RCIA (adult baptism preparation)
The expression R.C.I.A., or Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, refers to the ceremony (or series of ceremonies) by which an adult is initiated into the Catholic Church, leading to baptism (if the person has not already been baptised) or to being 'received into the Church' (if the person is already a baptised Christian of another Church). We tend to use the same expression also to refer to the meetings that take place over several months, where those who wish to become Catholics (or those who want to find out more before deciding) can gather to discuss various aspects of Christian faith and practice, according to the tradition of the Catholic Church.
An important principle of the R.C.I.A is that those coming to the meeting are not 'starting from scratch', so to speak. God has already been at work in their lives and they are encouraged to reflect upon the ways in which they have already come to know God, in various experiences and situations over the years. In that sense, everyone in the group has something to share, whether they are enquirers, helpers, teachers or clergy.
In principle, the meetings of the R.C.I.A. begin in the autumn and continue until those who choose to do so are initiated at Easter, with follow-up meetings available for some weeks afterwards. In practice we can accommodate, to a certain extent, those who join the course at a later date, and also those who feel they are ready to go forward for initiation before Easter, or who wish to wait till later. In this we follow the principle that each person is unique, and that the programme must be adjusted for the sake of the individual, rather than vice versa.
Meetings are held at 7.30 p.m. on Thursday evenings, except for breaks which roughly correspond to the school holidays.