Do you think RCIA needs reform?

[Jennifer_G]

Our RCIA program at St. Joseph’s in Modesto is wonderful. We use the teaching tools developed by Barbara Morgan, et.al. and regularly, as a group, attend the Bosco Conference at Steubenville. However, we are also considered the ‘odd ducks’ in our Diocese, which is too bad. We expect people to go through the RCIA PROCESS (not a program) and discern along the way if they can accept the teachings of the Holy Mother Church.

As for the Rites that are sometimes held during Sunday Mass, my experience has been that if it is done correctly the Parish is given more of a sense of how incredibly special it is to enter the Church. We have had many people come to us and want to be sponsors because they have watched the Rites.

We also have a year round program. We have so many people coming to us to be Catholics we have to do this - and I think it is because of the Adoration Chapel.

Ours has something similar, where they give out DVD tracts to parishioners. I know they had a meeting once and listened to one of the tracts, but I’m not fully sure what they do with it yet. But, it’s for long time Catholics to know more about their own faith - it’s usually conversion stories.

 

[TMC]

Ok. I do understand. Incidentally, my pastor has eliminated RCIA. He is doing private instruction for all catachumens and candidates. They still have the various rites, but he teaches the faith one-on-one.

I have not gone through RCIA or taught it, but I know folks who have done both and my impression has been that it is going great in my parish. I don’t think the priest could do the one on one thing, he is the only priest, very busy, and we have several candidates every year. Don’t see how he could do it all himself.

 

[homewardbound]

I wish I could find an RCIA class worth going too. Any I’ve attended are either teaching paganism or non-existent. Meaning, there’s no one else joining but me. Maybe thats just my area though.

I just want to find a place where I can discuss with someone all I know about the faith, and see if they can add to it.

I had a priest tell me once he would instruct me, but then Lent came around and that never happened, Maybe he forgot.

I just want to be Catholic. I believe in every doctrine, I hang on every word at Mass, I so much wish to cleans my soul and for the first time in a very long time be pure in the sight of God, and then to take part in the Sacraments…nothing else worth doing in the world than becoming Catholic. But I won’t join the Church in a parish that teaches its okay to pray to flowers and that mass isn’t for worship, its for singing and community. Yikes.

I don’t know if RCIA needs reformed, but there are areas for improvement in some places I’m sure.

Anyone know of any good RCIA classes in western Pennsylvania? I’m getting desperate.

 

[Mannyfit75]

If you by Fr. John Corapi’s Teaching on Jesus Christ, you would learn Catechism after 55 session…one hour each

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I wish I could find an RCIA class worth going too. Any I’ve attended are either teaching paganism or non-existent. Meaning, there’s no one else joining but me. Maybe thats just my area though.

I just want to find a place where I can discuss with someone all I know about the faith, and see if they can add to it.

I had a priest tell me once he would instruct me, but then Lent came around and that never happened, Maybe he forgot.

I just want to be Catholic. I believe in every doctrine, I hang on every word at Mass, I so much wish to cleans my soul and for the first time in a very long time be pure in the sight of God, and then to take part in the Sacraments…nothing else worth doing in the world than becoming Catholic. But I won’t join the Church in a parish that teaches its okay to pray to flowers and that mass isn’t for worship, its for singing and community. Yikes.

I don’t know if RCIA needs reformed, but there are areas for improvement in some places I’m sure.

Anyone know of any good RCIA classes in western Pennsylvania? I’m getting desperate.

I would speak with your Pastor and then maybe if you get no where write the Bishop and explain.

 

[LeahInancsi]

My biggest complaint about my RCIA experience was that it was too short. Three hours a week for eight months was not nearly enough. Perhaps, all that I wanted should not have fallen within the confines of RCIA, but there most surely should be more indepth religious education after confirmation for adults.

I’m attending an excellent Bible study class, but even that seems to go by so quickly and we don’t have time to really get into any quality discussions. A neighboring parish has an intern from Notre Dame who is conducting a Catechism class on Monday nights. I’ve never seen it done anywhere else and plan to attend as soon as possible.

