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Quik-Click
Guide
What is the Rite of Christian
Reception?
Who Participates in the RCRA?
How is the RCRA Organized?
What is the Role of Sponsors in the RCRA?
What You Should Expect in the RCRA?
About Marriage and the RCRA
What is the Role of Discernment in the RCRA?
For More Information
Information About the
Rite of
Christian Reception
of Adults (RCRA)
in the Catholic Parishes in
Waterloo
What is the Rite of Christian Reception?
The Rite of Christian Reception is an experience of personal formation, spiritual growth
and conversion for Christian adults who are interested in jpining the Catholic Church.
The Rite of Reception is
an adaptation of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA).
It is a shorter period of
discernment and preparation which concentrates on the
distinctive characteristics, rituals and teachings of the
Catholic Church.
Individuals participating in the Rite of
Christian Reception meet weekly, generally for a period of about
eight weeks. The Rite of Reception is available several
times during the calendar year and usually concludes with a
profession of faith and celebration of First Eucharist and/or
Confirmation during a Sunday Mass in the local parish.
Participants in the Rite of Reception are
assigned a guide, a member of the Catholic faith
community who will accompany them on their journey through the
reception process.
Who Participates in the RCRA?
The Rite of Christian Reception of Adults is designed for adults
who have been baptized in another mainline Christian
denomination, have been fully catechized in that tradition, and
have been practicing regularly in that Christian tradition.
The Rite of Christian Reception presumes that candidates have
experienced a conversion into the Christian faith, and are
comfortable participating in a Christian faith community.
For the Current RCRA Schedule
click here
How is RCRA organized?
Catechetical Sessions
The RCRA consists of eight catechetical sessions designed to
help candidates understand what is distinctive and special about
the Catholic Christian tradition.
The catechetical sessions are designed to address
the particular needs, questions and concerns of each
participant. There is an opportunity for questions and
discussion, often in small groups or one-on-one.
The process will always respect the privacy and
personal comfort level of each participant. Issues and
concerns which cannot be discussed in the general session can be
addressed in private with a sponsor or a member of the parish
staff.
Breaking Open the Word
RCRA participants may also participate in Breaking
Open the Word, which takes place each week during or after
Sunday Mass in the local parish. Breaking Open the Word
is a continuing opportunity to discuss the Sunday scripture
readings and the participants’ personal journey of faith.
What is the Role of Sponsors in the RCRA Process?
Sponsors play an important role in the initiation process. They
remind us that we are engaged in a process of conversion, which
involves human persons, and we are being initiated into a
faith community of human persons. RCRA sponsors
represent the faith community; they insure that no human person
walks the journey of conversion on their own. introduces the candidate to other
members of the faith community, and invites the candidate to
participate in community activities.
Every individual who celebrates a sacrament of initiation in the
Catholic Church chooses a Sacramental Sponsor.
RCRA Sponsors may serve as Sacramental Sponsors if they meet the
criteria outlined below; however, candidates do not have to
choose their RCRA Sponsor as their Sacramental Sponsor.
Sacramental Sponsors must meet the following criteria:
• Must be at least 16 years old.
• Must be a baptized Catholic who has also celebrated the
Sacrament of
Confirmation.
• Should be participating as fully as possible in the spiritual
and sacramental life
of the Catholic church.
• Should be an individual the candidate admires and respects as
a good role
model of Christian living.
• May be of either gender.
• May be a relative or friend, but may not be the candidate’s
birth-parent.
• As a general rule should not be the candidate’s spouse or
fiance.
• May be the candidate’s Baptism Sponsor (Godparent) if the
candidate was
baptized as a Catholic.
Here are some questions a candidate might consider when
choosing a
sponsor or
companion:
•
Is this a person of faith? Is he or she actively involved in
the spiritual and
sacramental life of the Catholic faith
community?
• Is this a person whose life is a good example of the Christian
values and virtues
which you will try to imitate?
• Are prayer, service, and commitment a real part of this
person’s everyday life?
• Has this person grown in his or her own faith over the years?
Has he or she
struggled to understand the effort, maturity,
commitment and doubt which an
adult commitment to Jesus Christ
entails?
• Is this person able and willing to share his or her faith
experience with me? Am
I able and willing to share my faith
experience with this person?
