Converting to Catholicism in TLM Parish

[ConvertHereYay]

I may suggest this to a friend (baptized in Trinitarian form, in a protestant church) who is concerned with unorthodox teachings in RCIA (I experienced it). I gave him a TLM missal (the famous red one) and he admires this liturgy, and has been displeased with the Novus Ordo and parishes in his area. I’m not sure of the details. He will be attending TLM (a FSSP parish) for the first time. I know they do not use RCIA but rather private preparation with a priest. Can anyone shed light on this process? He’s been Christian for a “long time” in Protestant communities already.

Thanks. I just want to give him a preview if possible.

 

[MIKE46]

I may suggest this to a friend (baptized in Trinitarian form, in a protestant church) who is concerned with unorthodox teachings in RCIA (I experienced it). I gave him a TLM missal (the famous red one) and he admires this liturgy, and has been displeased with the Novus Ordo and parishes in his area. I’m not sure of the details. He will be attending TLM (a FSSP parish) for the first time. I know they do not use RCIA but rather private preparation with a priest. Can anyone shed light on this process? He’s been Christian for a “long time” in Protestant communities already.

Thanks. I just want to give him a preview if possible.

I am not completely sure that a form of RCIA is not used as it is the standard of the Church at this time.

If you would like a good example of how the old process worked I would reccomend reading the Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton. He was a convert to the Catholic Faith, I believe in his mid to late twenties. He gives a thourough acvcount of the process from start to finish/ It may help.

 

[Timothysis]

It is odd, to me, that anyone who is “displeased” with the Ordinary Form of the liturgy would want to convert at all. One either embraces the Truth of the Church or doesn’t; the Church has little need for yet another cafeteria catholic.

 

[corsair]

I can fully understand your friends apprehension with some RCIA classes. It varies widely from parish to parish. In the FSSP, the priest will give personalized instruction (one on one). This will give your friend the chance to be completely open with the priest.

You’ll not find better instruction in the Catholic faith. As a matter of fact, he’ll receive detailed instruction about the meaning and significance of the Mass and all its parts as well as the Doctrines. Its much more open than in the confines of some radical sister hell bent on liberation theology or social justice.

I would highly recommend the FSSP method. (it was the way I was converted back in 1970).

 

[ljubim]

I may suggest this to a friend (baptized in Trinitarian form, in a protestant church) who is concerned with unorthodox teachings in RCIA (I experienced it). I gave him a TLM missal (the famous red one) and he admires this liturgy, and has been displeased with the Novus Ordo and parishes in his area. I’m not sure of the details. He will be attending TLM (a FSSP parish) for the first time. I know they do not use RCIA but rather private preparation with a priest. Can anyone shed light on this process? He’s been Christian for a “long time” in Protestant communities already.

Thanks. I just want to give him a preview if possible.

I remember one poster has talked about how he would have the priest over for beer and pizza once a week until the priest knew he was ready

It is odd, to me, that anyone who is “displeased” with the Ordinary Form of the liturgy would want to convert at all. One either embraces the Truth of the Church or doesn’t; the Church has little need for yet another cafeteria catholic.

REALLY don’t like what you are implying. You should learn more about the Church before posting hurtful things like this.

 

[ConvertHereYay]

It is odd, to me, that anyone who is “displeased” with the Ordinary Form of the liturgy would want to convert at all. One either embraces the Truth of the Church or doesn’t; the Church has little need for yet another cafeteria catholic.

Actually he’s not displeased with the OF. He’s visited parishes and heard about unorthodox RCIA programs (or teachers in programs). He embraces the Catholic Church, but is displeased with the celebration of some OF Masses in his area. I will not disclose parish names.

 

[The_Reginator]

I converted in 1996.
At that time there was no RCIA at the local OF parish.
I ended up at an FSSP parish and had one-to-one instruction from a very ‘orthodox’ Catholic priest. I only learned the traditional Church teaching and only from a source that I knew I could trust. (The local parish priest actually turned my off with his ‘don’t worry about dogma’ response to my request.)
The instruction from a TLM parish priest should result in good Catholic formation with a strong foundation for one’s spiritual life.
:knight1:

 

[ConvertHereYay]

I converted in 1996.
At that time there was no RCIA at the local OF parish.
I ended up at an FSSP parish and had one-to-one instruction from a very ‘orthodox’ Catholic priest. I only learned the traditional Church teaching and only from a source that I knew I could trust. (The local parish priest actually turned my off with his ‘don’t worry about dogma’ response to my request.)
The instruction from a TLM parish priest should result in good Catholic formation with a strong foundation for one’s spiritual life.
:knight1:

Can you explain your instruction? Did it take “very long”? Basically, were you “let in” when the priest thought you were ready?

