Preparation for being received into the full communion of the Catholic Church takes places over a period of time.  This process for adults, which is prescribed by the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) , includes worship, catechesis, and introduction to and immersion into Christian life.  

The preparation for initiation (baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist) often takes at least one year, and the reception of the sacraments occurs at the Easter Vigil.  Reception into the Catholic Church for those who are baptized in a non-Catholic Christian denomination may also occur at the Easter Vigil, or during one of the weekend liturgies.  The process of initiation and reception is facilitated by the RCIA team, which is comprised of parishioners.

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults for children is a process of initiation into the Catholic Church for children over the age of seven not baptized as infants, or who are baptized in a non-Catholic Christian denomination, or who are baptized in the Catholic Church but have not received their sacraments of initiation at the usual time.