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Adults and Older Children

Adults and Older Children. RCIA. Brainstorm. What does RCIA stand for? What do you think it is? Is it easy? Hard? Do you know anyone who has gone through RCIA ?. Adults and Older Children. Since 1972 an official process of initiating adults in the Catholic Faith has been used.

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Adults and Older Children

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  1. Adults and Older Children RCIA

  2. Brainstorm • What does RCIA stand for? • What do you think it is? • Is it easy? Hard? • Do you know anyone who has gone through RCIA ?

  3. Adults and Older Children • Since 1972 an official process of initiating adults in the Catholic Faith has been used. • This process is modeled after the process of the early Church. • What was the process of the early church? • Official process today is called Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) • Takes into account 2 realities

  4. Realities of RCIA • Becoming a Catholic Christian is a process that takes time. • Becoming a Catholic Christian means joining a community.

  5. RCIA • RCIA is a model for receiving into full communion with the Catholic Church. • They could be Catholics who have lost touch with the Catholic church, or • They might be Christians who were baptized in another denomination. Their baptism with the other denomination is considered valid in the Catholic Church and therefore are not repeated. • For those not previously confirmed they will receive Confirmation as the sign of full membership. • RCIA has a number of stages to help interested persons become informed and active members in the Catholic Christian Community.

  6. Stage 1: Inquiry • Before actually entering a formal initiation program, when a person and the church are getting to know each other, the person interested is called an INQUIRER. • When both parties are satisfied that they want to continue with the initiation process, the individual goes into stage 2…

  7. Stage 2: Catechumenate: • Catechumen studies the Catholic faith, accompanied by a sponsor or sponsors, ideally within a community of other catechumens. • Catechumens and their sponsors participate in certain rites that bring them more deeply into the faith and the community. • A Sponsor should be who? • Catechumenate process ideally lasts from one to three years.

  8. Stage 2: Catechumenate Continued • During this time the Catechumens attend mass but leave for their own session after the homily. • This reminds them the importance of full participation in the Eucharist for Christian life. • Toward the end of this stage there is a Day of Election. • Day of Election each candidate is chosen to be among the elect provided he/she has shown sincerity as a catechumen. • The community affirms the choosing of the catechumens, and it is clear that God is doing the choosing. God has chosen them and they have responded to God’s call.

  9. Stage3: Enlightenment or illuination • The season of Lent is a period of intensive preparation with it’s own particular rites consisting of questioning those to be baptized and hearing their profession of faith. • This season gives everyone, the chance to reflect on the mystery of the Resurrection, which they will soon celebrate at Easter. • Major event is the Easter Vigil. It is filled with baptismal imagery. • During the Easter Vigil the new members, accompanied by their sponsors are baptized.

  10. Stage 4: Mystagogia • Process of initiation does not end with Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist at Easter. • Like natural new members of a group have special needs. • During the time from Easter to Pentecost Sunday New members and their sponsors reflect together on their experiences of being Christian. • Mystagogia is the term applied to this period. It is related to the word mystery. • Mystagogia is a time to understand and appreciate more deeply the Christian mysteries.

  11. Church Community • Through out the RCIA process the church community plays a significant role. • Persons are usually drawn to Catholicism because they see some evidence of the life of Christ present with a local Catholic Community. • During this process the catechumens and sponsors gather regularly as a community to share in their own life and faith stories and the candidates are affirmed in their journey. • When an entire community is involved in the RCIA process it challenges the others already in their community to not be complacent about their faith. • RCIA has the potential to renew the entire community.

  12. Feeling Catholic? • People who go through RCIA must grow not only in their knowledge of Catholic teachings, but also must develop a sense of their identity as Catholics. • Imagine in your groups you are a committee at SGMHS and you are in charge of helping students who are participants in RCIA to grow in “feeling Catholic” • Task 1) answer questions on handout • Task 2) Come up with an activity that will help people in the RCIA process “feel Catholic” your activity must be 3-5 minutes long. What are some things that help you feel catholic?

  13. Presenting feeling Catholic • Group Presentations

  14. Chapter Wrap- Up • Test? • Project?

  15. Closing Chapter Prayer • Reflect/Journal: What have you learned through the Baptism chapter? Does it reveal God more fully to you now? • Closing Prayer: John 7:37-38 • “On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there he cried out, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, “of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water”’”

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