Does every convert have to do RCIA?

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Jennifer132

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So my husband and I were raised Protestant (I was born to Baptist parents, then went non-denominational, my husband mostly non-denom). We both went to Christian schools throughout and even attended Christian university and both have minors in Biblical Studies. After college we remained faithful church goers and have raised all of our children, educating them in the home with Christian materials. All of this knowledge and experience is what finally led us to the Catholic faith. We started reading Catholic literature in October, and then more intensely in February. We have been attending Mass since mid-February and have joined a Bible Study at our parish which is the Bible study that they provide for the RCIA graduates who have just entered the church on Easter.

We are young in the Catholic faith (though reading avidly), but we are not new to Christian teachings or the Bible. Do baptized Christians ever get to enter the Church before Easter? Is that ever allowed? RCIA seems so far away, and Easter even further.

Also, since we were raised to believe in “believers-baptism”, our children, ages 11,9,4,4, and 1 were never baptized. The older two are old enough that we are leaving the decision to join the Catholic Church up to them. If they decide to, how would that work? And as for the little ones, when would they be baptized?
 
Not necessarily.

I know for sure some Orthodox converts in my old parish were received simply by reciting the Creed.
 
It can be anytime, at the discretion of the pastor. Make an appointment with the pastor, where you attend Mass and he will guide you through the process. Welcome Home!! :grouphug:
 
You don’t say if you and your husband are baptized. If you’re not baptized it’s the full RCIA in most parishes.

If you are baptized, it depends on the parish. In some you will have to go through the whole RCIA since they aren’t set up for a different process. In others your knowledge will be evaluated and you will not have to do more than what is necessary to be ready to be received into full communion and it can be at any time.

For the purpose of Baptism you are either an adult (have attained the age of reason ~7) or an infant. Your older two children are considered adults and it would definitely have to be their choice to be baptized. They would require RCIA. They younger two are considered infants and it would be your choice.
 
Phemie said:
You don’t say if you and your husband are baptized. If you’re not baptized it’s the full RCIA in most parishes.

If you are baptized, it depends on the parish. In some you will have to go through the whole RCIA since they aren’t set up for a different process. In others your knowledge will be evaluated and you will not have to do more than what is necessary to be ready to be received into full communion and it can be at any time.

For the purpose of Baptism you are either an adult (have attained the age of reason ~7) or an infant. Your older two children are considered adults and it would definitely have to be their choice to be baptized. They would require RCIA. They younger two are considered infants and it would be your choice.
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We are baptized. 🙂
 
Jennifer132 said:
So my husband and I were raised Protestant (I was born to Baptist parents, then went non-denominational, my husband mostly non-denom). We both went to Christian schools throughout and even attended Christian university and both have minors in Biblical Studies. After college we remained faithful church goers and have raised all of our children, educating them in the home with Christian materials. All of this knowledge and experience is what finally led us to the Catholic faith. We started reading Catholic literature in October, and then more intensely in February. We have been attending Mass since mid-February and have joined a Bible Study at our parish which is the Bible study that they provide for the RCIA graduates who have just entered the church on Easter.

We are young in the Catholic faith (though reading avidly), but we are not new to Christian teachings or the Bible. Do baptized Christians ever get to enter the Church before Easter? Is that ever allowed? RCIA seems so far away, and Easter even further.

Also, since we were raised to believe in “believers-baptism”, our children, ages 11,9,4,4, and 1 were never baptized. The older two are old enough that we are leaving the decision to join the Catholic Church up to them. If they decide to, how would that work? And as for the little ones, when would they be baptized?
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Your older two can choose to go through a kids version of RCIA when they are ready. They could enter the church at Easter vigil if you’d like with you guys.

The younger kids could be baptized as infants anytime. Talk to your parish about all this.

As for your first question, I was in the same boat as you, as are so many others.

Like you and so many others the idea of RCIA classes waiting was very difficult. I was in the process for a year and a half.

But I wouldn’t change it for anything. I learned a ton, made lots of friends in the parish, and got to experience what the catholic Faith is all about. We can read all we want but we cannot experience what it’s like to be Catholic until we enter the community.

So the technical answer is no you don’t have to wait.

But the realistic answer is it is the norm to do so and I am sure you will do the same.

I would encourage you to go with the flow and enjoy it. It is truly a wonderful journey.
 
RCIA is a great experience and it really focuses on the Catholic faith and it’s teachings. If you decide to go through all your children can be baptised at the Easter Vigil when you are confirmed and take first communion.

To have a night where your children are baptised, you are confirmed and receive communion all in one night would be an incredible family experience and would make Easter that much more special for your family.

Welcome home and blessings to you all.
 
I did private instruction with the Priest for a few months. Small parish though.

