Confused About Reception Into Church

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AverageCatholicGirl

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Hi everyone,
I’m a new member of Catholic Answers Forum, and I was wondering if anyone could help me with a question that’s been bothering me lately.

Here it is:
So, I’m a recent convert to the Catholic Faith (I converted about a year and a half ago from being a Protestant). Anyway, I went through R.C.I.A. (it was a really small class composed of myself and another person) and it finally came time for me to enter into the Church during the Easter Vigil. However, this is where it gets a little weird for me…I received Confirmation and First Holy Communion, but, as a Candidate, I’m pretty sure that I was never required to make a Profession of Faith, and that I was never formally received into the Church. ??? I mean, I find it disturbing because I’ve read before on different occasions that the Profession of Faith is necessary for Candidates seeking entry into the Church. Did my priest mess up? Am I not in Full Communion with the Catholic Church? Or perhaps it’s my Protestant Baptism or Catholic Confirmation that makes me Catholic? I’m not sure and very confused. Please help. 🙂 Thank you.
 
The Vigil is long and it is easy to forget things.

Do you remember being asked about believing all that the Catholic Church teaches to be true? That was the profession of Faith.
 
If you were confirmed and received the Eucharist, it seems unlikely the priest skipped over the profession of faith.
 
Hello! Thank you for your reply! No, I was not asked about “believing all that the Catholic Church teaches to be true”. That is what is upsetting me right now.
 
The Easter Vigil is long as in about 1.5 hours with the Exsultet and readings and then about 1 hour Mass with homily, renewing the baptismal promises, baptisms and everyone being sprinkled with holy water, the Sacrament of Confirmation etc. Maybe the priest thought it was enough with renewing your baptismal promises?

I was certain that we heard John 1 Prologue the year I was received but it is not one of the readings during the vigil. It is very hard to remember everything that happens during the Easter Vigil, especially if it is the first one or two vigils one take part in. I left my very first Catholic Easter vigil with the feeling of finally celebrating Easter and I was disappointed that there were no baptisms.
 
Maybe stop by the Parish Office. The Sacramental Register records your Profession of Faith.
 
Hi! Thank you. Yeah, I know right? But I’m pretty positive it didn’t happen for me. I think there was some confusion because I was the only Candidate there. The other person who went through R.C.I.A. with me was already Catholic (I think he was baptized Catholic a long time ago), but was seeking Confirmation. Also, there was a little boy there who was getting baptized as well, so…we had quite the assortment of things going on…
 
Yes…That’s kind of what I was wondering as well. I was conditionally baptized during the Easter Vigil (I told the deacon that I wanted to be because I was unsure about my last baptism being valid). Anyway…Maybe the priest thought that this would count for my Profession of Faith (even though the two are different). Idk…
 
Oh…and I wanted to ask…What should I do if it’s not there? Should I ask my priest about why it was omitted? I doubt he’ll remember…
 
I understand that you are worried, but don’t you think the priest knows his job?

Part of the Easter Vigil is making a profession of faith- the Baptismal promises are repeated in place of the Creed. (at least that is how it has been done in every parish I have been involved with)

If it will make you feel better, by all means, speak with a priest, but I really wouldn’t worry about it.
 
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If you were conditionally baptised then you would have said “Yes” to each of the questions asked in the Baptism promises. Someone being baptised would not make the profession of faith that candidates say "I believe and profess all that the Catholic Church… "

Problem solved!
 
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I appreciate your answer. Honestly, that probably is what my priest was thinking! But…Unfortunately, for some reason or another, I still have some uneasiness about it all…You see, to me these are two separate things…I was a Candidate and I had already been baptized as a Protestant before. Assuming that this Baptism was valid (which it probably was), that would mean that my Conditional Baptism would not have meant anything. So…For me, shouldn’t it have gone…Conditional Baptism —> Profession of Faith —> Confirmation —> First Communion? It just doesn’t make sense to me to omit the Profession of Faith that Candidates take (not those who are being baptized; Conditionally or otherwise). I really hope my Conditional Baptism does cover this, but honestly, I don’t know.
 
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If you were already baptized, the actual sacrament (the “if you are not already baptized, I baptize you…” part) didn’t have any additional effect, but as part of the larger rite surrounding it, you did assent to the profession of faith, even though it was in the “about to be baptized” rather than the “about to be received” format.
 
Honestly, I wish I could (and I am trying to)…but, I keep getting tempted to fear that he made a mistake. I just keep getting bothered by this…One person said it might be the devil, trying to dredge up doubt, but idk…I mean, priests are only human (maybe he just made a mistake with me?)…

The Easter Vigil was kind of confusing though…I mean, I’ve read that a Candidate in line for Conditional Baptism should not be treated as a Catechuman (meaning that the Conditional Baptism should not be done at the Easter Vigil). And mine was…I just got the feeling that I was being treated as a Catechuman (I mean, the priest even Conditionally Baptized me, essentially at the same time he was actually Baptizing a little boy during the Easter Vigil). I don’t even know if the parishioners, etc. at the Easter Vigil even understood that I was not being Baptized for the first time…So yeah…Confusing. 🙂
 
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