Religious Education - How can I become a Catholic?
Are there questions unanswered? Are you searching for meaning for your life? What is life? Who am I? What is truth? Is there any way of life that can lead me to the truth? Is there anything unchangeable in this mortal life and changing world?
The Lord will open the door for you through the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA).
Every year, thousands of people are received into the Catholic Church. In years past, inquirers were normally prepared in individual or small group private sessions by a priest and were received at any time of the year.
Nestled between Christmas tree farms, accessible by snakelike winding roads, surrounded by breathtaking, spectacular views of mountains and a horizon the sky appears to be touching, there stands at the intersection of S. Redland and S. Henrici Roads, St. Philip Benizi Catholic Church, radiating holiness of life to the entire countryside.
The Team of Catechists who catechize those who seek the journey of faith in their life is a powerful witnessing. Our teaching method is very captivating with PowerPoint presentations, Jeopardy questions and puzzles. We serve dinner on every first Tuesday of the month at 6pm. Our sessions begin at 7pm, recession at 8pm with cookies, snack and coffee. Class ends at 8:30pm.
The sessions are enriched by liturgical and ritual celebrations. We go on trips to the Monastery of Mount Angel, the Grotto of Our Lady of Sorrows and the cathedral of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception. In 1971, in response to the call of the Second Vatican Council, the Church dramatically revised the process of becoming Catholic. It promulgated what is called the "Rite of Christian Initiation of adults." The RCIA, while new in a sense, was not really new. It was an effort to restore the spirit of early Christianity by emphasizing conversion as a participation in the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ, as well as roles of the praying, witnessing, and teaching Body of Christ; giving support and shape to that journey.
There are four stages in the RCIA:
The sacraments of Initiation, Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist are celebrated and the Catechumens and Candidates receive these sacraments to be disciples of Jesus in the Catholic Church during the Easter Vigil.
What is a Catechumen?
People involved in the RCIA process are either catechumens or candidates. Catechumens are those who have never been baptized. Candidates are those who have been baptized in other Christian denominations, whose baptism is recognized as valid.
When a person has decided to join the Catholic Church, he or she begins the catechumenate. This begins with a Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens, which is often combined with the Rite of Welcoming for Candidates when there is a mixed group of the unbaptized and the already baptized. This rite occurs at a Sunday parish liturgy.
The catechumens proclaim their readiness to accept the Gospel, and candidates declare their intent to be received into full communion with the Catholic Church. The Catechumens and Candidates are signed with the cross on their forehead, ears, eyes, lips, breast, shoulders, hands and feet as a sign of their readiness to bear witness to Christ with their whole lives. A Bible or Cross is usually given.
The Period of Purification and Enlightenment
In the early Church, baptisms only occurred at Easter, so the weeks before Easter were a focused time of preparation for catechumens. This period evolved into what we know as Lent. Today, catechumens and candidates are presented to the bishop of the diocese at the cathedral. The catechumens' names are inscribed in a Book of the Elect, and candidates commit to continuing conversion.
During the period of purification, catechumens participate in several rites during parish liturgies. On the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Sundays of Lent are the scrutinies, during which special prayers are offered for the catechumens, "to uncover, then heal all that is weak, defective, or sinful in the hearts of the elect; to bring out, then strengthen all that is upright, strong, and good" (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults).
During the first Scrutiny or the week afterward, the catechumens are presented with a copy of the Creed. During the Third Scrutiny or the week afterward, they are given a copy of the Lord's Prayer, in accord with ancient tradition in which catechumens were not taught the words to the Lords Prayer until soon before their baptism.
Celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation
In the early Church, the Easter Vigil was the only liturgy of the year in which people joined the Church. This was because at Easter we celebrate Christ's victory over death and our sharing in that victory through baptism. The journey during that all-night vigil was journey from darkness to light, from death to life. This is the journey that new Christians share, as they descend and rise from the waters of baptism, in which they are reborn.
At the Easter Vigil, catechumens are baptized and confirmed; candidates are confirmed. The new Catholics complete their initiation by approaching the Lord's Table for the first time to receive His Body, as full members of His Body at last.
To know more about our enjoyable journey of faith through these sessions please call Fr. Ezurike:
Are there questions unanswered? Are you searching for meaning for your life? What is life? Who am I? What is truth? Is there any way of life that can lead me to the truth? Is there anything unchangeable in this mortal life and changing world?