As for standardization, I think that would be good in principle, but I strongly disagree with some of the practices that some people on this forum recommend. For example, dismissing ONLY Catechumens after the Homily. Candidates should be dismissed for reflection along with the Catechumens. In my RCIA class, the Candidates were no more enlightened than the Catechumens.

 

[jmcrae]

My biggest complaint about my RCIA experience was that it was too short. Three hours a week for eight months was not nearly enough. Perhaps, all that I wanted should not have fallen within the confines of RCIA, but there most surely should be more indepth religious education after confirmation for adults.

I’m attending an excellent Bible study class, but even that seems to go by so quickly and we don’t have time to really get into any quality discussions. A neighboring parish has an intern from Notre Dame who is conducting a Catechism class on Monday nights. I’ve never seen it done anywhere else and plan to attend as soon as possible.

As for standardization, I think that would be good in principle, but I strongly disagree with some of the practices that some people on this forum recommend. For example, dismissing ONLY Catechumens after the Homily. Candidates should be dismissed for reflection along with the Catechumens. In my RCIA class, the Candidates were no more enlightened than the Catechumens.

The dismissal group is not supposed to be the main teaching/learning experience, but just a 15-minute time of prayer, etc. for the Catechumens. Candidates, being baptized persons, once they have decided that they want to be Catholic, really should stay for the whole Mass each Sunday.

I’m not sure whether or to what extent the Sunday obligation applies to them, but it does apply to all baptized Catholics over the age of reason, including those who don’t receive Holy Communion for whatever reason - and it seems to me that someone who has been baptized, and who has indicated that they want to be Catholic, ought to be treated like a baptized Catholic who does not yet receive Holy Communion.

I think if that were done, it would also help to dispel some of that sense of “limbo” that one experiences during RCIA, where you have lost your previous religious identity, but you don’t feel yet like you can consider yourself a Catholic. (I think this sense of “limbo” is the reason that most people are so impatient to have RCIA over with, even when they really aren’t ready for the Sacraments, yet.)

If they want the Catechism class to be on Sundays after Mass to make it more convenient for people, there’s nothing preventing that.

 

[janw]

YES. The class should start by finding out where each person is in the faith. What they know and what they need to know. Most, I believe have already learned at lot or they wouldn’t have decided to join rcia. If the class is large, each could be asked to file out a form of some sort. We only have a few,but are going over the basics as if we know nothing and I believe most already know the basics. A simple list of each step of rcia would have been great with the dates these things should occur. After about 4-5 weeks of classes, I just learned from this forum that I (have been baptized) can go to confession. That was not in any books I have read and I have quite a few. In fact, someone should write a how to book just for rcia. It would be so helpful. And I mean things about the customs of each parish, what we should or should not do, not the teaching of the church, theology or doctrine, as there are plenty of those around. One parish I visited had a sheet to help you with the mass as each parish does things differently and I thought that was great as my hearing is not the greatest and Its been a slow process just trying to know what is being said and how to respond. This has been so trying, but I will not give up, I spent to many years praying for the right church and no matter how imperfect some situations might be, I know God wants me to be catholic and refuse to give up.

 

[LeahInancsi]

The dismissal group is not supposed to be the main teaching/learning experience, but just a 15-minute time of prayer, etc. for the Catechumens. Candidates, being baptized persons, once they have decided that they want to be Catholic, really should stay for the whole Mass each Sunday.

When I was in RCIA, the entire group was dismissed from Mass after the homily and went to another room in the church. One of the RCIA group leaders would lead a discussion about the scripture readings. If the candidates knew everything they needed to know about Christianity, they sure didn’t show it. Most of them we unable to answer the questions asked by the discussion leader. Regardless what the Church says, IMO I believe it is beneficial for Catechumen and Candidates to be involved in this reflection.

 

[jmcrae]

When I was in RCIA, the entire group was dismissed from Mass after the homily and went to another room in the church. One of the RCIA group leaders would lead a discussion about the scripture readings. If the candidates knew everything they needed to know about Christianity, they sure didn’t show it.

The Dismissal group isn’t supposed to be a “learning experience” - it is a subsitutional prayer experience for the Catechumens because, due to the fact that they are not baptized yet, they are not yet allowed to go to Mass.

