The process by which adults seek entry into the Catholic Church and they are prepared for full communion is known as the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). The value of this process as distinct from the previous one-to-one instruction by the parish priest or a lay worker is that it is community-based.The candidates participate in over 14 weeks of group discussion and prayer with a team of catechists and their individual sponsors. This allows the candidate to learn the basics of Catholicism but at the same time hear how everyday Catholics live out their faith.
The process culminates when the candidates are baptised, receive the Eucharist for the first time and are confirmed, bringing them into full union with the Church.
