Becoming Fully CatholicRCIA and the Sacraments of Initiation at the Church of the Nativity

“Becoming Fully Catholic” is designed not only to instruct you in what Catholics do and believe, but to introduce you to the person of Jesus,

to challenge you to grow in your personal faith, and to form you into faithful disciple of Jesus Christ.

Becoming Fully Catholic (RCIA)Expectations

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, every one of whom the Lord our God calls to him.” And he testified with many other words and exhorted them, saying “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they held steadfastly to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers. Acts 2:37-42

Formation of Mind and Heart Celebrate the Rite of Welcome (Baptized) or Rite of

Acceptance (Unbaptized) at a Sunday mass Attend mass weekly at Nativity or elsewhere Participate in personalized formation program Participate in group sessions (TBD) Learn about and adopt common Catholic practices Meet with a parish mentor who will teach you about

discipleship and review material with you Develop an authentic prayer life. Pray with Scripture Participate in the life of the Nativity Parish community Check in periodically with Amanda Benner to determine

preparedness to receive the Sacraments Attend a spiritual retreat, a time set aside for God (TBD) Explore personal questions/hesitations about the faith and

seek answers through apps, books, video/audio programs, Catholic radio and TV

Select a personal sponsor Receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation*, a healing

Sacrament that deepens your conversion

Anticipated Timelines

Baptized Catholic? Candidates receive the Sacrament of Confirmation at a Sunday

Mass when ready (Optional rites of Welcoming, Calling to Continuing

Conversion, and Scrutinies are encouraged)

Baptized Christian? Candidates receive the Sacraments of Confirmation and

Eucharist at a Sunday Mass when ready (Optional rites of Welcoming, Calling to Continuing

Conversion, and Scrutinies are encouraged)

Un-Baptized Adult? Catechumens receive the Sacraments of Baptism,

Confirmation, and Eucharist at the Easter Vigil when ready *Catechumens receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation after

they are baptized Catechumens also celebrate Rites of Acceptance and Election

as well as the “Three Scrutinies” at Sunday mass during Lent

Adapted from St. Charles, Harland, WI – Becoming Fully Catholic

How We’ll Know You’re Ready(Breaking of the Bread)

Non-Baptized Person

Are you ready to be a Catechumen? Evidence of faith and an initial conversion Intention to change my life and to enter into a relationship

with God in Christ Beginnings of the spiritual life have taken root A start to the practice of calling upon God in prayer Evidence of the first stirrings of repentance Fundamentals of Christian teaching have taken root A sense of the Church. Some experience of the company and

spirit of Christians through contact with a priest or members of the community

Instruction about the celebration of the liturgical rite of acceptance

Have chosen a sponsor

Are you read to be an Elect? Have undergone a conversion in mind and in action Have developed a spirit of faith and charity Have developed a sufficient acquaintance with Christian

teaching With deliberate will and enlightened faith, have the intention

of receiving the sacraments of the Church Instruction about the celebration of the liturgical rite of

election Have chosen a godparent

Baptized Christian

Are you ready for Full Communion? Have provided proof of prior baptism in another acceptable

Christian Church. Have received spiritual preparation adapted to my individual

needs for reception into the full communion of the Catholic Church

Have learned to deepen an inner adherence to the Church, where I will find the fullness of my baptism

Have received doctrinal preparation adapted to my individual needs, for reception to the full communion of the Catholic Church

Instruction about the celebration of the liturgical rite of reception

Have chosen a sponsor who has played a principal part in guiding and preparing me

Have received the Sacrament of Reconciliation in preparation for being received into full communion with the Catholic Church

RCIA 42, 120, & 477, Adapted from “RCIA as a Process for Forming Disciples of Jesus” by Jarrett Wendt, St. Cecelia Parish, Ames

Spiritual Mentorship(Prayers)

Choosing a Good Spiritual Mentor Someone you admire for their faith Who is active in the Church, regularly attends Mass at Nativity

(or nearby), and prays daily Who will hold you accountable, inspire you, and challenge you Who is probably not an immediate relative, and definitely not

a significant other

Finding a Spiritual MentorIf you don’t already know somebody who would make a good spiritual mentor, one of your first tasks will be to get to know some of the great people to belong to Nativity. You can meet these people after Mass or at parish events. Ask Amanda if you would like some help with this!

AskingOnce you’ve found someone you’re excited about, you’ll need to ask them if they’re willing to be your Spiritual Mentor. Tell them your faith journey, how excited you are to become Catholic, how you look up to and admire them for their faith, and that you would love to have their guidance and mentorship as you grow into your Catholic faith. Share with them the Spiritual Mentorship Expectations.

Choosing a SponsorYour sponsor will stand up with you at every Rite on your path to full Christian Initiation. Your spiritual mentor would be an ideal sponsor. A sponsor must be at least 16, Confirmed, practicing, and in good standing with the Church

Spiritual Mentorship Expectations

Commitment Complete necessary training from parish Meet with mentee on a monthly basis to coach them in

their prayer and spiritual life, for as long as both are willing (at least until reception of the Sacraments)

Continue growing in your own daily prayer and spiritual life. Receive mentorship or spiritual direction for yourself as needed

Guidelines Listen very well and encourage mentee to share desires,

struggles, spiritual experiences, successes and failures Listen for what the Holy Spirit may lovingly wish to speak

to them through you Share from your own experiences and struggles to

encourage and guide them Refer to training resources for content direction Keep notes and pray for mentee often Your role is primarily to help their spiritual growth. Your

mentee will receive catechetical formation in a different avenue

Mentor & SponsorIf you have also been asked to be their Sponsor, you will also need to attend the various Rites of Initiation with the candidate/ catechumen, or be represented by a suitable proxy when absent

Adapted from “RCIA as a Process for Forming Disciples of Jesus” by Jarrett Wendt, St. Cecelia Parish, Ames

Catechetical Formation

(Apostles’ Teaching)We recognize that everyone’s needs, learning style, and faith backgrounds are different; so, in an effort to personalize your formation to your

unique experience, Amanda will provide you resources as you need them

Here are the topics you’ll need to develop a basic grasp of: Resources - TBD The Creed (The 12 Points)

o Father/Creator Texto Jesus Catholic Christianity by Peter Kreeft

Incarnation UCSSA (United States Catechism for Adults) Life and Ministry Catechism of the Catholic Church Paschal Mystery

o Holy Spirito Trinity Videoo The Church To be determined – Look forward to having ao Communion of Saints comprehensive compilation of videos fromo Baptism & Forgiveness of Sins YouTube and other sources that cover the topicso Resurrection of the Dead listed to the lefto Life Everlasting

The Bible Other (varies topic to topic)o Old Testament How it was written Meet with Amanda or another catechist o New Testament Catholic understanding of the bible Faith formation opportunity at Nativity

Other Topicso Eucharist 7 Sacramentso Mary The Masso Saints Catholic Social Teachingo Purgatory & Salvation Moralityo Pope Theology of the Body/Sexualityo Apostolic Succession Ecumenismo Scripture & Tradition Evangelization *You will be asked to verify your basic mastery of theseo Church Teaching Authority Confession topics with Amanda before reception of the Sacraments

RCIA & Parish Community(Fellowship)

During COVID, this aspect of Becoming Fully Catholic is still under consideration. Eventually we hope to meet in person or over Zoom once or twice a week to share what we’ve been learning in our self-study, to keep each other accountable, and to develop relationships with the community.

We’ll also likely expect candidates and catechumens to attend as many social or formational events hosted by Nativity as they are able!