1st Catholic Mass

[workingman]

Today my family and I attended our first Catholic mass in a very long time. My wife is a cradle Catholic that left and now we are looking at coming back together with our children.
The Mass was apsolutly (sp?) beutiful. The Church building it self was also very beautiful.
It was wonderful at some points almost tearful. We arrived about 10 min early and they were finishing the rosary. Had I known they did this before sunday mass I would have gotten there for the beginning. The wife said it was great to be back home.

Question 1: what are the requirements for my wife to come back to the Catholic church? I know that I have to attend RCIA. Also will the Catholic church rec our marriage and our childrens baptisms?

Question 2: They are doing the stations of the cross on wed. evenings. Is this appropriate to bring young children to under a year. Noise disruption reasons.

 

[KarenElissa]

Today my family and I attended our first Catholic mass in a very long time. My wife is a cradle Catholic that left and now we are looking at coming back together with our children.
The Mass was apsolutly (sp?) beutiful. The Church building it self was also very beautiful.
It was wonderful at some points almost tearful. We arrived about 10 min early and they were finishing the rosary. Had I known they did this before sunday mass I would have gotten there for the beginning. The wife said it was great to be back home.

Welcome! I’m glad you had such a wonderful experience!

Question 1: what are the requirements for my wife to come back to the Catholic church? I know that I have to attend RCIA. Also will the Catholic church rec our marriage and our childrens baptisms?

Has your wife received all the sacraments of initiation? (baptism, 1st Communion, and confirmation? Have either of you been married to anyone else? If the answers are yes to the first and no to the second, all she should have to do is go to confession and then she should be able to receive communion again. If the answers are not yes and no, it will be a bit more complicated and she should talk to the priest.

As for you, you have been baptized LCMS? The Catholic Church recognizes any baptism that is performed with water using “in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” so yours and your kids should be recognized. You and the kids should go through some process of learning about the Catholic Church. Often you will be grouped with the RCIA (for people who have never been baptized) for convenience, but you are technically separate. If you kids are under 7, they will just go through the regular process like any kid who has always been Catholic. If they are over 7, they will make their own profession of faith like you.

As for your marriage, were you married in the Catholic Church? If you weren’t, then you will have to go through a process to be officially married in the Church sacramentally.

Question 2: They are doing the stations of the cross on wed. evenings. Is this appropriate to bring young children to under a year. Noise disruption reasons.

I would say depends on the age of your kids and their personalities. The Stations of the Cross often involves a fair amount of movement, genuflecting, kneeling and such, so that may help them to be more involved. And if they are used to being in church, than it shouldn’t be a huge difference. You can always go and try it, and if they are getting too noisy take them out.

 

[Anne1964]

Welcome home!

The best person to answer Question 1 will be your parish priest as every marriage situation is different.

Depending on how much religious education your wife had, she may want to attend RCIA with you. Has she made her First Communion and confession? Assuming you two were married outside of the Church, she will not be allowed to receive Communion until your marriage has been convalidated. The other option is for the two of you to agree to live as brother and sister until your marriage situation has been taken care of. That would permit her to receive Communion. Again, all of this must be discussed with your priest before your wife receives Communion.

Assuming your wife was baptized in the Catholic Church, and you two were married outside of the Church, then you will need to have your marriage convalidated (you may hear some people call this having your marriage “blessed,” but convalidation is a marriage ceremony). If this is a first marriage for both of you, it should be relatively easy to have your marriage convlidated. If either of you have been married previously, you would have to seek an annulment for the previous marriage first.

If your children were baptized in a Christian church where the trinitarian formula was used, (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), then yes, their baptisms will be recognized by the Catholic Church. Again, this will be something to ask your priest.

So glad you found the forums. I returned to the Church three years ago and I have learned so much from the nice people here. I’m sure you will too.

 

[workingman]

KarenElissa;4976282]Welcome! I’m glad you had such a wonderful experience!

Thank you so am I.

Has your wife received all the sacraments of initiation? (baptism, 1st Communion, and confirmation?

Yes, confirmed, baptized, ect… was initialy a cradle Catholic.

Have either of you been married to anyone else?

NO.

As for you, you have been baptized LCMS?

No I my self was baptized in the Catholic Church but never confirmed.

The Catholic Church recognizes any baptism that is performed with water using “in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” so yours and your kids should be recognized.

I thought this should not be to big of a issue there.

You and the kids should go through some process of learning about the Catholic Church. Often you will be grouped with the RCIA (for people who have never been baptized) for convenience, but you are technically separate.

I will love to attend a RCIA class. Need to I guess get in touch of the priest at the parish we are attending.

If you kids are under 7, they will just go through the regular process like any kid who has always been Catholic. If they are over 7, they will make their own profession of faith like you.

This is great news. My oldest is just going to finish kindergarten this spring and will turn 7 in the fall.

As for your marriage, were you married in the Catholic Church? If you weren’t, then you will have to go through a process to be officially married in the Church sacramentally.

No we were not married in the Catholic Church. The wmarriage took place in a LCMS church so, I am assuming that we will then still have to get it recognized by the Catholic Church.

I would say depends on the age of your kids and their personalities. The Stations of the Cross often involves a fair amount of movement, genuflecting, kneeling and such, so that may help them to be more involved. And if they are used to being in church, than it shouldn’t be a huge difference. You can always go and try it, and if they are getting too noisy take them out.

What the hay. I think we will give it a goround. should be interesting.

 

[workingman]

Welcome home!

The best person to answer Question 1 will be your parish priest as every marriage situation is different.

