RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)
A baby is brought to baptism in the Church by the faith of his/her parents. This is clearly not so for adults who, after hearing about Jesus Christ, are moved by the Holy Spirit within them consciously and freely to seek baptism.
The whole period of deepening, conversion and the ceremonies that accompany it have been brought together in what the Church calls The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, or RCIA. The RCIA is a reminder of a truth that has always been recognised by the Christian community: to be a Christian it isn't enough to walk off the street and into a church and ask a priest for baptism.
Growth in faith is a gradual process and it is this gradual process that is referred to as a "journey" or "pilgrimage". So all the steps of the RCIA take a year or two or even more. The steps mark important moments of growth in knowledge and love of God which apply to people seeking baptism but which can be applied equally to a Christians who seek to mature in faith.
