Becoming a Catholic

The Initiation of Adults and Older Children (RCIA)

In the early Church only an adult could be baptised, confirmed and receive the Eucharist, but as the centuries progressed Baptism became available to infants and children. Today many Catholics are baptised as infants and grow up in the Church, preparing for and receiving other Sacraments along the way. However many people still come to the Catholic Church only as adults, wishing to make their spiritual home here. Some of them may never have been baptised whereas others will have been baptised in other Christian communities.

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (the “RCIA”) is the way in which adults are welcomed into the Catholic Church and complete their initiation. This applies to unbaptised adults who go on to receive Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist, and those previously baptised in other Christian communities who are received into the Catholic Church. In many parishes, RCIA groups include adult Catholics who were baptised as infants and now seek to complete their Initiation.

Older children (those aged seven and above who have reached “catechetical age”) are also baptised and received into the Catholic Church through an adapted form of the RCIA. The number of such children coming forward to be received into the Church in our Diocese grows each year.

This web page will provide you with some resources to help you understand the RCIA.

Please note: RCIA catechists and clergy seeking information and resources including the RCIA Preparation Pack can now find these on our Resources for Catechists page here.