Becoming Catholic

If you are unbaptised or have been baptised in another Christian tradition and you would like to become a Catholic, you are welcome to have a chat with our RCIA team.

RCIA stands for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. RCIA is the program of formation for adults seeking to enter the Catholic church and become a lifelong disciple of Jesus Christ.

The RCIA team is here to accompany and support you on your journey of faith, and to help you become a member of the St John the Evangelist family. If you are interested in becoming a Catholic or if you simply want to ask some questions, you can contact the RCIA team via the parish office at campbelltown@dow.org.au or call (02) 4625 8044.

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In 2025-26, we will meet fortnightly Tuesday night in the Parish Meeting Room (in the Parish Hall), beginning on Tuesday 29 July, from 7:30pm – 9pm.
There will be a break over the summer holidays, and then we will resume in the lead-up to Lent and the Easter weekend.

Julie Smith, OCIA Coordinator

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Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults

RCIA stands for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. Through the RCIA process people who wish to become Catholics are invited to enter into a journey of faith in Jesus Christ, a journey of discovery as they practice living life as a Catholic Christian. It is called the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (or OCIA) in the United States. You may sometimes hear us call the program the OCIA which is the newer name. There is also the OCIC, which is a version of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults adapted for Children aged from 8-15.

At St John’s, we welcome both people who have never been baptised (called Catechumens) and Candidates – who have been baptised in another Christian church – in a single program. We do not baptise again – we recognise the valid baptisms of many other Christian churches.

The initiation of new members is a gradual process allowing enquirers time to grow in faith and become full participants of the Catholic community. The catechumenal journey or RCIA process is marked by three major liturgical rites. These rites act as key gateways along the way. Each major rite is preceded and followed by a period of maturing faith.

• The first rite, Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens, is where enquirers express and the Church accepts their intention to respond to God’s call and follow the way of Jesus Christ.
• The second rite, The Election or Enrolment of Names, is the rite during which the Church formally approves the catechumens’ readiness for the Sacraments of Initiation.
• The third rite, Celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation, is the most important of all rites because it is when the elect are fully incorporated into Christ and the Church by Baptism, Confirmation and the Holy Eucharist at the Easter Vigil.

Formed resources

• We make use of resources that are available on the Formed platform. To sign up using the subscription provided by the Diocese of Wollongong, visit https://formed.org/
• Click “Formed for Individuals”
• Type in your email address.
• Continue to the Sign-up page. Fill in your details.
• You will see a message to “Join your parish”. Type in “Woll” and then select the “Diocese of Wollongong, 38 Harbour St, Wollongong” from the list.
• Then click Submit.
• You will then be able to access the resources that we will be using as we make our way through the program.

Our Sunday readings

We read the Gospels over a three-year cycle of readings (A, B, and C) and we start the year in December with the season of preparation called Advent, then Christmas. In the late summer or early autumn, we move into a season of penance (opening our hearts more to God and letting go of the things that get in the way) called Lent, and then there is the joy-filled season of Easter, which lasts for 50 days. Click on the season you want to explore to find the text and audio for the readings…