The RCIA Process in More Depth

The RCIA process allows you to explore whether God is calling you to express your faith in the Catholic tradition or not. It involves several stages meant to formalize where you are in your journey to discerning the answer to your questions.

The first stage of the RCIA is the Period of Inquiry. This is a time for you to learn about Catholicism at your own pace and in your own way. In fact, by having gotten to this page, you are probably already in the Period of Inquiry. There is no formal "rite" to celebrate the beginning of this stage. It happens in various ways and various times in our lives. It is a cumulative process, and you could say that it begins at our birth, when we were created in God's image, and when we started our journey towards discerning who God created us to be. During this stage, you are referred to as an "inquirer," and you can be in this stage for many years or just a few weeks depending on how God is calling you.

The second stage of the RCIA is the Period of Catechumenate, and is for those who are ready to engage in their exploration more fully. The term "catechumenate" has a greek origin, meaning a time of learning and study. This is a time for you to more formally learn about Catholicism, and the pace is more defined so that you can learn in an orderly fashion. This learning takes in two ways: formal presentations and exploring how to apply the Bible to our life situations. The beginning of this stage is marked by the Rite of Acceptance. During this stage you are referred to as a "catechumen" or "candidate," and you are typically in this stage for a few months as the basic beliefs of Catholicism are explored.

The third stage of the RCIA is the Period of Purification and Enlightenment, and is for those who have decided that they do indeed want to become a Catholic Christian. After making this decision, a period of preparation for full initiation into the Church takes place. The formal presentations trail off, and, increasingly, learning takes place by exploring God's word, the Bible. The beginning of this stage is marked by the Rite of Election where like-minded people from the Archdiocese of Chicago (Lake and Cook counties) gather to celebrate their decision to elect Catholic Christianity as the tradition by which they will engage with God. Additional rites, called the Scrutinies, lead to a crescendo at the Rite of Initiation on the evening before Easter, also called The Great Easter Vigil. During this stage you are referred to as the "elect" or "candidate," and you are typically in this stage for a few weeks.

The fourth stage of the RCIA is the Period of Mystagogia, and is for those who have recently been fully initiated into the Catholic Church. After the Rite of Initiation, a period of "learning through being" prepares you for living a life fully engaged with God. Having journeyed from the awareness of stirring of faith and curiosity within one's heart, this is the time to determine how you will live a life of faith, love, and justice lived in communion with God's people throughout the world. During this stage, you are referred to as a "neophyte" (or one who is "newly planted"), and you are in this stage for a few weeks as you leave the formality of the RCIA process and begin the informal and lifelong journey to live out your Catholic Christian faith.