RCIA adapted for Children

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults adapted for Children is the process through which children over the age of 7 become fully initiated into the Catholic Faith.

• If your child is not baptized or has been baptized in another Christian faith tradition, then this is the class for them and you!
• Anyone older than 7 (the Catholic Church's age of maturity) is considered an adult when it comes to the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist).

This process is a liturgical process, NOT an educational process. Therefore, the length of time a child is in this process is not determined by the calendar, but by the Holy Spirit. Some children will take a single calendar year to complete the process, others may take longer. Since this is a faith journey, there are no "tests" to pass before moving on to the next stage. It is with the leadership of the RCIA team and the guidance of the Holy Spirit that determines the child's readiness to receive the sacraments of initiation, Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist at the Easter Vigil Mass.

This is a family commitment to bring the child with a parent or sponsor to each session. Because parents are the first educators of their children in the faith, parents should be well formed in their faith, too. Through the sessions, you, parents and sponsors, will be forming your own faith as you journey with your child in his or her faith walk. The experience is so very rewarding and beneficial to everyone, we want this to be a process you remember with great joy.

If you and your child are in any of the above mentioned groups, please contact Lisa at  [email protected]  or 823-8145. We are currently forming our RCIA adapted for Children class now.

The RCIA consists of 4 periods or stages:

1. Inquiry – the individual is here to ask questions, get some basic understanding of the foundations of our faith in a classroom setting, begin to make friends and build community, begin to build a relationship with God in prayer. This period culminates in the Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens once the individual is ready to move forward in the process.
2. Catechumenate– the individual has been accepted into the Order of Catechumens and is officially asking to become part of the Catholic Church, this stage includes more directed teachings on the Sacraments especially Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. This period lasts about a year and culminates with the Rite of Election.
3. Purification and Enlightenment – the individual spends about 6 weeks deepening their prayer life, directed by the team, as they work with the promptings of the Holy Spirit to change their lives toward Christ who leads us to the Father in heaven. This period culminates with the reception of the Sacraments of Initiation typically at the Easter Vigil Mass (a special Mass the Saturday evening prior to Easter Sunday).
4. Mystagogy – the individual recognizes the need to fulfill their mission as fully initiated Catholic Christians and the focus during this time is how to live as part of the parish community through ministry and also continue to learn about their faith and the Church.