• Is this person able and willing to help me feel welcome in the
Catholic faith
community and help me grow in my participation in
the Catholic Church?
• Is this person reliable and trustworthy? Can I depend on him
or her to fulfil the
responsibilities of a sponsor or companion
and to respect my privacy and
confidentiality?
What Should You Expect if You Participate
in the RCRA?
If you participate in the RCRA process you should
expect to grow in your understanding of the Catholic faith and
to deepen your own personal spiritual life, even if you choose
not to become Catholic.
You should also expect:
• to be treated with respect, understanding and confidentiality.
• to have your questions, concerns, doubts and fears
respectfully considered and
fully addressed.
• to have any previous religious or spiritual experience
carefully respected.
• to never be surprised by any aspect of the RCRA process, and
to be fully
informed about expectations and opportunities for
participation in the Catholic
faith community.
• to make your own free choice about participation in the RCRA
and/or
membership in the Catholic Church.
• to be guided, encouraged and supported in discerning your
decision, and
explaining your choice to family and friends.
• to be warmly and sincerely welcomed by members of the Catholic
faith
community.
About Marriage and
the RCRA
According to Catholic teaching,
an individual is
not free to marry unless any previous marriage has been
annulled. In most cases, this also applies to any previous
marriage of a non-Catholic partner.
Individuals who have divorced and remarried may
enter the RCRA process, but must have their previous
marriage annulled and their second marriage validated before
they celebrate initiation in the Catholic Church.
Individuals who have divorced but not remarried
may enter the RCRA process and celebrate initiation in
the Catholic Church. They must have their previous
marriage annulled before entering a second marriage.
An "annulment" (or Declaration of Nullity)
by a church tribunal declares that a particular marriage did not
meet the Church's criteria for a full, permanent sacramental
marriage because one or both partners were unable to understand
or unwilling to fulfil the requirements for such a marriage
relationship.
Click here
for more information about a Decree of Invalidity
You should clarify your marital status with
the pastoral staff before you begin participation in the RCRA.
What is the Role of Discernment in the RCRA?
Life is full of decisions. And there is never a guarantee that
the decisions we make will for sure be the right decisions.
However, we can be open to a posture of decision-making that
reflects a God-focus. We can enter into a process of
discernment, which is a particularly appropriate kind of
decision-making for an individual participating in the Rite of
Christian Reception.
Discernment
is
not a foolproof set of directions one follows to come to the
perfect solution. Rather, it is a surrender into a process of
coming to fuller self-knowledge and responding out of that
experience. While the practical judgement made is of definite
value, it is the whole process of trust and surrender that is of
definite value. We can never know if the decisions we make are
“right” decisions because we see now “only as in a glass
darkly.” However, we can know we make a “good” decision if we
have been faithful to the demands of the discernment process.
What Discernment is
Not
•
Discernment does not occur only through gut-level responses such
as feelings
or emotions. Affectivity, however integrated,
cannot be the sole criterion for
decision.
• Discernment does not in essence happen through a systematic
and logical
process. It is more than decision-making. It is an
adventure that faces the
mystery of God's stirrings.
• Discernment usually does not occur through private revelations
to an individual.
Private revelations are prone to
self-deception and therefore need the
community's confirmation.
Guidelines for Discernment
•
Discernment is the art of finding meaning in our daily lived
lives, as it reflects
God's revelation. It is not about seeing
new things, but seeing things in a new
way.
• Often we can discern the ways of God by using common sense
supported by
informed and prudent judgment, but sometimes we
overextend our competence,
and therefore blind ourselves to the
need for further investigation and
consultation.
• Discernment is a holistic process which involves the
intellect, psychological
state, affectivity, spiritual,
volitional and physical. All elements of our embodied
person
can play a role in offering cues.
• One can approach the process of discernment with confidence
that God will
guide us in our faithful searching. Such a level
of trust presumes a developing
relationship between us and God.
• We must be comfortable with the possibility of a wrong
decision, but if we are
faithful to the process of discernment,
we can rest in the certitude of a good
decision, knowing that
God will use whatever our falterings are to bring about
good.
