2.5 year RCIA?

[Haldren21]

Hello everyone. I just recently enrolled in RCIA and my first meeting is a week from today. I am curious about something though. The director for the program said that it was a 2 and a half year process. 4 months for Inquiry, then the rest as a Catechumen. I was under the impression that you just start and get baptized at the following Easter. The director says they have a year round program, so I am guessing that means you don’t have to start in September. Could anyone clear this up? This is my parish: www.sldm.org

 

[Small_Fish]

Wow, 2.5 years. We start RCIA Oct10th, and it runs until Easter and I’m baptized. I began inquiring a week before this past Easter and met with the parish priest weekly for 3 months. But that is because I am Muslim converting to Catholicism and was not too familiar with Christianity, hence the long inquiry. In the brief phone conversation before I even first met the priest he told me it was approximately 6 months to a year. That RCIA began around September as inquiry then RCIA class would begin and go till the following Easter upon which I could be baptized if I chose or I could wait until another Easter.

 

[Joannm]

There is something in RCIA called an Easter by-pass where a person has to go through the process by-passing the first Easter after they enter the process. I only do this if a person comes into inquiry too late to be baptized at Easter. In a year round process inquiry begins, well, when you first inquire, and it lasts as long as necessary. There is no set time limit but it depends on the inquirer. I have never heard of inquiry lasting six months to a year.

In a year round process people are admitted to the catchumenate when they are ready at any time during the year but baptism is always done at Easter.

I have had Muslims in our RCIA and it took about a year. I recall one entered just after Easter and the other over the summer. In both cases they became catechumens in the early fall and were baptized at Easter.

One of them was very familiar with Catholicism as his wife and children were Catholic. In the other case we did some one on one in addition to the regular sessions because she was having difficulties with some doctrines but also had personal issues that we did not want to bring to the sessions.

I have also had some who had no religious upbringing at all. It still never went much over a year. But I think they are more accepting of our doctrines than someone who was raised say a Muslim or Jew. I have even had Buddhists but they really weren’t practicing their faith.

My suggestion to the OP is to read up a lot on your own to shorten the inquiry period. If they still insist on it taking that long, just enjoy the ride. You will get a lot out of it. But as I said, I think 2 1/2 years is a bit long. We lose people when we make it too difficult.

 

[Phemie]

While we are not supposed to make it too difficult, the catechumenate is supposed to last at least an entire liturgical year and end at the Vigil. If you follow that rule, the person could easily be in the process 2 years depending on when they started.

I think it’s sad that people enter in October with the knowledge that they will be Baptized 5 or 6 months later. That format doesn’t take ‘conversion’ into account. Just because you’ve attended all the classes doesn’t mean you’re ready to be baptized. I know one parish where the sponsor, and the community, felt that one particular person, based on her behaviour, was not ready to be baptized until 3 years into the catechumenate. The woman admitted after she was finally baptized that everyone had been right, until that point she hadn’t understood and hadn’t been ready.

Now, if someone is seeking to be received into full communion, 5 months may be too long, depending on where they were when they started.

 

[Delaine75]

That really does seem like a loooong time for RCIA! As an unbaptized person, I began RCIA in September and at the Easter Vigil was baptized, confirmed and received First Communion. 2.5 years?! Maybe you should check with another parish and see how long their RCIA runs!

 

[maltmom]

Like someone else said, I’d check with another church in the area. Unless someone else can come up with another reason for this, the only reason I can see is if the person isn’t ready at the end of the training. They may feel the need to go through RCIA again before committing.

God Bless and welcome home!

 

[fide]

Hello everyone. I just recently enrolled in RCIA and my first meeting is a week from today. I am curious about something though. The director for the program said that it was a 2 and a half year process. 4 months for Inquiry, then the rest as a Catechumen. I was under the impression that you just start and get baptized at the following Easter. The director says they have a year round program, so I am guessing that means you don’t have to start in September. Could anyone clear this up? This is my parish: www.sldm.org

It’s very unfortunate that any time frame is advertised - it should be whatever length of time is needed. Of course, that is very hard to institutionalize and fit into our plans.

 

[CalCatholic]

While we are not supposed to make it too difficult, the catechumenate is supposed to last at least an entire liturgical year and end at the Vigil. If you follow that rule, the person could easily be in the process 2 years depending on when they started.

I think it’s sad that people enter in October with the knowledge that they will be Baptized 5 or 6 months later. That format doesn’t take ‘conversion’ into account. Just because you’ve attended all the classes doesn’t mean you’re ready to be baptized. I know one parish where the sponsor, and the community, felt that one particular person, based on her behaviour, was not ready to be baptized until 3 years into the catechumenate. The woman admitted after she was finally baptized that everyone had been right, until that point she hadn’t understood and hadn’t been ready.

Now, if someone is seeking to be received into full communion, 5 months may be too long, depending on where they were when they started.

In our diocese, the catechumenate period is supposed to be ‘one liturgical year’ also and again if you add time for inquiry prior to that and you miss the Easter Vigil, you have to wait for the next one.

 

[RebeccaJ]

Same here for our catechumenate. It is one liturgical year, and people join as they come in. There isn’t a September start date with “graduation” at the following Easter Vigil. If you joined now as an inquirer in our parish today, the earliest you’d be baptized is at Easter Vigil 2014. The earliest you would go through the Rite of Acceptance, at this point, is Advent. But even that is coming up very soon. So, Easter (season) would be our next Rite of Acceptance.

It isn’t a random thing that some parishes in the U.S. are doing just to create a long catechumenate. A year long catechumenate has been mandated by the USCCB. Easter 2012 was the first Easter that our catechumens had been in RCIA for a year.

It seems like a long time, but all who have been in our year long catechumenate express how quick the time goes, and how they were glad to have taken the time. Conversion isn’t something that can be scheduled. The Holy Spirit is working in our lives. By the time the people are baptized, they are without question, converted to Christ.

 

[PJM]

=Haldren21;9754479]Hello everyone. I just recently enrolled in RCIA and my first meeting is a week from today. I am curious about something though. The director for the program said that it was a 2 and a half year process. 4 months for Inquiry, then the rest as a Catechumen. I was under the impression that you just start and get baptized at the following Easter. The director says they have a year round program, so I am guessing that means you don’t have to start in September. Could anyone clear this up? This is my parish: www.sldm.org

RCIA form and format is the responsibility of the Local Bishop and the Parish priest.

What you describe was the NORM in the EARLY Church. Most parishes just don’t have the resources to do it that way any more.

It is unusual but acceptable practice and you’ll benefit GREATLY from the experience.

Are you a “baptized Christian” now?

This is a extremely important issue. PLEASE RESPOND.

Let me know if you have any other questions,

God Bless,
pat /PJM here on this FORUM