Both Catechumens and Candiates at your Vigil?

[SMHW]

At our parish we had 10 people receive all three of their sacraments of initiation at the Easter Vigil. In years past we also would have people received into the Church and have adult Catholics complete their sacraments of initiation.

But for the past few years we pretty much limit the Vigil to catechumens. Those who are being received into the Church are typically received at Pentecost, Epiphany, or some other such time. (We might make allowances for cases where a family has a mixture of candidates and catechumens.)

So how are things done at your parish? Do both candidates and catechumens ordinarily enter the Church at the Vigil or do they enter the Church at different times?

 

[janessa1850]

I too wondered about this. Every Easter Vigil I ever went to ----including when I came through the RCIA----has included both Catachumens and Candidates’ initiation, where they received the 3 sacraments at the Vigil. This year, same diocese but different church, they initiated the Candidates on Palm Sunday, with very little fanfar I might add, and initiated the Catachumens at the Vigil. Does anyone know why this is happening? Everyone in the RCIA has come through the entire process together, and I feel they should be initiated together, and welcomed at a reception afterward. There should be great celebration of new converts joining the Church!! Anyone have any information about this?

 

[beegirl]

There were both Candadites (like me) and Catechumens at our Easter vigil mass. I didn’t know other parishes did this differently…or who decides which way to do it I thought it was a beautiful ceremony for everyone

 

[SMHW]

I too wondered about this. Every Easter Vigil I ever went to ----including when I came through the RCIA----has included both Catachumens and Candidates’ initiation, where they received the 3 sacraments at the Vigil. This year, same diocese but different church, they initiated the Candidates on Palm Sunday, with very little fanfar I might add, and initiated the Catachumens at the Vigil. Does anyone know why this is happening? Everyone in the RCIA has come through the entire process together, and I feel they should be initiated together, and welcomed at a reception afterward. There should be great celebration of new converts joining the Church!! Anyone have any information about this?

I agree there should be great celebration for both groups of new Catholics, But the point of separating the reception of the candidates from that of the catechumens is to honor and recognize the fact that candidates are already fellow Christians.

 

[TrueLight]

At my Parish they had both the Candidates and Catechumens sit together.

 

[TheMc]

We have both. Why wouldn’t you receive them into full communion on easter? Isn’t that the best time?

 

[KarenElissa]

We have Catechumens, Candidates and an Adult Confirmation group at our Easter Vigil. They are three separate classes though, the RCIA lasts about 9 months, Sept - Easter, Profession of Faith (for candidates) lasts about 3 months, and Adult Confirmation lasts about 6 weeks. We also have a Profession of Faith and Adult Confirmation class in the fall with confirmations on the Feast of Christ the King.

As for why not to receive candidates at the same time as the catechumens, as I understand it, candidates are to be received at a separate time after a shorter period of time. For pastoral reasons, they can be received at the same time as long as a clear distinction is made between the baptized and unbaptized. The other issue is that sometimes the bishop reserves the right to confirm adult Catholics, so they have to wait until the bishop comes around.

 

[pnewton]

We always receive both at Easter Vigil. Sometimes the service is very long. Perhaps they were just trying to shorten it by doing the Candidates at another time?

 

[Phemie]

While both are allowed, the Vigil is primarily about Baptism and the catechumens.

Candidates can be received into full communion at any time, and really, they should be received as soon as they are ready, not made to wait for some arbitrary moment of the liturgical year. The Rite itself suggests that they not be made to wait unnecessarily.

As for Catholic candidates, the priest must request permission to confirm them since it’s not his role to do so. Many bishops prefer to confirm them themselves. We’ve had a mother confirmed at the same confirmation ceremony as her two daughters and their classmates.

Doing the Beginnings and Beyond course on RCIA was an eye opener for me. What the RCIA is supposed to be and what it ends up being in far too many parishes are two vastly different things.