Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
RCIA is the process for initiating adults into the Catholic Church. It is intended for adults who are un-baptized or who have been baptized in other Christian faiths who are seeking full communion with the Catholic Church. Since RCIA is the responsibility of the entire faith community, practicing Catholics can share in the RCIA experience as Sponsors/Godparents, Catechists, Prayer Partners and Team Members.
Sponsors/Godparents accompany, encourage and share their faith journey with their candidates. This includes attending meetings; listening to candidates’ questions, reflections and doubts; sharing their own faith stories; witnessing to the candidates progress; and providing input to the RCIA team. They offer witness and support to their candidates. They accompany them in the various liturgical rites. They show by example how to practice the living Gospel in their personal and social life by walking with their candidate along their spiritual journey and sustaining them in moments of hesitancy and anxiety. They bear witness and guide their candidates’ progress in the baptismal life.
Catechists share the Catholic tradition as they have lived it in this community. They enable candidates to integrate their own personal stories with the Catholic faith stories. As members of the RCIA Team, Catechists help assess the candidates’ progress in their spiritual journey. There are two types of Catechists. Dismissal Catechists facilitate an exploration of the Sunday readings when the candidates are dismissed from Mass before Communion. Extended Catechists present various aspects of Catholic faith and tradition for discussion and reflection at the evening RCIA sessions.
Prayer Partners allow candidates to experience the encouragement and support of our community in a personal way as they journey to the Lord’s Table. Through periodic notes and continuous prayers of their prayer partners, candidates feel special and loved here in God’s family at St. Timothy Church. To be a prayer partner does not require a lot of time, only love, support and prayers.
Team Members are the individuals responsible for implementing RCIA in the parish. The role of Team Members is enabling the whole parish community and representing it to the candidates. Qualities desired in Team members are: welcoming, community builders, searchers & questioners, witnesses to the Gospel, flexible, justice oriented, on a personal conversion journey and prayerful.
For additional information about the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, please contact the Parish Office at 813-968-1077 or joseph.nievesserrano@sainttims.org and you will be contacted.