Also, when being received into the Church with First Communion, is it during the context of a Tridentine Mass, after, or separately?

THANKS​

I went through RCIA somewhere on the west coast.It wasn’t a good experience for me. I was a senior in high school at the time. I road my bike to RCIA and Mass because I didn’t want to “bother” my (supportive!) “non religious deist” parents. I encountered some unorthodoxies. All we did during RCIA was talk about the Sunday readings with very very little Catholic teaching introduced.

*The Mass was called a “meal around a table”…
*The Mass was a party
*Purgatory isn’t that important since Vatican II (SERIOUSLY!)

*ME: I want to become Catholic because it is the one true Church of Jesus Christ. I researched church history before my first session
CATECHIST: We are ecumenical now…(forgot the rest, basically she

*RCIA teachers believing women should be priests
*Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture was never once discussed.
*“All you have to do to be Catholic is believe in the real presence and the Pope is infallible under ex-cathedra conditions”

It was horrible. I didn’t want to speak out to the parish priest because I was afraid. I’m not sure if he knew about all of this. One time a Protestant minister even gave the homily. I’m serious…it was a weekend devoted to “church unity” or something.

Then I went to university. Ah. Orthodox Catholicism at last. Young 18-23 year old Catholics. Even our on campus Mass was very reverent with contemporary music. Masses in the surrounding area were reverent. Goodbye kumbaya Catholicism.

Then I moved to the east cost for graduate studies. All I can say is

---

 

[Like]

WOW! It’s a wonder you even converted!

God bless you!

 

[ConvertHereYay]

If anyone can share their experience or what you heard of others please please post.

 

[RoryMcKenzie56]

If anyone can share their experience or what you heard of others please please post.

Hi ConvertHereYay,

My wife, 4 kids, and one sister converted on the Vigil of Easter in 1995. RCIA wasn’t very instructive, but they were good people. We had a very large number…over 30 as I recall. We knew what we believed from books by TAN Publishers and to some extent, RCIA was jumping through a necessary hoop. But I wouldn’t change a thing. May God bless every dear soul who was trying to teach us. I remember at this meeting…a last meeting after we had already been confessed, communicated, and confirmed, they wanted us to make some kind of artsy cutouts or paper machier (spelling?) or something. It was so dumb and I said something to one of the leaders. I had been pretty submissive through the whole process, but this was just insulting to the intelligence…or maybe not. I dunno. God bless those good folks who seemed so happy as we received the Catholic faith.

Over time, we were drawn to a more conservative and reverent Novus Ordo, and finally to the Traditional Latin Mass at an SSPX chapel. Just become Catholic. I think individual instruction from most Novus Ordo priests wouldn’t be any different than an RCIA that they set up in their parish. The problem is that the Novus Ordo priests aren’t trained according to the Scholastic philosophy and theology of St. Thomas as Vatican II insisted upon.

The philosophical disciplines are to be taught in such a way that the students are first of all led to acquire a solid and coherent knowledge of man, the world, and of God, relying on a philosophical patrimony which is perennially valid and taking into account the philosophical investigations of later ages.

—Optatum Totius 15, (there is a footnote in the Austin Flannery version referencing Humani Generis where Pius XII clearly insists upon St. Thomas’ “philosophia perennis”, and there is no question that the Council Fathers had to know that this was the philosophy that was “perennially valid”)

Lastly, in order in order to throw as full a light as possible on the mysteries of salvation, the students should learn to examine more deeply with the help of speculation, and with St. Thomas as teacher, and to perceive their interconnection.

—ibid. #16

I have become fond of quoting from this passage of the documents of Vatican II because I hear so often from the detractors of the Society of St. Pius X, how important it is to “accept Vatican II”. It seems to me that you will have to look a long way and finally abandon the diocesan seminaries for those of the FSSP or SSPX if you want to find priests trained according to the norms and standards of the Second Vatican Council. Kind of ironic. In the meantime, God bless every good priest, not so trained, who does his best according to the light he has received to instruct converts to become Catholic individually or through RCIA.

Rory

 

[Timothysis]

Actually he’s not displeased with the OF. He’s visited parishes and heard about unorthodox RCIA programs (or teachers in programs). He embraces the Catholic Church, but is displeased with the celebration of some OF Masses in his area. I will not disclose parish names.

