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Adult Faith Formation and the RCIA at Our Lady of Refuge

We minister to all adults seeking to grow in their relationship with God through our Roman Catholic faith tradition.

What is "Faith Formation?"

As Christians we believe actions speak louder than words.  Faith isn't something you can teach.  Faith is something that must be found and developed.  Formation is the process of sharing our faith with others so that they can begin a relationship with Christ and his Church, and developed through example and action and commitment.

Formation isn't just learning about Christ and his Church, but an ongoing, lifelong process of learning and spiritual growth.

Formation also provides the necessary preparation for those individuals seeking the to join the Church or complete the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist.

Our Mission:

To welcome those adults who seek to learn about the Roman Catholic Church, especially those who intend to be Baptized or become fully initiated into the Catholic Faith.

How do you become a Catholic?

That depends on your needs.  Most of our participants fall into the following categories:

  • Those who have never been Baptized but wish to become Catholic
  • Those who have been Baptized into another Christian tradition but now wish to become Catholic
  • Those who have been Baptized Catholic but have little formation in the faith and now seek to completed their Sacraments of Initiation (Confirmation and/or Eucharist)
  • Those who are fully initiated Catholics, but want to further explore and deepen their faith
All are welcome to join us! If you are interested in learning about our Catholic Church, to life long Catholics looking to learn more!

What is the RCIA?

The RCIA stands for Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.  It is the formal process by which those who have never been baptized become Catholic.  It is a formal formation process that moves participants through a series of preparatory steps and Liturgical Rites leading to their Baptism at the Easter Vigil.  The RCIA is only for those who have never been Baptized.

What if I've already been Baptized, do I need the RCIA process?


The short answer is no.  By virtue of your Baptism, you are already a Christian.  The Catholic Church fully recognizes any Christian Baptism that follows the proper form and has been sufficiently documented.  Your formation in the Catholic faith will be based on your experience in that Christian faith to determine how closely your journey needs to follow that of the RCIA

Those who were Baptized into a Protestant Christian faith (most likely as an infant) but were never raised in that faith tradition tend to have the same needs as those who are seeking Baptism for the first time.  Individuals in this circumstance follow a parallel path of preparation and Liturgical Rites similar to those in the RCIA, and are formally received into the Church during the Easter Season.

Those who were Baptized into a Protestant Christian faith, raised in that faith, and have a good understanding of Christ and his Gospel will likely need less time in formation.  Individuals in this circumstance do not go through the RCIA process, but generally only need to spend sufficient time in formation to learn about the Catholic Church and her traditions before being received into the Church.  Individuals on this path can be formally received into the Church at any time it is discerned they are ready, but most will be received during the Easter Season.

For those who have been Baptized in the Catholic Church... you're already Catholic.  We only need to determine what Sacraments you need to complete, and prepare you sufficiently to receive those Sacraments.  Your experience with the Church, any formal formation you may have received, or any Sacramental Impediments that need to be resolved will determine how long it may take to prepare you for receiving Confirmation and Eucharist.

Adult Faith Formation Sessions:

We gather as a group on Thursday evenings from 7:00pm to 9:00pm in the Religious Education Center conference room.  The first hour is usually spent discussing the upcoming Sunday's Mass readings.  This provides background history of scripture and meaning. Usually based on the themes of the readings, the second hour is spent learning about the traditions and teachings of our Church. Please see our calendar page for upcoming meeting information.

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