Any Updates from those in RCIA?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dlee
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
I don’t think just introducing yourself and making small talk before class starts or at its end is prying. Don’t wait for your instructor, just greet people with a smile and a handshake and say “hello, my name is SarahKate, nice to meet you!”
 
Our RCIA started 3 weeks ago (in the UK). So far, we have talked lots and shared our faith backgrounds. We have discussed who Jesus is to us as an individual and tomorrow we will be looking at the Bible. One person is a baptised Catholic who has not received any other sacraments, the other 5 or 6 of us are either from an Anglican or Baptist background. One man has been married to a Catholic for many, many years. We are quite a diverse little group. My husband is keen to learn more about the differences between Catholic and Protestant teaching, rather than just general faith matters. I am sure we will get to that in time. Thanks for asking by the way.That is really thoughtful. x
 
I don’t think so, but it could be a possibility…

He did make mention at Easter about not being able to bring anyone in, and hoped there would be at least one this year.
 
We’ve had three lessons so far. We have people there for a variety of reasons, marrying a Catholic, finishing sacraments of initiation, my grandma urged me to come…etc. Our first session was a meet and greet/journey of faith discussion. Second lesson was the Catholic view on Divine Revelation, the scripture/Tradition/magisterium connection. The third lesson was how Catholics read and interpret the bible, through the lens of reading the text not literally, but literarily. Tomorrow night will be the overview of the entire salvation story.
 
PJM said:
40.png
SarahKate:
Yikes. 😬 There’s about 14-15 of us. Should I say something to the director? Or maybe try to initiate conversation myself?
Click to expand...
Yes, please do. If that fails, stay after class and have a personal chat with your concerns being mentioned. IF {GOD forbid} that doesn’t work, then YOU have a private conversation with either DRE {Parish Director of Religious Education} or your Pastor.

This is FAR too important to let it keep going this way. {I Co-taught RCIA for 3 years}

God Bless you, and keep US in the LOOP.
Patrick
Click to expand...
Are there official rules of how RCIA is to be conducted? I understand it’s nice to have interaction between participants but is it really as important as you state? I sat in on our adult convert class last year to learn more catechism, and it was lecture with no discussion, though we did introduce ourselves in the beginning. I learned a ton.
 
There is an official document (book) Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. I have the Study Edition. Paragraph 75 stresses RCIA is a process planned to be gradual and complete in coverage, accommodated to the liturgical year and supported by celebration of the word.emphasized text 78 The instruction that the catechumens receive during this period should be of a kind that while presenting Catholic teaching in its entirety also enlightens faith, directs the heart toward God, fosters participation in the liturgy, inspires apostolic activity, and nurtures a life completely in accord with the spirit of Christ.
 
I have two meta questions:
  1. Is RCIA strictly mandatory if you want to become Catholic in the US? Would they e.g. not baptize an adult without him/her going through it first?
  2. Which other countries have similar approaches? I do not think we have a RCIA equivalent here in Europe.
 
Last edited:
Dlee said:
Here is a link to a great article on Paragraph 75

Catechist’s Journey – 2 Jun 17

Possibly the Most Important Paragraph in a Church Document: RCIA #75​

Several years ago, a campaign began to invite former Catholics to return to the Church: Catholics Come Home. But did you ever ask, “What are folks coming

RCIA should not be a class or classroom experience. It’s about individuals and their stories, too.
Click to expand...
That may be what the article states but it is not quite what paragraph 75 states. Subsection 1. starts with the words “A suitable catechesis is provided…” The purpose of RCIA is to teach enough of the faith for those looking to enter the Catholic Church do so with enough information to make an informed choice. That must be done in a setting conducive to catechesis, ie. classroom
 
LisaB said:
Are there official rules of how RCIA is to be conducted? I understand it’s nice to have interaction between participants but is it really as important as you state? I sat in on our adult convert class last year to learn more catechism, and it was lecture with no discussion, though we did introduce ourselves in the beginning. I learned a ton.
Click to expand...
No,

The Norm is for the Local Bishop to set at least the Broad guidelines, and then leave it ALL in the hands of the Pastor.

So the content and the quality of the teachers can, and often to vary from parish to parish.

Interaction is ESSENTIAL to “communication”.

I spent 3 years Co teaching RCIA and about 15 years teaching Religious Education. I also was a National Sales Trainer for the company I worked for.

