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Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults

“GO therefore, make disciples of all nations; baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you” Mt 28:19-20

Participating in the RCIA Process

As an individual participating in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) process, you will be called by different names during the different periods of the process.


During the pre-Catechumenate or Inquiry phase, you will be called an Inquirer.
During the Catechumenate phase which is after the Rite of Acceptance, you will be called a Catechumen.
During the Mystagogy phase which is after the Rite of Sacrament of Initiation, you will be called a Neophyte.


RCIA is a process that helps you to live a particular way of life - a Christian way of living. At the end of the process, you will experience a new way of living, a conversion from the old way of living to a new way of living in the love of God.

The sponsors, your Godparents, the facilitators and the Spiritual Director are all there to guide, support and help you go through this process.

You too can help yourself to open to the love of God and the support of the people facilitating the process.

You can :
· Be a friend. Be friendly towards everyone. Take initiative to "break the ice".
· Be respectful to others. There are many sharing sessions throughout the process. Do not belittle others, their background, religious experiences or beliefs. Different people come to the process with difference backgrounds and experiences - be sensitive to them. Do not force your opinions on others. They are free to express their views.
· Be a good listener. Pay attention to what others are saying and not focus on your own agenda.
· Ask questions. You can ask about any questions regarding the Catholic church, the Faith, Jesus, God and practically anything. You can always approach the Core Members of the process or any of the priests if you have any questions.
· Make a commitment. Make all effort to attend all the sessions.
· Get to know your sponsors and facilitators. Getting to know them help you feel at ease during sharing sessions. The sponsors and facilitators will help you around the parish and also help you get to know people in the parish.
· Feel free to bring up any issues pertaining to the process or raise any doubts or concerns you have.
· Be an active participant. Be it during the singing of hymns or during sharing sessions - sing your hearts out and speak your mind.
· Keep a journal. Record your experiences, your thoughts, throughout the process. Some of them could be your God experience and you would not want to miss it.
· Read widely. The internet is a good resource of Catholic teachings. You can also invest in Cathholic books to help you understand better. The Archdiocese of Singapore Website is a good place to start. There is also a reference book called the Catechesim of the Catholic Church.
· Pray. Prayer is communication with God.
· Read the Bible. Knowing the Bible is to know God and the person of Jesus. Would be helpful to have a copy of the Bible. After the pre-catechumnate phase, all catechumanate will be presented with a Bible.