Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), or Ordo Initiationis Christianae Adultorum (OICA) is a process developed by the Catholic Church for prospective converts to Catholicism who are above the age of infant baptism. Candidates are gradually introduced to aspects of Catholic beliefs and practices. The basic process applies to adults and older children, with younger children initiated through an adapted version sometimes incorrectly referred to as the Rite of Christian Initiation of Children (RCIC).

Note that this article has been written primarily to describe the Rite as established in the United States; it will not necessarily reflect the details of the Rite as developed by other Bishops' Conferences, for instance in England and Wales, in Australia or in Scotland.

According to William Harmless, S.J., (1953-2014), when in 1972 the Vatican promulgated the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) it showed unexpected radicalism. The true goal of the document was a reversion of a thousand years of initiatory practice and attitude of the Western Church. Ralph Keifer described it as a liturgical revolution, "under the aegis of an ecumenical council, with the approval of the Roman see, and over the signature of the Roman pontiff, the primary rites of initiation . . . have been turned upside down and inside out, heralding a cry to begin a reform and renewal of the most radical sort.” William Harmless pointed out that the whole project can be easily tamed, watered down, or ignored as it introduces things radically different from many of the Church's inherited liturgical, pastoral, and catechetical habits. He notices also that the document gives only the barest outline and needs to be completed by a thorough research of the practice of the Fathers of the Church who were experts in the field of Christian initiation.

The ideal is for there to be a RCIA process available in every Roman Catholic parish. Those who want to join a RCIA group should aim to attend one in the parish where they live.

For those who join a RCIA process it is a period of reflection, prayer, instruction, discernment, and formation. There is no set timetable and those who join the process are encouraged to go at their own pace, taking as much time as they need. Although the average process generally takes between eight and twelve months, it can take up to two or more years for some individuals. Those who enter the process are expected to begin attending Mass on a Sunday, attend a weekly RCIA session, and to become increasingly involved in the activities of their local parish.

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