Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
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ADULT CONFIRMATION: Are you an adult who was baptized a Catholic, received your First Reconciliation and First Eucharist, but was never confirmed? If so, contact Amy Woods at amy@sacredheartnorfolk.org for more information.  Your process will not be RCIA.
What is RCIA?
The RCIA is the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. This is a process for those who have been baptized in another faith, or never baptized to become Catholic. If you are interested in learning more about this process, please contact AMY Woods at amy@sacredheartnorfolk.org or 625-6763
What does the process look like?

For the Unbaptized:
If you have not been baptized, the process consists of 4 stages.

  • FIRST: Inquirer: Your chance to look into what it means to be part of the Catholic faith.
  • SECOND: Catechumen: Your chance to familiarize yourself with the scriptures, Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church.
  • THIRD: Elect (during Lent): This is your last 6 weeks before you celebrate the Sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation at the Easter Vigil
  • FOURTH: Neophyte: You are a newly baptized person in the Catholic Church.

FOR an unbaptized person this process last at least one year, so that you can celebrate the entire cycle of the Church year before being baptized.


For the Baptized:
If you have been baptized in another Christian tradition and that baptism was a Trinitarian Baptism (In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit), the Catholic Church recognizes that baptism. 
 
Your process will look like this:
  • FIRST: Inquirer: Your chance to look into what it means to be part of the Catholic faith.
  • SECOND: Candidate: Your chance to familiarize yourself with the scriptures, Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church.

FOR a baptized person this process can last from several months to 1 or 2 years. It depends on the person and their commitment to the process. Candidates can celebrate “becoming Catholic” at any point in the year, except Advent and Lent. This means that the process is truly individualized. When a candidate is ready, they can become a Catholic.
RCIA SCHEDULE
Sessions meet at 7pm on the second floor of the Pastoral Center unless otherwise specified.

Thursday, Jan. 19 at 7pm
Baptism/Vocation

Thursday, Jan. 26 at 7pm

Saturday, Jan. 28, 1-7pm
Retreat at St. Mary's Basilica, downtown Norfolk

Thursday, Feb. 2 at 7pm


Thursday, Feb. 9 at 7pm


Thursday, Feb. 16 at 7pm
Anointing of the Sick

Wednesday, Feb. 22
Ash Wednesday Services 6:30am-12:10pm-7pm

Thursday, Feb. 23 at 7pm

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THE SCRUTINY RITES:  Celebrated on the Third, Fourth and Fifth Sundays of Lent.
The word scrutiny means "search."  The Lenten scrutinies are rites of searching.  They are meant to heal all that is weak or sinful in the hearts of the people preparing for baptism at Easter.  These people are called "the elect."
The scrutiny rites usually take place on the Third, Fourth and Fifth Sundays of Lent.  Whent the scrutiny rites are celebrate, on the Third Sunday of Lend we hear about the Samaritan Woman who men and spoke with Jesus at a well.  On the Fourth Sunday, we hear about the cure of the man who was born blind.  On the Fifth Sunday, we hear about the raising of Lazarus from the dead.  These stories are from the Gospel of John.  Each story is about a "passover" - from dishonesty, to truth, from blindness to sight, from death to life.
During a scrutiny rite, the elect step forward with their sponsors or godparents.  They bow their heads or kneel.  Everyone in church prays for them.  People ask God to give the elect a "sense of sin."  That's a powerful gift - to know what sin is like, to understand the difference between good and evil.
The church prays that the elect will be free from Satan's power.  This prayer is called an exorcism.  The church knows too well that evil has power.  But we know also that Christ can free us from this power.