CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF CHILDREN
In
the earliest centuries of the Church, initiation into the Body of Christ
was generally limited to adult converts. By the Middle Ages, infant
baptism became the norm and has been a traditional practice in the
Catholic Church ever since. For a variety of reasons, however,
many people are not baptized as infants, and often approach the Church
later in life, preparing for baptism through a process based on the Rite
of Christian Initiation of Adults, which was restored and
promulgated by the Second Vatican Council (1962-65). This faith
formation process has been adapted to the special needs of children who
have reached the age of reason and are therefore entitled to make their
own preparation and profession of faith at baptism.
The Children’s
Initiation Process is designed for children about age seven and over who
were not baptized as infants or who were baptized in another Christian
denomination. Children who have reached this age ordinarily are capable
of receiving and nurturing a personal faith and of recognizing an
obligation in conscience, but they cannot yet be treated as adults. At
this stage in their lives, they are dependent on their parents or
guardians and are still strongly influenced by their companions and
their social surroundings (Christian Initiation of Children Who Have
Reached Catechetical Age, 252,253).
The program for the Christian Initiation
of Children at Our Lady of Refuge parallels the process followed by
adults, but it is adapted to the intellectual, social and spiritual
development of the children participating in the process. The Christian
initiation of children requires both a conversion that is personal,
somewhat developed, and in proportion to their ages.
The full process for children lasts a minimum of two years. As with adults, however, the period may be extended as long
as necessary to ensure that participants, parents and Team concur that
it is time for Baptism. Parents,
guardians, and sponsors are asked to accompany the children on the
journey of faith as role models of commitment to Jesus as Lord and
Savior.
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If you have questions
about the Christian Initiation of Children or know of a young
person who is interested in participating, contact:
Director of
Liturgy and Initiation
(562) 597-3102
E-Mail: RCIA
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Links
If you would like to know
more about the Christian Initiation of Children, click on the links
below:
EDUCATION MINISTRIES
