How does one learn more about the Catholic faith and possibly become a Catholic? The process is known by an acronym. (It’s seems that when the Catholic Church can’t find a Latin or a Greek word to confuse people, we turn to acronyms.) RCIA stands for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. It’s modeled upon how the Church received converts in the first centuries of her life.
The process begins with a weekly gathering, which is part class, part discussion. Becoming a Catholic isn’t only about information to be learned. It’s a process of sharing your faith with others in discussion and prayer.
The location of the gathering may move around from year to year, depending upon where the majority of participants come from. RCIA is shared by all three parishes in the cluster, St. Joseph, Immaculate Conception, and Holy Family. Besides parish leaders, the group is composed of those who have never been baptized, those who have been baptized in a denomination other than the Catholic Church, and sponsors, practicing Catholics who are there to support each participant. Typically, participants chose their own sponsor, a Catholic friend or relative.
Of course, one might explore the Catholic faith and decide that one isn’t ready for the change, at least not this year. There is no pressure! You can drop out at any time or stay in the process for more than one year. Around Christmas time each year, a decision is made by each participant about going on to join the Church at Easter or not. During Lent, the six weeks before Easter, there are additional rituals that take place during weekend Masses for those who are joining the Church, especially those who aren’t yet baptized.
There is also a rite, which takes place at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Dodge City with our bishop. It’s a way, in which we remember that we are joining a Church larger than an individual congregation. That’s why Catholics speak of parishes when they refer to local Catholic churches. We’re part of a larger Church called a diocese. Ours covers Southwest Kansas.
An informational meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, September 18th, at 7:00 pm in the church office at Ellinwood. If you would like more information, please contact Curtis Wolf. 785-623-3189 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