• Discernment occurs in God's time (kairos), the
appointed time, the time that
best serves the building of God's
reign. It is not calculated and cannot be
measured, except in
terms of fidelity. It takes trust to allow God's time to
emerge, to know the right moment and not to rush.
• Discernment leads us to a sense of detachment -- the ability
to remove
ourselves enough to be able to accept whatever is
asked of us. Such
detachment teaches us to make room to welcome
whatever is given, to accept
all as gift.
• Discernment requires obedience and surrender.
Obedience means truly
listening to the words of life, and then
responding. Surrender means turning
over private expectations
and desires for the greater gift that we can receive if
we open
our hearts to God.
Four steps or “movements” characterize the discernment process:
Deliberation
Deliberation includes acquiring the necessary information to
make an informed decision, honestly assessing our current
situation, and envisioning new possibilities. It requires
exploring all sides, weighing the pros and cons, and considering
all of the possibilities.
There are two forms of deliberation which are necessary for
discernment: First, we need to consult with ourselves.
We need to seriously consider our gifts and our limitations.
Second, we need to consult with others. We need someone who is
objective and leaves us free to make our own decisions, even if
they are poor decisions.
During this stage of the discernment process, we should ask
ourselves:
• Am I open to consult other persons in this process?
• Do I consult with legitimate authorities -- people who know me
well -- for
feedback and direction?
• Do I make time for silence and solitude in this discernment
process?
• Do I make time to pray during this discernment process?
Reflection
There are
also two types of reflection. The first type assumes certain
expectations. We have already make up our minds, and have
decided what we will discover. Such reflection does not lead to
honest discernment. The second type of reflection opens us to
the truth in whatever way it emerges. We do not protect
ourselves from the uncomfortable. We allow the issues and ideas
raised during deliberation to work from the inside out. We
listen, slowly and respectfully. This kind of reflection
requires a certain level of disinterested involvement -- we give
ourselves over to the process, without deciding ahead of time
what the result will be.
During this stage of the discernment process, we should ask
ourselves:
• Where is God for me in all of this?
• How does this relate to my life in my family, among friends,
within my
community or work?
• In what ways will my decision promote Christian love and
Christian values?
• What is the most response-able course to take?
Insight
Insight
emerges slowly and gradually, as we purge ourselves of the
desire to “short-cut” the discernment process. When we give
ourselves over to the discernment process, we open ourselves to
whatever insights might emerge on a deeper level where images
are being transformed, our experiences reinforced, and our
awareness of ourselves is being clarified. Insight emerges
through a birthing process; it is a gift of the Spirit.
During this stage of the discernment process, we should ask
ourselves:
• Have I made time to let all of this settle down and to seep
into my being?
• How do the insights which emerge relate to my lived experience
and my
relationship to God?
• Is there a sense of inner peace and quiet with the choice
which is emerging?
• Can I honestly say that this decision “fits” with my true
sense of myself?
Decision and Action
After
prayerful reflection and consultation, we can come to a posture
of liberation and hence a decision. This decision will affirm
and promote the gifts we have been given for building up the
reign of God. We should resolve to follow the decision which
emerges through the process of discernment, until evidence
presents itself that the decision needs to be reevaluated. We
can trust the presence of the Spirit in the decision which
emerges through our discernment when it leads to a fuller
expression of the gifts of the Spirit: love, joy, peace,
patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control
(cf. Galatians 5:22-23).
[Adapted from Thomas H. Morris, The RCIA--Transforming the
Church.
©1997 by Paulist Press.]
• • •
For More Information
Members of the Catholic parishes in Waterloo will
welcome your questions. Our pastors and parish staff are
eager to discuss your interest in the Catholic Church and to
answer any questions or concerns you may have about joining the
Catholic Church.
For information about the Rite of Christian
Reception of Adults
contact one of these Catholic Parishes in
Waterloo:
Blessed Sacrament Community
319-233-6179
Queen of Peace Parish
319-266-3655
Sacred Heart Parish
319-234-8394
St. Edward Parish
319-233-8060
or contact:
Director of Adult
Formation
320 Mulberry Street, Waterloo IA 50703
Phone: 319-234-9912
Email: DBQ208s3@arch.pvt.k12.ia.us
Posted 01.08
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Last Update 08.08.08 |