ST. BRIGID OF KILDARE PARISH

       Loving God,

       We thank you for the gift of the men and women

        have entered the Church as Catholic Christians. 

        May the Holy Spirit guide us, your St. Brigid 

        community, as we welcome these new members of

        our parish family. 

        We ask this in Jesus' name.

         Amen.

     The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (R.C.I.A.) is a process 

through which adults are initiated as members of the Roman Catholic 

Church.  It is rooted in the ancient traditions of the early Church which 

formed new believers in Jesus as members of the Christian community.  

Today, the R.C.I.A. continues in the Church's "family tradition" of 

welcoming, supporting, and nurturing new brothers and sisters in faith.  

R.C.I.A. is for any adult interested in learning about the Church and / or 

becoming a Catholic Christian.  

     Those just starting the process are called INQUIRERS.  When they 

become ready to commit to become members of the Church, they move on 

to the next steps of the process.  If they have not been baptized, they are 

called CATECHUMENS.  If they have already been baptized, they are 

called CANDIDATES.  If they are baptized Catholics who are preparing for 

the  Sacrament of Confirmation, they are called Confirmandi.   R.C.I.A. is 

also for any Catholic Christian who wants to learn more about the Church 

and their Catholic faith.  

     In addition, R. C. I. A. provides many opportunities for parishioners to 

get involved in a variety of service ministries to support this parish-wide 

process.  R.C.I.A. is a gradual journey in faith that takes place right in the 

midst of our parish through frequent meetings, participation in the Liturgy 

of the Word, and most importantly, building relationships and  faith sharing

 with members of the St. Brigid community.  R.C.I.A. forms today's inquirers 

into tomorrow's faithful, welcomes baptized persons of other faith communities 

as gifts to enrich our Church, and serves as a sign of the on-going need for 

conversion and renewal in the St. Brigid community.