Adult Baptism (RCIA)

You may be an adult who has never been baptized. Quite possibly you could be a teenager who has never been baptized and a desire has been placed in your heart to want that to happen. You may be a parent who for whatever reason has an older child (7 years and older) and want your child to be baptized. The church has a process that is called the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) that will assist any adult, teen, or older child on a journey of initiation to celebrate the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist.

You may notice that all three Sacraments are mentioned together that will be celebrated, even for a child 7 and older. When an infant or child under 7 years of age is baptized as a Catholic, the sacraments are separated over their years. Typically, after baptism, Eucharist is celebrated in the 2nd Grade. And then Confirmation, in the Diocese of Lafayette, is celebrated once a young person reaches the 11th Grade. Other Dioceses may have a policy for an earlier reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation. Since the Church in the 1970’s reestablished the Adult formation for Baptism with the RCIA, and adult baptism becoming the norm, the sacraments are no longer separated, but all are celebrated at the Easter Vigil.

The process that an adult, teen or older child enters into is not in its essence an academic process with classes to accomplish the task of learning the teachings of the Catholic Church. The RCIA is a process which assists each person to become initiated into a way of life by encountering the person of Jesus Christ. Our faith is not a concept, or precept or doctrine, but a person. The Holy Spirit has placed in your heart a desire to encounter Christ and the Church wants to nurture that desire and strengthen your relationship with the Living Lord. The RCIA is the place for that to happen.

Over the time of the process you will be able to ask your questions, hear the voice of the Lord speaking to you in the scriptures, be supported by the prayers of the St. Basil Church community and receive formal teachings of the Church in the sessions prepared for that to take place. You will continue over the course of the process to discern this call in your life. The Church will assist you through different stages and Rites held within the Sunday worship of the Catholic community. This will be explained to you as you enter the process. For you, the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist) will be celebrated at the Easter Vigil.

Though St. Basil is a small rural community and its resources are not as they may be in a larger parish, the Holy Spirit is manifesting its presence here and we would be honored to assist you where the Holy Spirit is leading you. Please call the office to find out more information. If there are situations that may not allow for the celebration of the sacraments until those situations are resolved, we will accompany you for that to happen as well.

If you are an adult, teen or older child who has already been validly baptized in another Christian Faith and want to continue your life in Christ as a Catholic then the RCIA process would like to welcome you as well. When the time comes you will make a full profession of faith as a Catholic and celebrate the Sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist. This may happen for you at the Easter Vigil, but could also take place at other times during the year. Please call the office.