Baptized people, by contrast, are supposed to go to Mass; once you have decided that you are going to become a Catholic, and presuming that you are an adult who has the use of reason, you undertake the requirement to obey the Precepts of the Church, the first of which is “To attend Mass on every Sunday and every Holy Day of Obligation,” which means that from the Sign of the Cross at the beginning until the Sign of the Cross at the ending, you are supposed to be present in the same room where the Mass is being held. (Not just in the same building, but actually in the same room.)

Most of them we unable to answer the questions asked by the discussion leader. Regardless what the Church says, IMO I believe it is beneficial for Catechumen and Candidates to be involved in this reflection.

All of them need to go to the Catechism class, which needs to be held at a time outside of Mass, and this is where the question-asking and answering occurs, and where everyone learns all the stuff that they need to know in order to become a good Catholic.

They should not be doing question-asking or learning-type stuff in the Dismissal period; that’s not what it’s for. They are supposed to be praying, only.

 

[jmcrae]

After about 4-5 weeks of classes, I just learned from this forum that I (have been baptized) can go to confession.

Once you have received the instructions that precede this Sacrament, yes. (Don’t just show up one Saturday, unprepared. Do make sure to receive the Sacramental Preparation - a series of four instructional sessions (in RCIA they tend to do all four of them on one day) including some things you will need to have memorized - for this Sacrament, first.)

In your case, this will most likely occur during Lent, and you will go for your First Confession shortly before (a few days or up to a week or so before) your Confirmation and First Holy Communion.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

YES. The class should start by finding out where each person is in the faith. What they know and what they need to know. Most, I believe have already learned at lot or they wouldn’t have decided to join rcia. If the class is large, each could be asked to file out a form of some sort. We only have a few,but are going over the basics as if we know nothing and I believe most already know the basics. A simple list of each step of rcia would have been great with the dates these things should occur. After about 4-5 weeks of classes, I just learned from this forum that I (have been baptized) can go to confession. That was not in any books I have read and I have quite a few. In fact, someone should write a how to book just for rcia. It would be so helpful. And I mean things about the customs of each parish, what we should or should not do, not the teaching of the church, theology or doctrine, as there are plenty of those around. One parish I visited had a sheet to help you with the mass as each parish does things differently and I thought that was great as my hearing is not the greatest and Its been a slow process just trying to know what is being said and how to respond. This has been so trying, but I will not give up, I spent to many years praying for the right church and no matter how imperfect some situations might be, I know God wants me to be catholic and refuse to give up.

There is a “how to book” it’s called the RITE and I have a series of Power Point training sessions we developed to present this RITE to the Team, How to form a team, and Sponsor training. There is also lots of good material on how to properly implement the RCIA in a parish.

 

[KarenElissa]

YES. The class should start by finding out where each person is in the faith. What they know and what they need to know. Most, I believe have already learned at lot or they wouldn’t have decided to join rcia.

That is interesting that this was your experience, because it wasn’t mine at all. My RCIA class was also pretty basic, but that seemed to be what most people needed. Most people seemed to have little church experience and even less knowledge of doctrine and theology and such.

I love reading and theology, so like you I had read quite a bit before I started going. But for the most part, the others in my class seemed more like your average person with just kind of a VERY basic knowledge of things.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

That is interesting that this was your experience, because it wasn’t mine at all. My RCIA class was also pretty basic, but that seemed to be what most people needed. Most people seemed to have little church experience and even less knowledge of doctrine and theology and such.

I love reading and theology, so like you I had read quite a bit before I started going. But for the most part, the others in my class seemed more like your average person with just kind of a VERY basic knowledge of things.

The Bishops put out a document many years ago on just what should be included in an adult Catechetical process. We used this as the basis of our program when we developed it. Anyone developing an RCIA process within the framework of the Rite should do so After reading the Catechetical documents of the Church . They clearly say what we should be teaching, how we should be teaching it, and what we should be striving to accomplish.

 

[wifeandmomoftwo]

The Bishops put out a document many years ago on just what should be included in an adult Catechetical process. We used this as the basis of our program when we developed it. Anyone developing an RCIA process within the framework of the Rite should do so After reading the Catechetical documents of the Church . They clearly say what we should be teaching, how we should be teaching it, and what we should be striving to accomplish.

