on the Gospel, sharing in the eucharist, and doing works of charity" (RCIA, 244). Neophytes—those who have been baptized—and those received into the Church continue to meet and reflect on their "new, personal experience of the sacraments and of the community" (RCIA, 246).
  
  For more information, please contact Deacon Wally Haarsgaard at whaarsgaard@ihmchurch.org.