Good luck.
 
This is something only your particular pastor can advise you about. If he wants you to go through RCIA though, it’s not some sort of celestial test you have to pass.
Education is a good thing. Catholics are supposed to be actively studying and learning about the faith their entire loves. You are not alone.
Welcome home.
 
Jennifer132 said:
Also, since we were raised to believe in “believers-baptism”, our children, ages 11,9,4,4, and 1 were never baptized. The older two are old enough that we are leaving the decision to join the Catholic Church up to them. If they decide to, how would that work? And as for the little ones, when would they be baptized?
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I work in my parish’s RCIA program and enjoy meeting all of the families joining the Church. This last paragraph gives me a little concern. Catholic parents are not given the choice to allow their kids to make the decision. When a couple gets married in the Church they must agree to raise their children in the faith. On the other hand, this may be nothing.
 
NO! It is not mandatory. In most cases, RCIA is salutary and ought to be done. However, in my case, it was run by a dissident and I only survived by copious outside reading as I was marched through new-age nonsense at the parish. After conversion, I encountered another candidate who was very theologically knowledgeable. Rather than let him go through the same circus freakshow, I encouraged him to speak to the pastor, who agreed to let him skip the RCIA process and he received personal instruction and was received in the Church. Thankfully, things reached the breaking point and the pastor “retired” the RCIA director.

Again, thankfully, horror stories like that are becoming rarer but still exist. So unless there is a genuine basis for concern that the RCIA at the parish has given itself over to secular Leftist hoo-haw, you ought to do it.
 
With regard to the children:
Those under 7 can be baptized.
The others would go through a children’s version of RCIA, (sometimes referred to as OCIC, but there’s really no such “Rite”) so that they would understand what they are undertaking in faith. If the parents are unclear as to whether or not their children should become Catholic, then I would say that they themselves may not be fully on board. I would get the unbaptized children baptized, and perhaps live in the Catholic environment a bit longer. Continue to go to Mass, and when you truly feel called to become Catholic, do so as a family.
But again, I’m not a priest or your pastor,and this is for HIM to advise you about. He is more equipped to help you with your family’s needs.
 
pianistclare said:
With regard to the children:
Those under 7 can be baptized.
The others would go through a children’s version of RCIA, (sometimes referred to as OCIC, but there’s really no such “Rite”) so that they would understand what they are undertaking in faith. If the parents are unclear as to whether or not their children should become Catholic, then I would say that they themselves may not be fully on board. I would get the unbaptized children baptized, and perhaps live in the Catholic environment a bit longer. Continue to go to Mass, and when you truly feel called to become Catholic, do so as a family.
But again, I’m not a priest or your pastor,and this is for HIM to advise you about. He is more equipped to help you with your family’s needs.
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It’s not that we don’t think they should become Catholic, it’s that they are quite well instructed in Protestant beliefs and they aren’t going to blindly follow us into the faith. Some of the Catholic doctrines are so foreign and even oppositional to what they have been taught, it may take time for them to accept them. We are taking them to Mass now, which they enjoy. And they aren’t old enough to be left alone at home, so they attend our Bible study at the parish with us, which they also enjoy. We are teaching them Catholic doctrine at home now, but when someone has been thoroughly catechized in a different faith, they aren’t going to, on a whim, decide to switch. Are you saying we have to force them to be baptized when we join or wait until they decide and then we can all join at once? What if they never decide to join-then we can never join either?
 
I was raised in the Episcopal church and had studied privately on and off for 10 years before contacting a Catholic church to inquire abput converting. RCIA was not even brought up and Easter vigil had passed (I didn’t realize that the Easter vigil was the time most baptisms, confirmations took place. A beautiful evening I might add.
Anyhow, they allowed me to do private instruction with the RCIA Director once a week for about 2 months. Since I grew up in the Episcopal church, which is very similar to Catholic, I thought there would be nothing to it, but I found out there is so much more to the Catholic faith that I needed to be made aware of and understand and agree with before I joined. That is really good that you have your background in Christian studies, but since you are coming from a Baptist, non denominational background you still need to learn about the Catholic Church, the Papacy, Mary, the Saints, and most important the Eucharist. There is a lot to grasp to understand what it means to be Catholic and practicing the Catholic faith.
I would recommend going through RCIA since you have children you will be raising in the faith so you get a good foundation of how Catholicism works and can answer questions your children have.
I don’t know if you live in a big city or small town or how many Catholic churches you have near you, but visit the one you feel you would like to belong to and contact the priest and RCIA director and sit down with them and talk to them about your desire to convert. It will be up to the priest to decide. I joined the Catholic church 8 years ago and my learning did not stop the moment I was received into the Church. Catholicism has a long rich history and is a beautiful faith and the learning never stops!
I would continue reading books about Catholicism, but you need someone to guide you on the journey which should not be hurried!
Good luck on your journey and God bless!
 