The Lord will open the door for you through the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA).
Every year, thousands of people are received into the Catholic Church. In years past, inquirers were normally prepared in individual or small group private sessions by a priest and were received at any time of the year.
Nestled between Christmas tree farms, accessible by snakelike winding roads, surrounded by breathtaking, spectacular views of mountains and a horizon the sky appears to be touching, there stands at the intersection of S. Redland and S. Henrici Roads, St. Philip Benizi Catholic Church, radiating holiness of life to the entire countryside.
The Team of Catechists who catechize those who seek the journey of faith in their life is a powerful witnessing. Our teaching method is very captivating with PowerPoint presentations, Jeopardy questions and puzzles. We serve dinner on every first Tuesday of the month at 6pm. Our sessions begin at 7pm, recession at 8pm with cookies, snack and coffee. Class ends at 8:30pm.
The sessions are enriched by liturgical and ritual celebrations. We go on trips to the Monastery of Mount Angel, the Grotto of Our Lady of Sorrows and the cathedral of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception. In 1971, in response to the call of the Second Vatican Council, the Church dramatically revised the process of becoming Catholic. It promulgated what is called the "Rite of Christian Initiation of adults." The RCIA, while new in a sense, was not really new. It was an effort to restore the spirit of early Christianity by emphasizing conversion as a participation in the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ, as well as roles of the praying, witnessing, and teaching Body of Christ; giving support and shape to that journey.
There are four stages in the RCIA:
- the Precatechumanate, or period of inquiry and evangelization;
- the Catechumanate, which is a time of serious and dedicated formation;
- the period of purification and enlightenment, which coincides with Lent; and
- Mystagogy, which lasts from Easter to Pentecost.
The sacraments of Initiation, Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist are celebrated and the Catechumens and Candidates receive these sacraments to be disciples of Jesus in the Catholic Church during the Easter Vigil.
What is a Catechumen?
People involved in the RCIA process are either catechumens or candidates. Catechumens are those who have never been baptized. Candidates are those who have been baptized in other Christian denominations, whose baptism is recognized as valid.
When a person has decided to join the Catholic Church, he or she begins the catechumenate. This begins with a Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens, which is often combined with the Rite of Welcoming for Candidates when there is a mixed group of the unbaptized and the already baptized. This rite occurs at a Sunday parish liturgy.
The catechumens proclaim their readiness to accept the Gospel, and candidates declare their intent to be received into full communion with the Catholic Church. The Catechumens and Candidates are signed with the cross on their forehead, ears, eyes, lips, breast, shoulders, hands and feet as a sign of their readiness to bear witness to Christ with their whole lives. A Bible or Cross is usually given.
The Period of Purification and Enlightenment
In the early Church, baptisms only occurred at Easter, so the weeks before Easter were a focused time of preparation for catechumens. This period evolved into what we know as Lent. Today, catechumens and candidates are presented to the bishop of the diocese at the cathedral. The catechumens' names are inscribed in a Book of the Elect, and candidates commit to continuing conversion.
During the period of purification, catechumens participate in several rites during parish liturgies. On the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Sundays of Lent are the scrutinies, during which special prayers are offered for the catechumens, "to uncover, then heal all that is weak, defective, or sinful in the hearts of the elect; to bring out, then strengthen all that is upright, strong, and good" (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults).
During the first Scrutiny or the week afterward, the catechumens are presented with a copy of the Creed. During the Third Scrutiny or the week afterward, they are given a copy of the Lord's Prayer, in accord with ancient tradition in which catechumens were not taught the words to the Lords Prayer until soon before their baptism.
Celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation
In the early Church, the Easter Vigil was the only liturgy of the year in which people joined the Church. This was because at Easter we celebrate Christ's victory over death and our sharing in that victory through baptism. The journey during that all-night vigil was journey from darkness to light, from death to life. This is the journey that new Christians share, as they descend and rise from the waters of baptism, in which they are reborn.
At the Easter Vigil, catechumens are baptized and confirmed; candidates are confirmed. The new Catholics complete their initiation by approaching the Lord's Table for the first time to receive His Body, as full members of His Body at last.
To know more about our enjoyable journey of faith through these sessions please call Fr. Ezurike:
- Fr. Paschal Ezurike
- Office: (503) 631-2882