RCIA at christ the king

Christ the King is always in the process of inviting, preparing, and initiating those who express their desire to share in our communion. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is the process by which adults prepare for the sacraments of initiation -- baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist -- and become full members of the Catholic Church.

To talk to someone about the RCIA at Christ the King church, contact Jon Stotts at jon.stotts@ctk-nashville.org or 615-777-8910.

The structure and duration of this preparation depends on your religious background. Backgrounds vary widely, but you will generally fall into one of two categories:

Catechumens

• Catechumens are those who never been baptized and seek to join the Catholic Church through baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist.
• We celebrate the intitiation of catechumens once a year at the Easter vigil. Unbaptized persons must begin the process of discernment at least one full year before they are initiated. 

Candidates for Full Reception

• Candidates for full reception are those who have been baptized in another Christian tradition and seek full communion with the Catholic Church.
• Because we honor the dignity of all Christian baptism, baptized candidates usually do not require the same lengthy period of formation that characterizes the preparation of the unbaptized.
• Christ the King recieves baptized candidates into full communion with the Church three to four times a year. Whenever a sufficient number of inquirers are ready to take the next step, we celebrate a rite of welcoming. This begins a four-five month formation process that culminates in the celebration of reception, confirmation, and Eucharist.

All RCIA inquiry and formation sessions currently take place virtually via ZOOM. 

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is the process by which adults prepare for the sacraments of initiation -- baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist -- and become full members of the Catholic Church.

The process of becoming Catholic proceeds in four stages. Passage from one stage to the next is marked by a specific rite, a ceremony that is part of the public prayer (liturgy) of the Church. In order, these stages are:

1. Inquiry

2. Catechumenate

3. Purification and Enlightenment

4. Mystagogy

INQUIRY

Those who are discerning whether or not to become Catholic are in the stage of Inquiry. Since inquiry begins when you first start wondering about the Catholic Church, you might have been here for awhile. This is the time to begin attending Sunday Mass regularly, to get to know some Catholics, and to familiarize yourself with our faith and practice. 

It's important not to rush this stage. We encourage all inquirers to take their time to discern whether becoming Catholic is the best thing for them to undertake at the present moment. Some helpful signs that you might find yourself happy in the Catholic Church include the following:

• You feel drawn to the person, works, and teachings of Jesus Christ.
• Attending Mass each Sunday has become a foundational part of your week, and you find yourself nourished and strengthened by participating in our common worship.
• You turn regularly to God in prayer.
• You have a sense of how becoming Catholic might affect your personal, family, social, and work relationships.
• You have no serious reservations about affirming the major points of Catholic teaching and practice in your words and your actions.

To help you with this, we offer weekly Sunday inquiry sessions. These sessions provide a space for you to ask questions, to hear from others who are on similar journeys, and to get used to sharing your own faith experience. These sessions also help us get to know you, which becomes important as we chart the best way forward for you. 

Our Sunday inquiry sessions take place from 10-11am on Sunday morning in the Cursillo room, just down from the parish hall where coffee and donuts take place. These sessions only take place when when we know inquirers will be present, so if you would like to attend an inquiry session, please contact Jon Stotts at jon.stotts@ctk-nashville.org or 615.777.8910. 

CATECHUMENATE

• have provided documented evidence of baptism (unless unbaptized).
• have no serious reservations about Catholic teaching and practice.
• have been matched with a suitable sponsor who will accompany them for the duration of their formation.

RCIA formation sessions for catechumens and candidates take place on Sunday evenings after the 6:00pm Mass from 7:15pm-8:30pm. These sessions offer a space for prayer, faith sharing, and catechetical instruction.  In addition, all are encouraged to participate in parish activities and ministries as an apprenticeship in the Catholic way of life.
 

PURIFICATION AND ENLIGHTENMENT 

MYSTAGOGY

To find out more about the RCIA at Christ the King church, contact Jon Stotts at jon.stotts@ctk-nashville.org or 615-777-8910.

The catechumenate is an extended period during which the candidates are given suitable pastoral formation and guidance, aimed at training them in the Christian life (RCIA 75)

The Four RCIA Trainings
There are four trainings that must take place during your time in the RCIA:

1. Catechetical training -- understanding what the Church teaches, and more importantly, deepening your wonder at the mystery of how God is saving the world in Christ
2. Spiritual training -- living the Christian life more deeply through regular prayer, personal authenticity, and loving service to others
3. Liturgical training – learning how to participate in the community’s acts of prayer and worship
4. Apostolic training – working actively with others to spread the Gospel and build up the Church

Note that only some of these trainings take place on Sundays. For the rest, we invite you to rely on the help of your sponsor, the wider resources of the Church, and your own growing awareness of God’s guidance in your life. 

