Born Catholic + RCIA

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Adrian89

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If I was born Catholic but strayed do I have to do RCIA to come back?
 
Adrian89 said:
If I was born Catholic but strayed do I have to do RCIA to come back?
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Just go to see priest in confession. Tell him your sins, how long you’ve been away, how many times you missed mass, etc. Once absolved, your good to go! Welcome back!
 
I went to a Catholic elementary school but transferred to public school and lost my faith around 12-13
 
Just go to confession. Let the priest know when you start that you’ve been gone, and he will be able to lead you through the sacrament if you need help. After confession, it would do you some good to read up on Catholic morality and theology so you can know what we believe (I left the faith after confirmation, and found when I returned that my childhood catechesis hadn’t done much for me).

No RCIA necessary- now, are you planning on returning to the Church, or is this just hypothetical?
 
Do as others have said. I recommend some sort of class just so you can get more educated in the faith though.
 
I am reading intensely and have finally read the Bible and most of my views align with Catholicism but I am currently attending a Methodist Church. I would like to be Catholic again
 
For one, Methodists do not believe in the real presence (transubstantiation)
 
Many people find it helpful to have some support when they return to the Church. When you talk with your priest you might ask if they have a program like Landings or Catholics Coming Home. There you will meet others in your sane situation and have some support as you make your way home.
 
Hi,

As others have said you should go to confession, and you are good to go.

You can, if you want, also join RCIA for the purpose of faith education and not for conversion purposes. You may find that learning about your faith again as an adult will reawaken it a bit more, and help familiarise yourself within it.

Your parish priest should be able to help you figure out if RCIA for the purposes of faith education is appropriate or if there are other resources available to you.

All the best, and welcome home! 🌷
 
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You don’t have to attend RCIA, but I highly recommend it if you fell away around your early teenage years. The more you know about the Church and your faith, the better prepared you’ll be. Do pick up some books by the saints as well and try some spiritual reading. God bless and welcome back!
 
Adrian89 said:
If I was born Catholic but strayed do I have to do RCIA to come back?
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No one is “born Catholic”. If we are born into a Catholic family we are most often baptized as infants, so we call ourselves “cradle Catholics”!

No, you do not HAVE to do RCIA, but it is a great way to learn more about your faith. You can attend RCIA even if you have had all your sacraments. Once you are firmly re-established in your faith, you can sponsor someone.

You can also bring your questions here to CAF and we will help you as much as we can.
Adrian89 said:
Yes I have been confirmed
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You might want to spend some time preparing for a good confession, then make an appt. with a priest since sometimes these confessions may take longer than a few minutes.


 
Adrian89 said:
I am reading intensely and have finally read the Bible and most of my views align with Catholicism but I am currently attending a Methodist Church. I would like to be Catholic again
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That is interesting. When I strayed from my cradle Catholic faith, I ended up in a Methodist community.

You have always been “Catholic”, just "lapsed’. I thank God for all the things I learned from the Methodists. Learning abut my faith eventually led me back.

Do you have a copy of the Catechism?

YOu might enjoy The Journey Home, Marcus Grodi interviews people like yourself.

http://www.ewtn.com/tv/live/journeyhome.asp

Try to attend some Lenten penitential services, and especially, the Easter Triduum.

 
guanophore said:
That is interesting. When I strayed from my cradle Catholic faith, I ended up in a Methodist community.

… I thank God for all the things I learned from the Methodists. Learning abut my faith eventually led me back.
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Yes, interesting. The Baptists, Pentacostals, Presbyterians, Lutherans and Orthodox retaught me the faith in a loving, caring, Christian environment. Didnt find my way back to my cradle faith, Roman Catholicism, but it is Eastern Catholic.

Says a lot about Roman practices on relying on arbitrary rules which manifest differently at every parish. It would serve them well to exhibit the same loving, caring and Christian attitudes. It may help retain more cradles instead of having them reboot their faith elsewhere.
 
Casilda said:
Didnt find my way back to my cradle faith, Roman Catholicism, but it is Eastern Catholic.
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I ended up much more “Eastern” as well. I have never had much interest in the passion to define and intellectually pigeon hole the doctrines of the faith. Rather than arguing over them, it is better for me to accept them as Divine Mysteries.
Casilda said:
Says a lot about Roman practices on relying on arbitrary rules which manifest differently at every parish.
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I don’t think that any of the "rules’ (perhaps you mean disciplines?) are random, and things must be done differently for pastoral reasons. There are some disciplines that can be relaxed to accommodate the needs of the faithful.

I do think that the adult catechesis is abysmal. It is one of the reasons I left. I was starving to learn more about my faith, and the mamby pamby classes just were not working. I wanted to read the Bible, and that never happened at home or in catechism. It may take converts and reverts such as yourself to help the Church win the souls of the cradle Catholics.
 
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