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Hello just to let everyone know I’ll be starting rcia classes in september!!! im so excited any thoughts would be appreciated.
 
Well done to you. You’re way ahead of me.

I’m going to my first ever Mass on Sunday and am terrified.

After talking to the Preist of the Parish on the phone, he asked me to introduce myself to him after Mass finishes.

I’m both terrified & excited!!
 
Welcome to you both!
There’s no reason to be frightened. It might seem strange and/or weird to you at first, but soon enough it will feel just like home and you’ll wonder what you were ever afraid of!

I became Catholic in 2000 and am so happy I did!

Welcome HOME!
Steph
 
Hi to both of you - I have just been received into the Church myself. If you ever need any totally non-judgmental advice, answers to questions etc - please feel free to PM me.
God Bless:thumbsup:
 
JUPITERMADCAT said:
Hello just to let everyone know I’ll be starting rcia classes in september!!! im so excited any thoughts would be appreciated.
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Contratulations! May you be blessed on this, the most exciting and wonderful journey of your life!
 
Congratulations to you !!
Between now and September you might want to do some good Catholic reading as a “prep” for the course.

I recommend FAITH OF OUR FATHERS by Gibbons.
It is excellent. Also, Karl Keating’s book CATHOLICISM AND FUNDAMENTALISM.

Both are available from amazon.com
Just click on BOOKS and type the title of the book
and it will come up for you.

God bless !!
Jaypeeto3
 
JUPITERMADCAT said:
Hello just to let everyone know I’ll be starting rcia classes in september!!! im so excited any thoughts would be appreciated.
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Congratulations! I am an RCIA Catholic and was confirmed on Apr 10 2004.

Just remember that growing in your faith is a process, and class doesn’t end at your confirmation. Be open to learning something new every day … you and I have 2,000 years of catching up to do!

Congratulations again, and keep us posted as to your progress. If you have questions during the RCIA process, come find us and we’ll do our best to help.
 
JUPITERMADCAT and EDKidd, may God lead both of you as you seek His will in your lives. Trust and obey Him.

Read a lot, or listen to CDs a lot. Learn everything. The Catholic Church is a treasure trove.

(Gee, JeffFerguson, I was also received into the Catholic Church on April 10, 2004! I was evangelical Protestant for over 40 years.)
 
Welcome home 👍

Each RCIA class is done a little differently since they are run by the local parishes, but they all try to cover a lot of history in a very short time. Don’t get discouraged or overwhelmed, there is no test at the end 😃

God Bless
 
For everyone new to the Church, Welcome Home!

This is a good DVD to explain the Mass for everybody. It was beautifully done, and it’s awesome!

catholicmass.org/
 
good for you i will pray so all goes well keep me posted on your rcia classes. as a cradle catholic i never took those, so i always wonder. May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be Adored, Glorified, Loved & Preserved throughout the world, now & forever. Sacred Heart of Jesus, please pray for me. Saint Jude, Worker of Miracles, please pray for me. Saint Jude, Helper of the Hopeless, please pray for me. Amen:)
 
Welcome the the Church!

If you want to read books that will reaffirm your decision, I suggest any of the “Surprised by Truth” books by Patrick Madrid or “Journeys Home” by Marcus Grodi.

Also, like others have said, your RCIA classes are just the “initiation” to the wealth of the faith. You will never stop uncovering the beauty of our faith.

You might try going to catholic.com/radio/calendar.php and listening to the Catholic Answers radio call in show archives. I listen to those while I am working and have learned a ton.

God Bless!
 
Welcome to Catholic Answers, and most of all Welcome Home!!! Catholic mass is absolutely nothing to be terrified about. Nobody is going to corner you and shout questions in your face or make you fill out forms… relax!!! There are a few things that you may find helpful.

