Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (R.C.I.A.)
2023-24 RCIA Journey
Inquiry Period
After the RCIA Welcome Night on 20 April, both inquirers and sponsors continued to meet at St Clare Hall for a six-week period to inquire further about the faith and to get a first-hand experience of coming together in small groups as in a typical Home Session, facilitated by a Catechist, guided by St Mary’s “Growing in Faith Together” RCIA resource.
(The inquiry period has since closed on 8 June, 2023)
Rite of Acceptance - 17 June 2023
Over 50 inquirers have made a free choice to enter into the catechumenate phase of the RCIA journey and will be informed of their sponsor and group on 15 June. They will be admitted into the Order of the Catechumenate at the Rite of Acceptance celebrated with the parish community on Saturday 17 June 2023.
RCIA Retreat - 6/7 January 2024
The community of RCIA had a retreat on 6 & 7 Jan. Here are some of the testimonials that the participants have shared.
Rite of Election - 17 February 2024
On Saturday 17 Feb morning, after months of preparation, our Catechumens and Candidates from our English RCIA, along with those from other (west & city district) churches around Singapore, went through the Rite of Election (where their names were enrolled in the Book of the Elect), celebrated by His Eminence Cardinal William Goh at St Mary of the Angels. Our Catechumens from the Chinese RCIA will be going through the rite the following weekend.
The Elect will now make their final preparation of purification and enlightenment before their baptism this Easter. Please keep all of them in your prayers.
Easter Vigil Baptism - 30 March 2024
WELCOME TO THE FAMILY! 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 to all our brothers and sisters who have become part of our family at St Mary’s Easter Vigil Service on 30 March! May they continue to be guided by the Spirit as they live out their faith in our community.
What Do You Seek?
Are you searching for meaning in your life? Wondering where your life is leading you to?
What is your heart really longing for?
“Inspired by God. Lovingly created by AngelinaTan.”
We invite you to journey with us to explore the deeper questions of life and find the answers you seek. Contact us at rcia.stmary@catholic.org.sg or click the link below.
Or, if you are interested to journey with the Catechumens, click below:
“I have called you by name, and you are mine.” - Isaiah 43:1
What is RCIA?
Understanding the Journey
The Journey
Becoming Catholic:
The RCIA Process
Other Christians
Already baptised in another church?
Be a Sponsor
Journey with the Catechumens
What is R.C.I.A.?
RCIA 2020
Click here to relive the journey of catechumens during the pandemic at 2020
R.C.I.A. or Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is a journey one takes to become a full member of the Catholic Church. At the high point of this process, God bathes you in Holy Baptism, strengthens you for service in Confirmation, and feeds you at the banquet of life at the Holy Eucharist.
The Heart of RCIA
The heart of the RCIA is a faith relationship with the person of Jesus - the Son of God. We grow in this relationship with other companions on this journey: seekers, sponsors, and catechists. We do this by sharing our lived faith experience, prayer, and community worship. Along the way, we learn more about Church teachings and the Bible, encountering God as we are, where we are.
The Journey - The RCIA Process
“Come and see.” – John 1:39
The Inquiry Phase
Is there life after death?
Do you desire for something more?
Why the Catholic faith?
I’m a baptised Christian. Should I join the Catholic Church?
Perhaps you feel a stirring in your hearts for some time now. If you have answered yes to any of the questions, we invite you to journey with us to ponder and explore the deeper questions of life. Wherever you are in your journey, we welcome you here. We begin with an ’Inquiry phase’ where we hang around, with no obligations, to learn more about Jesus, his teachings, and his Way.
Our Inquiry Session is a non-committal platform for you to learn more about the faith. This will be a chance for you to ask questions and learn the basic Gospel of Jesus, as the first stage in the RCIA process.
Call the Parish for the next Inquiry Session: 65673866
For more information, email: rcia.stmary@catholic.org.sg
For Mandarin-speaking inquirers, email: mandarin.stmary@catholic.org.sg
The Catechumenate
Should you be attracted to this life, and want to further commit, you become a Catechumen, or an apprentice, through the Rite of Acceptance. In small groups that tailor to individual needs, we more seriously learn to live like Jesus. We are schooled as prophets, learning how to examine our society and culture, and speak of God’s priorities to our contemporaries. We are schooled as shepherds, protecting the weak and giving voice to the voiceless. We are schooled as priests, praying, worshipping, and assisting in offering the sacrifice of the Mass, with and on behalf of all creation. This period, known as the Catechumenate, can last as long as you need.
Period of Purification and Enlightenment
Each year, many Catechumens will choose to take one step further, to go through the Rite of Election, to become the Elect, chosen by God as part of God’s people. They go through an intensive period of preparation — the ‘Period of Purification and Enlightenment’ ‚ to further purify their motives and seek greater clarity of God’s truth. At Easter, these Elect will be baptised, confirmed, and receive their first Holy Communion, and fully share in Jesus’s ministry of prophetic truth-telling, merciful shepherding, and prayerful self-sacrifice.
Mystagogy
Fresh from a bath that renews life, anointing that strengthens new life, and a feast that makes us live for others, the newly initiated member takes time to soak up mystery of the Resurrection Event. We allow the mystery of faith to unfold further, and find our place in serving others as part of the People of God.
Other Christians
Joining the Catholic Church?
Christians of other denominations who wish to be received into the Catholic Church are very welcome in the RCIA. The Catholic Church prepares them for reception into the Roman Catholic Church through the RCIA, buidling on their Faith experience.
Be a Sponsor or Join the RCIA Service Team
At St Mary’s our passing on of the faith is through small group sessions with a facilitator. We believe a relationship with Jesus Christ is nurtured primarily by real faith-encounters. Therefore, there is an emphasis on journeying and sharing lives instead of mere transferring of information.
If you would like to accompany a person on this journey, or deepen your own formation as a Catholic, why not explore being a sponsor? Or, if you wish to join our RCIA ministry to support in various capacities and functions, email us at rcia.stmary@catholic.org.sg or click the link below.
RCIA 2020 - A Journey to Remember
In this 2-part video, we relive the RCIA journey of some of our brothers and sisters who were baptised in 2020 during the height of the pandemic, and find out how the challenges and delays they faced have strengthened their faith even more.
Be a Sponsor or Join the RCIA Service Team
At St Mary’s our passing on of the faith is through small group sessions with a facilitator. We believe a relationship with Jesus Christ is nurtured primarily by real faith-encounters. Therefore, there is an emphasis on journeying and sharing lives instead of mere transferring of information.
If you would like to accompany a person on this journey, or deepen your own formation as a Catholic, why not explore being a sponsor? Or, if you wish to join our RCIA ministry to support in various capacities and functions, email us at rcia.stmary@catholic.org.sg or click the link below.