RCIA
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is the process of spiritual and educational formation through which adults become fully initiated members of the Roman Catholic Church.
What is RCIA?
Formally Speaking RCIA is the Rite of Christian Initiation For Adults. It is the process by which new members are brought or otherwise fully initiated into the life of the Church. It is a program of prayer, conversion, learning, and faith sharing. In addition to RCIA sessions, participants will be encouraged to engage in the various faith and service opportunities and the very life of the Parish.
If you simply are interested in learning more about the Church, feel free to attend as many sessions as you like, but we do ask that you do register. If you have been Catholic for years and simply want a refresher on some of the basics, please feel free to attend. If you are a part of the parish and want to meet and welcome inquirers you too are most welcome to attend.
RCIA at Saint Clement
RCIA at Saint Clement is offered year-round. What this means is that at any point in the year new inquirers can enter into this process of formation. All new inquirers will undergo a beginning program which will be focused on forming their understanding of prayer, their relationship with God, and the Church. When they are ready, they will move to a second phase of training in the life of Christ as it is lived out in the Church. This second phase will intensify the teaching and formational aspects of this program, but will never be divorced from seeking to deepen the inquirer’s relationship with God and the parish family of Saint Clement. After this second phase, when the person and parish discern, and following a final period of prayer akin to a retreat, the person is formally fully initiated into the Church.
The program, while done in groups, will be adjusted to the individual’s needs. The program will last as long as that person needs it to be, and the person will be initiated when they and the Church discern they are ready. The Easter Vigil, the celebration of the great mystery of Christ’s Passion Death and Resurrection has a primacy of place for reception, and persons to be baptized would ordinarily be received in at the Easter Vigil. That said, there will be other times throughout the year, when baptized persons, and as circumstances demand- unbaptized persons, will be initiated, as they are ready.
Sponsors
Sponsors of RCIA candidates are individuals who will journey with the inquirer through the process until they are baptized and/or confirmed. Sponsors should be fully initiated in the Christian life, who are open to sharing their faith with the inquirer. They must be over 16 and may not be the inquirer’s parent. If you are an inquirer, and do not have someone who would make a good sponsor, there are several parishioners who are very open to being sponsors. Sponsors are encouraged to attend RCIA meetings as they are able.
Cost is free
Meetings
Meetings are held on Mondays beginning April 8 from 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
If you need to miss a meeting
Missing a meeting will happen, do not worry. Just pick up the next week.
Upcoming dates to note
June 23, 2024 at the 11:15 a.m. Mass we will celebrate the Rite of Acceptance into the Catechumenate for those seeking baptism, the Rite of Welcome for those already baptized who seek to join the Church or baptized Catholics seeking to complete initiation through the sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist. Please hold these seekers, their sponsors and our RCIA team in your prayers.
August 18, 2024 at the 11:15 a.m. Mass we will celebrate the Rite of Election. This is the second step in the process of Christian Initiation which is called both election and enrollment of names. This closes the period of the Catechumenate (which began with the Rite of Acceptance into the Catechumenate). This marks the final more intense preparation for the sacraments of initiation: baptism, confirmation and Eucharist.
The Church judges their state of readiness on the testimony of their sponsors and catechists and decides on their advancement toward the sacraments of initiation. The Church “elects” them, choosing them, to move forward in these final preparations. This step is called “election” because the acceptance made by the Church is founded on their election by God, in whose name the Church acts.
This step is also called the “enrollment of names” because as a pledge of fidelity the elect inscribe their names in the book that lists those who have been chosen for initiation.
Bishop Jeffrey Grob will preside at our parish celebration. This rite usually takes place in the Cathedral at the beginning of lent. However, our RCIA members will receive the sacraments on October 6 at the 11:15 a.m. Mass. Bishop Grob has graciously accepted Fr. Peter’s invitation to celebrate this rite in our community.
On September 14, 2024 at the 5:00 pm Mass, 2 members will be initiated.
On October 6, 2024 at 11:15 a.m. Mass we will celebrate their full initiation into the Church for the rest of our members.
Learn more
Read weekly update here from our RCIA/OCIA Coordinators - Fr. Brett Williams and Ed Harasim, OCIA Coordinators
Contact Us Below For More Information
Pray for the Elect and our Candidates
FALL 2024: We invite you to join us as we pray for the Elect and our candidates, the 25 women and men participating in our RCIA program. Some are receiving the three sacraments of initiation: Baptism, Confirmation and Communion. Persons baptized in other Christian communities are being received into the Catholic Church and receiving Confirmation and Communion. Baptized Catholics are completing their sacraments of Confirmation and Communion.
Let us pray for them as they continue this special journey with us in our family of faith. Below we share their names and the sacraments to be received:
Preparing for Baptism, Confirmation and Communion
Whitney Barr
Cindy Bywaters
Angeli Carranza
Kirk Kicklighter
Eileen Nguyen
Preparing to be received into the Catholic Church, Confirmation, Communion
Brooke Baran
William David Bywaters
Rachael Franko
Lynne Galante
Andrew Hass
Ryan Kain
Riley Malloy
Brittney Orman
Jason Smith
Completing Sacrament of Initiation: Confirmation, Communion
Kristina Kathleen Chapple
Mary Cheryl Deming DeMars
Fabrizio Giovannini Filho
Nicholas Kirkpatrick
Logan Lillie
Alexander Moran
Valeria Otalora
Justin Guerra Pokorney
Regina Marie Rendon
Cesar Riano Rincon
Delaney Thomas