RCIA is for the benefit of the participants; NOT for the ease of those teaching it. …These beautiful Souls HAVE many questions that PRUDENCE demands an opportunity to be asked and responded too.

So please DO have that before of after class private conversation with your instructor.

Teachers are there NOT only to “instruct” {though this too necessary; they are there to also INFORM with requires a Q & A opportunities.

HOW can she judge if what she is teaching is being TAUGHT without questions?

May Jesus Guide both your paths.
Patrick
 
I will speak to her.
I definitely haven’t meant to cause friction on here about RCIA with anyone.

To be honest, this nearly 2 year journey to this point has been the loneliest I have ever felt in my life. I just want to meet real, live, actual people who are going through the same things I am. My husband was baptized catholic, but was never confirmed bc they stopped going when he was a small child. He had zero faith formation until he was an adult and invited to attend a Baptist Church, where he “got saved.” We have had so much strife and stress in our marriage because of me finding out about the Early Church Fathers and reading everything I can get my hands on for nearly 2 years about the EC and Catholicism.
This has been a very hard journey, and it still will be as time gets closer to me having to make a formal decision. And knowing that it will cause more disharmony between not just me and my husband, but our entire family dynamic with our 3 kids whom I’m trying to raise (as a homeschooling mom) in Catholic teaching.

Thank you for the encouragement y’all.
 
RCIA means Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. It describes the process how adults are received into the Church. Classes might be in a group setting or private depending upon the priest and the one being received. It describes the different stages that are taken place during the time of preparation like the Rite of election, Admissio when future Catholics meet the bishop, receiving Our Father prayer and the Creed, preparation prayers said during Mass for preparing a good Confession etc.

RCIA is the normal process for receiving adults into the Catholic Church. Something that is very typical for the Catholic Church is that “you should know what you are doing”. Therefor the preparation is longer to receive the sacraments than in other ecclesial communions. We have to know what we say yes to and what we confess as Catholics. The Orthodox have a longer preparation time as well.

In the case of emergency like serious illnesses that might end up in the non baptised person dying, they are baptised, confirmed and receive Eucharist asap. Teaching will then be later. Someone already baptised who is preparing to be received into the Church will receive the Sacrament of Confession (if they can communicate), Sacrament of Confirmation and then the Eucharist. All will receive a Catholic funeral in case of death.

The parishes in Europe might call classes something like “Catholic faith and teaching”, “Introduction to Catholic teaching”. Saying you are going to RCIA sounds good in English but might not in another language. Diocese of Salford, UK calls it RCIA while the Diocese of Helsinki, Finland calls it “Johdantokurssi katoliseen uskoon” (Introduction to Catholic teaching) and is mostly taught in Finnish.
 
SarahKate said:
This has been a very hard journey, and it still will be as time gets closer to me having to make a formal decision. And knowing that it will cause more disharmony between not just me and my husband, but our entire family dynamic with our 3 kids whom I’m trying to raise (as a homeschooling mom) in Catholic teaching.
Click to expand...
There is my friend, always a necessary price to pay. But GOD IS ON YOUR SIDE.
Seldom do truly Good Things come easy.

Pray very much and persevere.
 
SarahKate said:
To be honest, this nearly 2 year journey to this point has been the loneliest I have ever felt in my life. I just want to meet real, live, actual people who are going through the same things I am.
Click to expand...
I’m right there with you. I feel entirely alone offline. My husband is not converting with me, so there is a lot of friction in my home as well. It is up to me and me alone to teach my children the faith. It is so overwhelming. I don’t know any real life Catholics, and I sure wish I did.

This whole process would be so much easier if I knew at least one person in real life that I could talk to.
 
Seems this has been discussed before:
40.png
Is RCIA universal? Liturgy and Sacraments
Although many parishes do use the term, there is no such thing as RCIC. In this instance the Church considers anyone who has attained the age of reason to be an "adult. What most likely happens is that the catechetical instruction and some of the formative activities of the RCIA are adapted to the children’s level but the children are to participate in the same ceremonies of the RCIA with the “grownup” adults.
Click to expand...
RCIA does really not exist here in Germany (or generally most parts of Europe).
We may have some faith courses and stuff, but hardly on parish but rather on diocesan level.
 
HeDa said:
Therefor the preparation is longer
Click to expand...
A little off topic:

Honestly, this is a huge reason I probably won’t ever convert. I don’t understand why I, a baptized Christian, that was basically raised in church needs to go back and spend 8 months re-learning much of what I already know.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top