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Sunday Evenings at 7:30 p.m.
Download Schedule
Welcome to RCIA, the Rite of Christian Initiation
for Adults, at the Newman Catholic Student Center. RCIA is the process of
becoming a Catholic, a restoration of the ancient process by which adults
entered into full communion with the Catholic Church. We believe that your
decision to look into RCIA is your response to an invitation from Jesus. If your
heart and mind are open, the Lord will help you to know Him better and to grow
in knowledge of His Church. Our prayer is that you will find in the Church a
spiritual home, a place to grow in God’s grace.
The community of Christ the Teacher parish is thankful for your presence among
us. You bear witness to our own faith journeys, and we are walking with you. It
is helpful to think of RCIA as a process, not a program, and one that involves
the whole parish. Your presence among us at the Rites reminds us (from the
cradle Catholic to the newly initiated) of our own identity and why we are
Catholic.
Sponsors: Your sponsor’s role is to support you in your formation and to
help welcome you into the Church. S/he should be someone with whom you feel
comfortable praying and sharing your faith life. Sponsors also must be
practicing Catholics in canonically valid marriages and receiving Communion
licitly. If you don’t have a sponsor, don’t worry -- there are volunteers at the
Newman Center who love to serve as sponsors in RCIA!
Gatherings: We will meet each Sunday from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Sponsors are
welcome and encouraged to attend. Sponsors must attend on the following days:
Sunday October 24 (Rite of Acceptance), Sunday March 13 (Rite of Election in
Rockford), Sunday April 10 (Reconciliation Service), and of course Holy Saturday
April 23 (the Easter Vigil Mass).
Documents: For those baptized in the Catholic Church or in another
Christian faith tradition, we will need a copy of your baptism certificate.
Write or call the church at which you were baptized and ask them to send you a
copy.
Cost: There is a $20 charge to cover the purchase of The Catechism of the
Catholic Church. This is the only fee that will be asked of you during the
entire RCIA process.
Please feel free to contact
Maria Alderson or
Fr. del Toro with questions or
concerns at any time in the RCIA process. Office phone: 1-815-787-7770
Fr. del Toro – frdeltoro@newmanniu.org (x 28 at Newman)
Maria Alderson – mariaalderson@comcast.net (x23 at Newman)
RCIA 2009-2010 Sunday
Schedule
(red = sponsors must
attend)
All Sunday gatherings begin with class at 7:30 p.m. followed by Mass as a group
at 9 p.m. (one exception: Sunday March 13 - Rite of Election in Rockford at 4
p.m., meet at Newman at 2 p.m.)
Precatechumenate
The first stage of RCIA is a time of reflection, discovery, and first hearing
the message of the Gospel. It ends with the Rite of Acceptance into the order of
catechumens at which you declare your intent to be received into full communion
with the Church.
Sun Sep 19: Intro to RCIA and Why Be Catholic? (handouts)
Sun Sep 26: The Profession of Faith: Who is God? This is Our Faith
chapters 1-2
Sun Oct 3: The Profession of Faith: Who is Jesus? (Part 1) This is Our
Faith chapter 3
Sun Oct 10: The Profession of Faith: Who is Jesus? (Part 2) This is
Our Faith chapter 4
Sun Oct 17: The Profession of Faith; The Holy Spirit, The Trinity, and The
People of God. This is Our Faith chapters 5-6
Sun Oct 24: The Profession of Faith; Understanding the Church. This is
Our Faith chapter 7,8,9. Rite of Acceptance at Mass
(practice at 8:30)
Catechumenate Period
Following the Rite of Acceptance, the Catechumenate Period is a time to be
“brought to maturity” in the faith through more intense catechesis in church
doctrine and teaching. This period can last years (for us, it’s Oct. 24 to Mar
13). It ends with the Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion at the
cathedral in Rockford on the first Sunday of Lent.
Sun Oct 31: The Profession of Faith: Mary and the Saints. This is Our Faith
chapter 10
Sun Nov 7: The Profession of Faith: Heaven, Hell, Purgatory, Judgement. This is
Our Faith chapter 11
Sun Nov 14: Celebration of the Christian Mystery: A Walk through the Mass.
This is Our Faith chapter 12
Sun Nov 21: Celebration of the Christian Mystery: Baptism and Confirmation.
This is Our Faith chapter 13
Sun Nov 28: Thanksgiving weekend; no RCIA
Sun Nov 21: Celebration of the Christian Mystery: The Eucharist. This is Our
Faith chapter 14
CHRISTMAS BREAK
Catechumenate Period continued
Sun Jan 23: Celebration of the Christian Mystery: Reconciliation and Anointing.
This is Our Faith chapter 15, Minor rite of exorcism
Sun Jan 30: Celebration of the Christian Mystery: Holy Orders and Matrimony
This is Our Faith chapter 16. Blessing of the catechumens.
Sun Feb 6: Life in Christ: Catholic Morality. This is Our Faith chapter
17. Anointing of the catechumens.
Sun Feb 13: Life in Christ: Catholic Social Justice This is Our Faith
chapter 18. Presentation of the Lord's Prayer
Sun Feb 20: Life in Christ: The Call to Holiness and the First Three
Commandments. This is Our Faith chapter 19-20. Presentation of the Creed.
Sun Feb 27: Life in Christ: The Last Seven CommandmentsThis is Our Faith
chapter 21.
Sun Mar 6: Lent. Rite of Sending.
Sun Mar 13: Rite of Election at St. Peter Cathedral
in Rockford at 4 p.m. (no evening class; Mass on your own)
Period of Purification and Enlightenment
During the weeks before Easter we prepare ourselves to enter into the mystery of
the passion, death and resurrection of the Lord through fasting, prayer, and
almsgiving. The Purification and Enlightenment period in the early Church
evolved into what we now know as Lent. “It is a time to uncover and heal all
that is weak, defective, or sinful in the hearts of the elect; to bring out,
then strengthen all that is upright, strong and good” (Rite of Christian
Initiation 141).
Sun Mar 20: Spring Break; no class.
Sun Mar 27: Prayer in the Catholic Tradition. This is Our Faith
chapter 22
Sun Apr 3: Prayer in the Catholic Tradition. First Scrutiny.
Sun Apr 10: Prepare for Confession. Second Scrutiny
Sun Apr 17: Palm Sunday: Reconciliation
Service; Third Scrutiny
Sat April 23: Holy Saturday
9:30 a.m. Bagels and Coffee, Prayer, Preparation
Rites
11 a.m. Rehearsal for Mass
1 p.m. Lunch
1:30 p.m. Break for resting and getting dressed
up
6:30 p.m. Pictures and Early Seating
7:10 p.m. Line up for Procession
7:30 p.m. Easter Vigil Mass
10 p.m. Reception
Sun May 1: Mystagogy; Sacrament
Certificates
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