"Life is a Journey; a path, a journey to meet Jesus." -Pope Francis


All are Welcome!

RCIA is a process of study, exploration, faith-sharing, and faith formation with specific liturgical rites for seekers and inquirers. Seekers and inquirers are non-baptized adults who desire to be fully initiated into the Roman Catholic Church and/or baptized adult Christians who desire full communion in the Roman Catholic Church.

Adults or older children who have not been baptized and desire to join the Church are invited into the ancient celebration of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. During this process, which is marked by regular ritual acts, participants are introduced to the liturgy, the teachings, and the life of the Catholic Church.

Adults or older children who were baptized in another Christian denomination prepare in a similar way for the sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist during their reception into the Catholic Church.


RCIA is a Journey

The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults is a process that proceeds over weeks and months. It has several steps:

List of Services

 RCIA Team

People journeying through the RCIA process need sponsors and community support to help them grow in faith. The RCIA team of sponsors help guide, support and instruct those discerning whether to become members of our Catholic community. Team members share their faith with inquiring adults who are seeking more information about the Catholic Church, many of whom seek to celebrate one or more of the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation.


If you have any questions or are interested in becoming Catholic, contact Megan Murray at 708-326-9313 or mmurray@stmarymokena.org. 


What do Catholics Believe?

While the Catholic Church is the largest religion in the world, it is sometimes also the most misunderstood.


The beliefs of the Catholic Church and her beautiful teachings are consistent through the ages.

  • We believe that human beings were created by God in love and that everything God creates is good and created out of love. While we have the capacity for sin, the Church believes in the dignity of the human person above all else.
  • We also believe that goodness infuses all of God’s wondrous creation. All creation, made by God, reflects that goodness. Catholics see the world and its beauty, renewed by the Incarnation, as sacramental – speaking of God’s goodness and love.
  • We believe in stewardship. Everything is given to us by God and our Catholic responsibility is to share our time, talent and treasure with those around us.
  • We believe in the Holy Trinity, that God has revealed himself to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit – a communion of knowledge and love – has created us to share in that life.
  • We believe in community and a living Church – believers are a part of the living Body of Christ and, as such, we are a reflection of the communal nature of the Trinity.
  • We believe that God loved his creation so much that he became human in the person of Jesus to walk among us.
  • We believe in the communion of the saints – models of faith who help us and guide us in our daily lives.
  • We believe in Jesus’ crucifixion, death and resurrection, and we hope that one day we will rise to new life with him.


Becoming Catholic today means joining an ancient faith, deeply rooted in the teachings and traditions of Christ, that is filled with hope and vibrancy as we continue to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to all the ends of the earth.