RCIA Network

RCIA Network — Guidelines

The way we go about initiating new members into the Church reveals:

• who we are as a community of disciples
• how we celebrate
• how we understand the essential mission of the Church "to transform the world according to the plan of God in view of the final coming of the Kingdom" (CFLl) in the context of the rapidly changing society of Britain today.

The function of the RCIA Network is rooted in the questions "What does it mean to be a Catholic Christian in Britain today?" This involves ongoing reflection on the relationships between faith and culture, church and world.

1. The aims of the development of RCIA Network are:
   1. to nurture the development of RCIA in England and Wales
   2. to analyse our experience at diocesan, deanery and parish level
   3. to provide a forum;
   • for mutual support arid sharing of experiences and resources
   • to identify and confront key issues for Church and society
   • to communicate relevant issues to the Bishop's Conference
   4. to look afresh at the relationship of the RCIA to the process of change in the Church and society in England and Wales
   5. to ensure a wide representation of the Church in England and Wales at European and other international RCIA gatherings
   6. to explore the ecumenical dimension at all levels
2. To achieve these aims, members of the network will be invited to:
1. explore what it means to be a Catholic Christian in Britain today
2. be open to transformation and growth
3. reflect personally and in groups
4. discover deeper questions within themselves, the Church and society
5. integrate faith and life
6. integrate for themselves what it means to be an enquirer as we journey with others
7. celebrate all this liturgically
3. Membership of the Network
   Exploration of issues around the RCIA at this level demands commitment, experience and competence. Hence membership is open to:
1. Diocesan RCIA Coordinators and their teams
2. those involved at diocesan, provincial, or national level in liturgy, catechesis or pastoral formation
3. others involved in working and reflecting on their experience of RCIA at diocesan, deanery or parish level
4. The RCIA Network will be served by a committee composed of
1. two members from each province elected by members from that province
2. two members nominated by the National Liturgical Office
3. the committee has power to co-opt members
4. the committee elects its own officers
5. Members of the committee will serve for a period of four years. (The present committee suggests, for the sake of continuity, at least two of the current committee continue to serve for two years.)
6. The committee realises its purpose in a variety of ways, including:
1. organisation of an annual meeting for the Network
2. organisation of national conferences
3. responding to specific needs, e. g. combined rites, issues of divorced and remarried in RCIA context
4. establishing and developing appropriate lines of communication among members of the network
5. establishing appropriate links with the Bishops' Conference
6. here will be group and individual membership for which the committee will set the fees

These guidelines were agreed at a meeting of the Network at Damascus House on May 4th 1995

• About the RCIA Network

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