Children who want to join the Church

[ICXCNIKA]

Let’s say an adult wants to join the Catholic Church and is going through RCIA. She has children under the age of twelve. Can her children receive baptism at Easter with their mother? Do they need to go through any special classes?

Thanks.

 

[1ke]

Let’s say an adult wants to join the Catholic Church and is going through RCIA. She has children under the age of twelve. Can her children receive baptism at Easter with their mother? Do they need to go through any special classes?

Thanks.

Yes, they can.

Unbaptized children typically go through RCIC, which is RCIA taught at the child’s level.

 

[SMHW]

Children over the age of reason (age 7 or so) are normally baptized at the Easter Vigil. And as 1ke stated, they go through RCIC.

Younger children are not usually baptized at the Easter Vigil unless there is a special reason to do so. But having other family members baptized at the Easter Vigil is a pretty good reason. Typically younger children ought to be baptized as soon as possible but if the parent(s) is/are not yet fully initiated then the Church would likely want to delay the baptism of healthy children.

A couple of years ago at my parish we had a woman and her four children baptized. (The father was already baptized.) The youngest child was an infant. (Mom was pregnant when she began RCIA.)

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Let’s say an adult wants to join the Catholic Church and is going through RCIA. She has children under the age of twelve. Can her children receive baptism at Easter with their mother? Do they need to go through any special classes?

Thanks.

Children under the age of 7 would be Baptized as infants, usually during the Easter season, not at the Easter Vigil. Children over the age of 7 are required to go through RCIA, however a childrens version of it. They would be Baptized, Confirmed, and receive their First Holy Communion at the Easter Vigil.

 

[NMJenny]

You don’t say if the children have been previously baptized in another Christian Church–if so, and if it is a church that has a valid baptism, then the children do not have to go through any special program, they simply start attending CCD or are enrolled in a Catholic school.

When I was received, my youngest was only 9 and had been baptized in the Episcopal Church. She was actually a little hurt that there wasn’t any sort of ceremony for her–she really wanted a white candle. So Father got one for her, gave it a special blessing and presented it to her, which really thrilled her…

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

You don’t say if the children have been previously baptized in another Christian Church–if so, and if it is a church that has a valid baptism, then the children do not have to go through any special program, they simply start attending CCD or are enrolled in a Catholic school.

When I was received, my youngest was only 9 and had been baptized in the Episcopal Church. She was actually a little hurt that there wasn’t any sort of ceremony for her–she really wanted a white candle. So Father got one for her, gave it a special blessing and presented it to her, which really thrilled her…

But there would be a ceremony or should have been for her. She still would have participated in the Rite of Welcome and the Rite of Reception into the Caholic Church, while attending a RCIA like program for children or while joining her proper age group in CCD type program.

 

[puzzleannie]

Let’s say an adult wants to join the Catholic Church and is going through RCIA. She has children under the age of twelve. Can her children receive baptism at Easter with their mother? Do they need to go through any special classes?

Thanks.

yes unbaptized children over the age of discretion (generally age 7) participate in RCIA with their peers and are brought into the Church at the same time as their parents, if it is a case of a whole family. Children under 7 can be baptized at any time, Easter or before, and then will be brought for religious instruction and preparation for the other sacraments at the appropriate age in their diocese.

Note: CCD/RE/PSR does not equal RCIA

 

[NMJenny]

But there would be a ceremony or should have been for her. She still would have participated in the Rite of Welcome and the Rite of Reception into the Caholic Church, while attending a RCIA like program for children or while joining her proper age group in CCD type program.

If you’ll notice the date on which I swam the Tiber, Br. Rich, none of the programs for children that you describe existed then (at least they didn’t in our parish). My little one simply started attending CCD after school, and the next summer two nuns ran a First Communion program for older children (she was ten by that time) and she received for the first time that summer…

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

If you’ll notice the date on which I swam the Tiber, Br. Rich, none of the programs for children that you describe existed then (at least they didn’t in our parish). My little one simply started attending CCD after school, and the next summer two nuns ran a First Communion program for older children (she was ten by that time) and she received for the first time that summer…

I didn’t notice the date, that was a bit before RCIA, but RCIA has or should have been in place for the last 20 years.