Depending on how much religious education your wife had, she may want to attend RCIA with you. Has she made her First Communion and confession? Assuming you two were married outside of the Church, she will not be allowed to receive Communion until your marriage has been convalidated. The other option is for the two of you to agree to live as brother and sister until your marriage situation has been taken care of. That would permit her to receive Communion. Again, all of this must be discussed with your priest before your wife receives Communion.

Assuming your wife was baptized in the Catholic Church, and you two were married outside of the Church, then you will need to have your marriage convalidated (you may hear some people call this having your marriage “blessed,” but convalidation is a marriage ceremony). If this is a first marriage for both of you, it should be relatively easy to have your marriage convlidated. If either of you have been married previously, you would have to seek an annulment for the previous marriage first.

If your children were baptized in a Christian church where the trinitarian formula was used, (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), then yes, their baptisms will be recognized by the Catholic Church. Again, this will be something to ask your priest.

So glad you found the forums. I returned to the Church three years ago and I have learned so much from the nice people here. I’m sure you will too.

Thank you for the welcome home and we will be intouch with our parish priest. Thank you again for answering questions for me.

p.s. these forums are inforative, interesting, and sometimes down right entertaining at times.

 

[KarenElissa]

Sounds like it shouldn’t be terribly complicated. The biggest issue will be you all getting married in the Catholic Church. Since you were both baptized Catholic, you should technically have been married in the Church. Since you weren’t, you will be married in the Church. This doesn’t necessarily have to be anything huge or fancy. It will include the wedding vows and can include just you, your wife, the priest and two witnesses.

As for you kids, you have probably come just at the right time for them to just join their peers in religious ed. In most place, First Communion happens at second grade, so 1st and 2nd grade are sacrament prep years. I would imagine you oldest will be able to jump right in with his/her peers and receive First Communion in two years.

Let us know how everything goes! Prayers for you and your family through this journey!

 

[CatholicLife]

Forgive my ignorance but what is LCMS?

 

[KarenElissa]

Forgive my ignorance but what is LCMS?

Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod, one of the more conservative brands of Lutheranism.

 

[daeve]

Forgive my ignorance but what is LCMS?

Thanks…I was going to ask the same thing. I was pretty sure Lutheran, but couldn’t figure out the rest…ironic since some of my girlfriends are LCMS and I live in Missouri!

I’m so glad you had a good experience. One of my friends and I talk about how much her faith and mine have in common. She asks about the Blessed Virgin a lot, and I gave her a rosary and the words to the Memorare. Who could be a better role model for mothers than Christ’s own mother.

I returned to the Church in 2001 after many many years.

The priest will be able to answer questions about your marriage, but it’s probably fine. They may do – well, I can’t think of the word, I’m getting old and forgetful – someone else will know what they call it though, sort of like a rededication…maybe convalidation???

As for the kids, you’re right in time. I went to Stations every Friday in Lent from the time I was in 1st grade, about 7, but I was the oldest in my class because the cutoff was 2 weeks before my birthday. Plenty of 6 years old were there. Your church probably has a cry room in the back. You might want to sit near that so you can just duck in if needed. Most churches have the stations all around the whole body of the church, and the priest and servers process to each one. You pray a little, maybe sing Stabat Mater (but probably in English, not Latin), stand a kneel a lot, and it takes a little while. Babies might sleep through it, but I wouldn’t want to hold one that whole time, and toddlers might not handle it well. You know best what you kids can take. I could have taken either of my nephews as toddlers, but not either of my own sons or my niece. Sometimes I hesitated to let mine out of the house!

Welcome, and best wishes to your whole family. I’d suggest you make an appointment with your parish priest to get started on your journey home.

 

[diggerdomer]

No I my self was baptized in the Catholic Church but never confirmed.

Then when you check with your priest, let him know that, your process would be different than the RCIA.

 

[CatholicLife]

Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod, one of the more conservative brands of Lutheranism.

Thanks!

 

[workingman]

Then when you check with your priest, let him know that, your process would be different than the RCIA.

I am curious. Diferent as far as what. I am assuming this is because I was baptized in the Catholic Church.

 

[Spirithound]

I am curious. Diferent as far as what. I am assuming this is because I was baptized in the Catholic Church.

It’ll be different in that you and your wife will both be called “candidates” and not “catechumens” . This means that you will only be seeking Confirmation and your first Holy Communion. As it stands you are both actually Catholic, and, you will likely be permitted to receive the sacrament of Reconciliation, but you would have to agree not to have sexual relations with your wife until your marriage is convalidated. I would encourage you to talk to you priest quickly, I’m not sure whether you’re all “in time” to receive the sacraments at Easter, or even whether your marriage would have to take place at the Easter Vigil. Anyways, the message here is ask your priest
God bless!

 

[workingman]

It’ll be different in that you and your wife will both be called “candidates” and not “catechumens” . This means that you will only be seeking Confirmation and your first Holy Communion. As it stands you are both actually Catholic, and, you will likely be permitted to receive the sacrament of Reconciliation, but you would have to agree not to have sexual relations with your wife until your marriage is convalidated. I would encourage you to talk to you priest quickly, I’m not sure whether you’re all “in time” to receive the sacraments at Easter, or even whether your marriage would have to take place at the Easter Vigil. Anyways, the message here is ask your priest
God bless!

Thaks will do

 

[diggerdomer]

Thaks will do

It’s different because if you were baptized Catholic, you should be confirmed by the Bishop (which would most likely NOT be at the Easter vigil). Likewise your marriage would most likely not be convalidated at the Easter vigil.

I’m not touching the sex part. As has been said, of course though, most importantly talk with the pastor or whomever is appropriate at your parish.

Oh, and also, I don’t think you mentioned if either of you had already celebrated first communion, so that’s yet another issue to clarify with your pastor.

Best wishes.