If you are interested in joining the Catholic Church as an adult, please contact JohnMark Cayer, Director of Faith Formation, at jcayer@charlestondiocese.org or 864-422-1648, ext. 209.
Why Become Catholic?
You or someone you know might be curious to learn more about the Catholic Faith. Or you might be looking to deepen your relationship with God. Perhaps you were baptized Catholic, but never received the sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation.
For anyone who is interested in full sacramental communion with the Catholic Church, the adult faith program at Our Lady of the Rosary offers the opportunity to learn more. Our adult initiation program helps adults interested in becoming Catholic to decide whether they want to be received into the Catholic Church, and prepares them to be received if they are ready.
What is Adult Faith Formation?
Every year at Easter the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Charleston welcomes hundreds of new members. Most of these new Catholics—just like most new Catholics throughout the world—have undergone a thorough process of spiritual formation and study. This process is called the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, often abbreviated RCIA.
Who is Adult Faith Formation for?
Each person goes through RCIA in a personal, individual way, yet generally there are three categories of adults who go through the process:
- Unbaptized men and women who seek participation in the Church’s sacramental life through Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist.
- Christians baptized in another Christian tradition who seek full communion with the Catholic Church through the sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist.
- Baptized Catholics who have never received the sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist.
How Does Adult Faith Formation Work?
RCIA helps people prepare for initiation into the Catholic Church by exploring questions in several areas:
- Scripture – What does the Bible tell us about God and the relationship God wants with us?
- Teaching – What do Catholics believe about God? About Jesus?
- Prayer – How do I talk to God? Does God speak to me? How?
- Liturgy – Why do Catholics worship the way they do? What deeper meaning do Catholic rituals have?
- Life – Does it make any difference to my life if I’m Catholic? What kind of difference?
How Much Time Is Involved?
The RCIA process is a gradual one, unfolding over a period of months leading up to Easter. There are several aspects to the RCIA program at Our Lady of the Rosary:
- Regular Meetings – RCIA meetings will take place every Wednesday evening.
- Holy Week –The RCIA process culminates with Holy Week and the celebration of the sacraments of initiation at the Easter Vigil.
- Mystagogia –After Easter Sunday, those who have received the sacraments of initiation continue meeting for about a month for “mystagogia,” a time of deepening reflection on the sacramental life they now participate in fully.
Sponsors
The RCIA process relies on sponsors, committed Catholics who build one-on-one relationships with people preparing to enter the Church. Sponsors help those going through the RCIA to grow spiritually and prepare for initiation. If you are interested in acting as a sponsor, please contact JohnMark Cayer, Director of Faith Formation, at jcayer@charlestondiocese.org or 864-422-1648, ext. 209.
Since the goal of the RCIA process is to invite participants to a deeper relationship with Jesus and the Church, Confirmed Catholics who are seeking to better know God and their faith are also welcome!
If you want to learn more about Jesus and His Church, come!