  1. *]When you enter a Catholic Church there is a little container with holy water in it. You will notice people dipping their hand in the water then touching it to their forehead, chest, left shoulder then right shoulder. This is the sign of the cross. You may hear them whisper, "In the name of the Father (touch forehead), and the Son (touch chest or abdomen), and the Holy Spirit (touch shoulders). You are perfectly welcome to do this or not…it is your choice.
    *]Yes the rumors about Sit Stand Kneel are true… we do assume different positions at different times during the mass. Just follow along with what they are doing if you want to blend in…hint… don’t sit in the front pew if you are nervous about following along.
    *]When people go up for communion watch them. Most parishes allow or ask you to go up for a blessing if you cannot receive communion. To receive communion you must be a Catholic or Orthodox already. Going up for a blessing is entirely up to you. Most parishes ask that you cross your arms over your chest to let the priest know you are there for a blessing and not communion. If you don’t feel comfortable going up…that’s ok too. Nobody is going to force you.
    *]When you first go into the church and find your seat you will see people genuflecting before they enter their pew to sit down… again, entirely up to you… if you want to, this is accomplished by standing next to your pew and dropping your right knee to the floor and returning to a standing position… some people also incorporate the sign of the cross at this point.
    *]The liturgy is very traditional… there are different parts of the mass. I don’t want to confuse you with too much information, so I won’t list them here. Just know that even though the bible readings are different, the format has been the same for about 2000 years.
    Don’t be nervous. Nobody is even going to notice that you are uncertain of what to do…not to mention, nobody is judging whether you know what to do when… simple!!! Nothing at all to be worried about!!!
 
BlestOne said:
Welcome to Catholic Answers, and most of all Welcome Home!!! Catholic mass is absolutely nothing to be terrified about. Nobody is going to corner you and shout questions in your face or make you fill out forms… relax!!! There are a few things that you may find helpful.

  1. *]When you enter a Catholic Church there is a little container with holy water in it. You will notice people dipping their hand in the water then touching it to their forehead, chest, left shoulder then right shoulder. This is the sign of the cross. You may hear them whisper, "In the name of the Father (touch forehead), and the Son (touch chest or abdomen), and the Holy Spirit (touch shoulders). You are perfectly welcome to do this or not…it is your choice.
    *]Yes the rumors about Sit Stand Kneel are true… we do assume different positions at different times during the mass. Just follow along with what they are doing if you want to blend in…hint… don’t sit in the front pew if you are nervous about following along.
    *]When people go up for communion watch them. Most parishes allow or ask you to go up for a blessing if you cannot receive communion. To receive communion you must be a Catholic or Orthodox already. Going up for a blessing is entirely up to you. Most parishes ask that you cross your arms over your chest to let the priest know you are there for a blessing and not communion. If you don’t feel comfortable going up…that’s ok too. Nobody is going to force you.
    *]When you first go into the church and find your seat you will see people genuflecting before they enter their pew to sit down… again, entirely up to you… if you want to, this is accomplished by standing next to your pew and dropping your right knee to the floor and returning to a standing position… some people also incorporate the sign of the cross at this point.
    *]The liturgy is very traditional… there are different parts of the mass. I don’t want to confuse you with too much information, so I won’t list them here. Just know that even though the bible readings are different, the format has been the same for about 2000 years.
    Don’t be nervous. Nobody is even going to notice that you are uncertain of what to do…not to mention, nobody is judging whether you know what to do when… simple!!! Nothing at all to be worried about!!!
Click to expand...

  1. This is just what I needed.

    Thank you very much indeed.

    👍
 
May I add a little to what BlestOne has described so well about mass?
  1. The blessing with Holy Water is not an empty ritual. It is done to remember our baptism and the vows that we took (basically belief in the Apostles Creed and renouncing of Satan). As an ex-evangelical Protestant, I think this is really cool! After I was baptized as a Baptist, I never thought about it again. Some people criticize Catholics becaue they are baptized when they are babies and therefore don’t remember it. That’s not true! Catholics remember their baptism everytime they bless themselves with Holy Water.
  2. The genuflecting is also not just an empty ritual. Catholics believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is truly present in the Blessed Sacrament in the Tabernacle. We are not kneeling for the Church or the Priest or statues or idols. We are kneeling before Jesus, our Lord and King. I want to mention that many people who cannot kneel due to physical limitations will do a profound bow instead.
One more thing–the order of the mass is somewhere in the missal. This will help you find the responses and read along. It’s better than standing there feeling left out. The Bible readings are also in the missal, so if you bring your Bible, you can look them up and follow along. Some churches announce the hymns and some have some kind of magnetic board with the hymns posted. Our parish actually has a digital display, but sometimes the organist/pianist forgets to change the display!

Oh–be prepared for an hour or less! That is such a shock if you come out of evangelical churches where the sermon alone is usually at least 45 minutes, and the praise and worship time can last twenty minutes!
 
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