St Martha Catholic Church RCIA

37200 Whitewood Rd.
Murrieta, CA  92563

Meeting Time: 7pm to 9pm on Thursdays
Phone: (951) 698-8180, Email deaconpatnecerato@gmail.com
Director: Deacon Patrick Necerato

Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults

RCIA is for Adults who are:

Unbaptized
Baptized in a Christian Faith
Baptized Catholic but need to receive the Sacraments of Confirmation and/or Eucharist

RCIA is an Invitation to Journey:

RCIA is a process of becoming fully initiated into the Catholic Christian faith.
RCIA stands for Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.
    º  'Rite' because initiation into the Catholic Church happens during Liturgies (Masses) in the context of the parish's faith community.
    º  Initiation consists of three Sacraments - Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation.
    º  For adults these sacraments are celebrated once a year during the Easter Season.

RCIA is not:

a Bible study
a therapy group
a class
an encounter group
a sensitivity training group

RCIA is:

a process of growing in the Catholic Christian faith, based on theological principles;
each person is led by God on his/her spiritual journey;
shared reflection on the action of God in one's own life;
serving our union with Christ and thereby one another;
entire process is seen as prayer - listening to the word of God in Scripture and in each other's experiences;
praying together;
reflecting on Scriptures;
people gathering to share their faith stories;
a place to 'come and see' if you are interested in becoming a part of the faith community at St. Martha Catholic parish;
growing in our individual relationships with the Lord Jesus; and supporting each other in living out the Christian faith as Catholics.

There are Four Elements or Periods in the process:

Inquiry - A time of introduction to the Gospel and reflection on one's life in the light of the Gospel. A person may enter at anytime during the year. Transition to the Catechumenate is through the Rite of Welcome and Acceptance that is celebrated at various times throughout the year.
Catechumenate - The catechumens (those not yet baptized) and the candidates (the others) enter a period of fuller participation in the community through the study of the Sunday Scripture readings and their message. Transition to the period of Purification and Enlightenment is through the rites of Sending and Election on the 1st Sunday of Lent.
Purification and Enlightenment - The candidates and catechumens, now termed The Elect' begin a more intense period leading up to the Easter Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil). During the Easter Octave, those who are to be baptized are baptized, those who come from other Christian churches make a profession of faith, and all three groups are Confirmed and receive their First Holy Communion. From this point the newly baptized are known as 'neophytes'.
Mystagogy - Between Easter and Pentecost the neophytes examine the meaning of the Rites they have experienced and enter more deeply into the mystery of the Christian life.

There are three different gatherings throughout the process

For those looking into the Catholic Church: Catholic Inquiry Sessions

These gatherings are for those in the initial stages of learning about the Catholic faith and/or those who are thinking about joining the Church. The format is informal and is based on questions that arise each month. Friends and spouses are always welcome.

For those asking to join the Church or complete their initiation: Catechumenate

The Catechumenate (cata-cume-men-et) consists of weekly gatherings for those who have made the decision to join the Catholic faith, or for those who have been baptized Catholic and wish to complete their initiation through the Sacraments of Eucharist and/or Confirmation.

During the Catechumenate, we attend Sunday Mass as a group then meet on Thursday evenings, or Wednesdays for other parish activities. Unbaptized candidates may spend 1-2 years in the Catechumenate group. The length of time in the Catechumenate group for baptized candidates depends on the amount of adult faith formation they have had on their journey thus far. Each candidate is expected to journey towards full initiation in the Catholic Church in their own time frame and will celebrate the Sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist, and/or Confirmation when they feel ready and when others have validated this decision.

A full day retreat prior to the beginning of Lent and several special spiritual experiences where each person is able to spend quiet time with God.

For more information, see the RCIA FAQ