… he admires this liturgy, and has been displeased with the Novus Ordo and parishes in his area.

 

[Timothysis]

REALLY don’t like what you are implying. You should learn more about the Church before posting hurtful things like this.

Oh??? Someone wishes to become catholic but "has been displeased with the Novus Ordo and parishes in his area", and I am wrong to wonder why they would want to become catholic in the first place???

I suppose I *“should learn more about the Church *” so I can understand just how the Church encourages us to judge what is pleasing to God in the celebration of the liturgy.

 

[ConvertHereYay]

Oh??? Someone wishes to become catholic but "has been displeased with the Novus Ordo and parishes in his area", and I am wrong to wonder why they would want to become catholic in the first place???

I suppose I *“should learn more about the Church *” so I can understand just how the Church encourages us to judge what is pleasing to God in the celebration of the liturgy.

Timothsis,

I already explain that my friend does not regard the OF as invalid. He has parish shopped his area (four parishes) and heard unorthodox/weak homilies and KNOWS people who went through RCIA with unrothodox elements. There is an FSSP parish 13 miles from his home. He’s going to Mass this Sunday.

This friend most certainly embraces the Catholic Church. I think someone who researched church history and discovered that the Catholic Church is the ONE TRUE CHURCH of Jesus Christ.

There is nothing wrong with refusing to join a parish with liturgical and theological abuses if an FSSP Parish (obviously more orthodox, I know, I’ve been there) is near by.

 

[The_Reginator]

Can you explain your instruction? Did it take “very long”? Basically, were you “let in” when the priest thought you were ready?

Also, when being received into the Church with First Communion, is it during the context of a Tridentine Mass, after, or separately?

THANKS​

Lets see how my memorys working tonight.
Part of my instruction was based on the fact that I had been attending a Catholic Mass for about 15 years.
I also had a friend in town who had such ‘orthodox’ beliefs that he left the local parish for the TLM a number of years before my conversion. He also helped answer questions and would approach the FSSP priest to confirm information.
The priest came to my house a couple of times and we had informal chats about church doctrine. Here we had a mutual ‘question and answer’ session.

To answer your question:
As soon as Father was convinced that I was a Catholic at heart and that I did not hold any questionable beliefs he invited me to come and be received into the Church.
This occurred on a Friday evening right before Mass that evening. My first Latin Mass of my life.
Dominus vobiscum!

Reg.

 

[corsair]

ConvertHere Yay,
Don’t fret over Tim. He has a slight “attitude problem”. Its about time a Moderator steps in.

 

[TrueLight]

I can fully understand your friends apprehension with some RCIA classes. It varies widely from parish to parish. In the FSSP, the priest will give personalized instruction (one on one). This will give your friend the chance to be completely open with the priest.

You’ll not find better instruction in the Catholic faith. As a matter of fact, he’ll receive detailed instruction about the meaning and significance of the Mass and all its parts as well as the Doctrines. Its much more open than in the confines of some radical sister hell bent on liberation theology or social justice.

I would highly recommend the FSSP method. (it was the way I was converted back in 1970).

This is what I’m going to do starting Sunday. The Lord has heard my prayers!

 

[Monica4316]

It is odd, to me, that anyone who is “displeased” with the Ordinary Form of the liturgy would want to convert at all. One either embraces the Truth of the Church or doesn’t; the Church has little need for yet another cafeteria catholic.

one can agree with all the Church teaches but prefer the TLM to the NO.

 

[TrueLight]

one can agree with all the Church teaches but prefer the TLM to the NO.

Yikes, I didn’t ressurrect this thread to start the TLM versus OF debate. Sorry!

I simply wanted to say I will be using the method corsair recommended to get instruction to prepare me for conversion rather than RCIA.

 

[Zhenia]

I became a Roman Catholic in 1978 after hearing about what the Church was like in the “glory days” (before Vatican II) from my mom’s relatives (she had been Catholic.)

Not knowing where else to go, I went to the local Catholic parish. God had His hand on me, because in my ignorance, not knowing where to go to find a traditional priest, I stumbled upon one at my local parish.

He HATED the changes of V2, and I will never forget my second meeting with him. Father showed me the weird-looking “now” catechism (with the modernist line drawings on the cover) that they wanted him to use with me, and said, “This is the one they want me to use…but this (taking out an old Baltimore Catechism from his desk drawer) is the one we WILL be using”, said with a mischievous sparkle in his Irish eyes! He told me to take the modernist catechism with me (since he was expected to give it to me anyway), but to do with it whatever I wanted to, lol.