RCIA

Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults

If you or someone you know has questions about the Catholic Church, St.Bernard's Parish invites you to "Come and See."  Come to learn about our lived Catholic faith and about what we believe!
 
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is a process through which adults (normally age 16-18 or older) come to experience and learn about what it means to be Catholic.  Whether or not you are already baptized, or whether you belong to a church other than the Catholic Church, this process can help you decide if you are called to be Catholic, and then to learn to be Catholic.  As participants grow through the process, various rituals are celebrated to mark the stages of growth in and commitment to Christ.  The process culminates when an individual and the RCIA team together discern that the participant has indeed matured enough in Christ and as a member of the Catholic Church to celebrate the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation, as appropriate) which signify a person's full commitment to Christ and full initiation in the Church.  The celebration of these sacraments will normally take place at the Great Vigil of Easter (after sundown the day before Easter Sunday), or during the Easter season (which lasts 50 days after Easter Sunday).

(The length of the RCIA process will vary depending on the growth of the individual, but normally lasts about one year.)

For more information, call Sister Margaret Sammon at 516-731-8511, or fill out the form which can be found in the Sunday Bulletin and return to the Parish Office.

For an excellent brief article on the RCIA process, go to http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac0502.asp
 

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