Becoming Catholic

Last updated on 22 August 2024

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.

>>> Please complete this form

In 2024-25, we will meet fortnightly Friday night in the Parish Meeting Room, beginning on Friday 6 September (then 20/9, 4/10…), from 7pm – 8:30pm.
There will be a break over the summer holidays, and then we will resume in the lead-up to Lent and the Easter weekend.

---

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 sometimes called the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (or OCIA).

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.