RCIA Formation Sessions

• Sunday catechetical sessions take place virtually over Zoom on Wednesday evenings from 7:00-8:30pm for all catechumens, candidates, sponsors (spouses are welcome too). This is where much of your catechetical training takes place.
• Optional opportunities for additional formation may be offered at the parish or on Zoom (i.e. a practical session on how to go to confession; a discussion of natural family planning with other parishioners).
• Weekly emails will provide information about the next formation session, including the assigned reading, catechist, additional resources, and upcoming RCIA and parish events.

• To support you in prayer
• To provide a sponsor to accompany you on your journey
• To offer you opportunities to participate in parish life, ministries, and service
• To initiate you into the Catholic Church when you are ready
• To follow up with you with opportunities for mystagogy after you are initiated

• Attending Mass each week, unless COVID-19 related issues, sickness, or serious conflict prevents you
• Practicing daily prayer
• Attending all RCIA rites and retreats
• Attending all RCIA sessions, unless sickness or serious conflict prevents you
• Setting aside time each week to prepare for the RCIA session through reading and reflection
• Checking in with your sponsor outside of the RCIA session at least every two weeks
• Finding opportunities outside of Sunday for spiritual and apostolic training (i.e. developing relationships with other Catholics, participating in local ministries)
• Participating in opportunities for mystagogy after your initiation

I’m thinking about becoming Catholic. What’s my first step? 
Nothing will give you a better sense of Catholic belief and practice than attending our Sunday liturgy, where we gather to hear the word of God proclaimed to us, to be nourished at the table of the Lord, and to accept our communal mission to be Christ to the world. Go to Sunday Mass for at least a few weeks in a row, and then take some time to reflect on your experience. What is most compelling for you about Catholic worship?
 
I’ve been going to Mass for awhile now, and I’m interested. What’s next? 
It sounds like it’s time for you to share your story with us. Each Sunday from 10am-11am we host inquiry meetings for folks interested in joining the Catholic Church. These are informal meetings with a team of parishioners trained to listen to your story, field your questions, and orient you to the process of becoming Catholic. Once you’ve participated in a handful of inquiry sessions, we’ll have a better sense of who you are and what you might need in terms of your religious and spiritual formation.
 
This sounds good. How do I set up a time to attend an inquiry session? 
Inquiry takes place from 11am-12pm on Zoom every Sunday. Just call or shoot an email to Jon Stotts, Christ the King’s director of adult faith formation: 615.777.8910 | jon.stotts@ctk-nashville.org. He’ll let the inquiry team know when you’re coming and send you the link to the Zoom meeting.
 
How long does it take to become Catholic? 
It depends. While Catholics affirm the need for a lifelong and ongoing conversion to Christ, we also recognize that there are some basic habits of belief and practice that will enable you to participate mindfully and enthusiastically as a fully initiated Catholic. Your faith journey so far likely has prepared you for what it means to become Catholic, and it’s our responsibility (and honor) to take you the rest of the way by means of the RCIA. We’ll do our best to provide a formation process that addresses your previous religious formation while inviting you to participate with others on a similar formation journey.
 
That sounds vague. How long will it take? 
For those who are baptized and coming from other Christian faith traditions, we’ve developed a process of formation that normally takes place over a 4-5 month cycle. When there are a sufficient number of inquirers who are ready to move into the next phase, we schedule a Rite of Welcoming and its accompanying retreat. This begins the next formation cycle.

Based on current interest, it looks like the next RCIA formation cycle for baptized candidates will begin in January 2021.
 
For those who are seeking baptism, there RCIA process normally requires a full liturgical year. Because it is our practice to baptize adults each year at the Easter vigil, this means that the unbaptized should begin the process of inquiry in the late spring or early summer if they wish to be considered for baptism the following year. (For example, someone inquiring about baptism in May 2020 will be baptized, at the earliest, during the 2021 Easter vigil.)
 

Jon Stotts
Director of Adult Formation
615-777-8910
jon.stotts@ctk-nashville.org