• Adults who were never baptized who might desire to become catholic.

• Adults baptized in another christian ecclesial body who might desire to become a catholic.

• Adults baptized catholic who have not received full initiation into the church through the sacraments of eucharist and/or confirmation.

• How long does it take?
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults does not have an exact timetable and is dependent upon the individual needs. It is a gradual spiritual journey that may only take a period of several months, or for some, several years. Our process is regularly offered from the early fall through spring, with the Sacraments being received at Easter.

• What if I was baptized in another ecclesial body?
If you were baptized in the Trinitarian formula traditional in most Protestant bodies and that can be verified, the Catholic Church already recognizes you as a Christian, though not in Full Communion with Christ's Church.

Reception into Full Communion will be celebrated when you have been properly prepared and feel you are ready to celebrate this Rite, including receiving the Sacrament of the Eucharist and Confirmation for the first time.

For more information on RCIA, please contact Birgitt Hacker.

Becoming Catholic is a journey into faith, because being Catholic is a way of life.

The ​RCIA, Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, is a process rooted in ancient practice, designed to form you in the truth of the Catholic faith and prepare you to receive the Initiation Sacraments of our Church. It seeks, however, to do more than simply immerse you in information. Becoming Catholic involves entering into a relationship with God, but also, in its deepest dimension, a relationship with the community of God's people.

Our hope is that you will enjoy a deeper relationship with God as you become acquainted with members of St. Margaret of York Parish and the Church throughout the world. Your RCIA journey will be a unique time for you. You will, no doubt, notice how your own life experiences and beliefs have brought you to this point as you listen to God's invitation to explore the Catholic faith. At the same time, members of the parish are praying for you, attending with you, and sharing their own life stories as Catholics.

Five Periods of RCIA

1. The Period of Inquiry: During this initial period, we use Alpha to help you explore the questions of faith in an informal and welcoming environment.
2. The Period of Catechumenate: Following the Rite of Acceptance - the first stage of commitment - this time is for deeper individual spiritual growth and for more in-depth focus on the Catholic faith. (For the non-baptized)
3. The Period of Purification and Enlightenment: Beginning with the Rite of Election, this period includes more intense spiritual preparation, coinciding with Lent, and is intended to purify the mind and heart, and deepen one's knowledge of and relationship to Christ.
4. The Paschal Triduum with the Sacraments of Initiation: Celebration of the death and resurrection of Christ in the Paschal Triduum at Easter offers the appropriate time for the reception of the individual into the Church with the sacraments of Baptism, First Eucharist, and Confirmation.
5. The Period of Mystagogy: After your initiation into the Church at Easter, you will be invited to participate in a ConnectGroup where you will continue to grow in faith. As the journey through life unfolds, it is our hope that you will experience a true sense of belonging in the larger St. Margaret community.