That may be but what do you do with the folks that enter RCIA that really do know a bit and are not clueless as to what is going on??

 

[Phemie]

Someone said that it doesn’t need reform just proper implementation and I concur. Once you’ve done the “RCIA - Beginnings and Beyond” sessions you soon realize that most parishes are far from doing what the North American Forum on the Catechumenate envisions.

• There should be year-round classes and catechumens should be in for an entire year at least.
• There should be no expectation on joining that one will be ready by the next Easter Vigil. Everyone comes to the Faith at his/her own pace.
• Candidates who are already well catechized shouldn’t have to wait until everyone else is ready but should be brought into full communion at the earliest opportunity.

 

[wifeandmomoftwo]

Someone said that it doesn’t need reform just proper implementation and I concur. Once you’ve done the “RCIA - Beginnings and Beyond” sessions you soon realize that most parishes are far from doing what the North American Forum on the Catechumenate envisions.

• There should be year-round classes and catechumens should be in for an entire year at least.
• There should be no expectation on joining that one will be ready by the next Easter Vigil. Everyone comes to the Faith at his/her own pace.
• Candidates who are already well catechized shouldn’t have to wait until everyone else is ready but should be brought into full communion at the earliest opportunity.

Couldnt agree more! Sadly many parishes dont do these things!

 

[KarenElissa]

Someone said that it doesn’t need reform just proper implementation and I concur. Once you’ve done the “RCIA - Beginnings and Beyond” sessions you soon realize that most parishes are far from doing what the North American Forum on the Catechumenate envisions.

• There should be year-round classes and catechumens should be in for an entire year at least.
• There should be no expectation on joining that one will be ready by the next Easter Vigil. Everyone comes to the Faith at his/her own pace.
• Candidates who are already well catechized shouldn’t have to wait until everyone else is ready but should be brought into full communion at the earliest opportunity.

I’m becoming more and more grateful for my parish as I read stuff like this. They just started year-round classes this year.

They told us all MANY times that this is a journey, not a program. It isn’t go to class and graduate. It is learning and growing in the faith and we are all at different points on this journey. They have said over and over that some will be ready at Easter, but others won’t and that is ok, they can just keep coming as long as they want.

And those of us Candidates who were ready were brought into full communion last weekend at Christ the King. They said that we could be brought in at any time, but this is when they usually do it, and at Easter. Not quite earliest opportunity, but doing it together makes sense logistically and there wasn’t too much waiting.

Looks like my parish is doing pretty good!

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

That may be but what do you do with the folks that enter RCIA that really do know a bit and are not clueless as to what is going on??

I know we keep saying it’s a group, but also it’s an individual journey. Yes, people who do know a bit, need to be encouraged to share their knowledge in the sessions by making comments and asking for clarifications. They should have the ability to contact a team member who can work on their level. The Sponsor should also have the ability to contact team members offline to discuss questions and concerns.

 

[LeahInancsi]

The Dismissal group isn’t supposed to be a “learning experience” - it is a subsitutional prayer experience for the Catechumens because, due to the fact that they are not baptized yet, they are not yet allowed to go to Mass.

Baptized people, by contrast, are supposed to go to Mass; once you have decided that you are going to become a Catholic, and presuming that you are an adult who has the use of reason, you undertake the requirement to obey the Precepts of the Church, the first of which is “To attend Mass on every Sunday and every Holy Day of Obligation,” which means that from the Sign of the Cross at the beginning until the Sign of the Cross at the ending, you are supposed to be present in the same room where the Mass is being held. (Not just in the same building, but actually in the same room.)

The theory behind this sounds good, but for practical purposes I don’t see the benefit. I was a Catechumen. If I had been singled out in that manner I would have been crushed and would not be Catholic, now. I’m thankful for my pastor’s sensitivity in making the decision to alter the RCIA process. Because someone has been baptized does not mean they have attended a Christian church. In other words, they are no further along in their Christian education than I was. Example, a baby baptized in the Catholic church, but never attended any Christian church throughout their life.