Jennifer132 said:
It’s not that we don’t think they should become Catholic, it’s that they are quite well instructed in Protestant beliefs and they aren’t going to blindly follow us into the faith. Some of the Catholic doctrines are so foreign and even oppositional to what they have been taught, it may take time for them to accept them. We are taking them to Mass now, which they enjoy. And they aren’t old enough to be left alone at home, so they attend our Bible study at the parish with us, which they also enjoy. We are teaching them Catholic doctrine at home now, but when someone has been thoroughly catechized in a different faith, they aren’t going to, on a whim, decide to switch. Are you saying we have to force them to be baptized when we join or wait until they decide and then we can all join at once? What if they never decide to join-then we can never join either?
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I think you are over-reaching a bit.
Talk to your pastor.
The Catholic construct in these matters is that a family, all under one roof, is all of one faith. There is an obligation on the part of parents to see that their children are raised in the faith. The children’s RCIA process is an entire year of weekly instruction. While some may argue that’s not enough to cover everything, it is enough to ground them in Catholic teaching on Sacraments, salvation history, and building a relationship with Christ.
That’s why the whole conversion “process” is , well, a process. It’s not like enlisting.
I’m not sure I understand your hesitation. You yourself are not yet Catholic, and while you may be extremely sincere and well read, you yourself have to have classes. Why would you not want this for your children as well?
I guess I just don’t understand your thinking.
I’m not trying to dissuade you from anything. On the contrary, as a Director of Religious Education, I would like for them to have the best instruction possible int he faith.
Best wishes. I know your pastor will have the very best advice for your particular situation.
 
Jennifer132 said:
It’s not that we don’t think they should become Catholic, it’s that they are quite well instructed in Protestant beliefs and they aren’t going to blindly follow us into the faith. Some of the Catholic doctrines are so foreign and even oppositional to what they have been taught, it may take time for them to accept them. We are taking them to Mass now, which they enjoy. And they aren’t old enough to be left alone at home, so they attend our Bible study at the parish with us, which they also enjoy. We are teaching them Catholic doctrine at home now, but when someone has been thoroughly catechized in a different faith, they aren’t going to, on a whim, decide to switch. Are you saying we have to force them to be baptized when we join or wait until they decide and then we can all join at once? What if they never decide to join-then we can never join either?
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with regards to your children, this is a topic to discuss with the priest.
My opinion is you would wish the whole family to be Catholic, but I can’t tell you what the priest will tell you. So you need to set up an appointment to discuss the issues you have about your desire to convert. Good luck and God bless!
 
Jennifer132 said:
It’s not that we don’t think they should become Catholic, it’s that they are quite well instructed in Protestant beliefs and they aren’t going to blindly follow us into the faith. Some of the Catholic doctrines are so foreign and even oppositional to what they have been taught, it may take time for them to accept them. We are taking them to Mass now, which they enjoy. And they aren’t old enough to be left alone at home, so they attend our Bible study at the parish with us, which they also enjoy. We are teaching them Catholic doctrine at home now, but when someone has been thoroughly catechized in a different faith, they aren’t going to, on a whim, decide to switch. Are you saying we have to force them to be baptized when we join or wait until they decide and then we can all join at once? What if they never decide to join-then we can never join either?
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According to church law, children over 7 are treated essentially as adults. You can enter the church and keep doing what you are doing to catechize your older children. It sounds like going through RCIA AS A FAMILY would be particularly helpful for them.

The idea that the whole family be one faith is an ideal not an absolute.

Converts come into the church all the time without their spouses and children. My own children are not Catholic because my ex wife is not Catholic and we share legal custody and she won’t allow it.

So I pray for them, take them to mass, and teach them the faith and hope and pray they will soon choose it for themselves.
 
Jennifer132 said:
We are young in the Catholic faith (though reading avidly), but we are not new to Christian teachings or the Bible. Do baptized Christians ever get to enter the Church before Easter? Is that ever allowed? RCIA seems so far away, and Easter even further.
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You’ve received good advice here. I just want to address the question of whether people can be received into the Church before Easter.

This is a situation where there is often a gap between what the Church calls for in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and what parishes have the resources to offer. The Rite itself does not require baptized Christians to wait for the Easter Vigil. Unfortunately, many (perhaps most) parishes aren’t capable of supporting one group of people who could be received in a few months and another group that will be baptized much later. So they put everyone together and have them follow the same schedule. It’s not perfect, but it has practical benefits.
Axiosaxiosaxios said:
Not necessarily.

I know for sure some Orthodox converts in my old parish were received simply by reciting the Creed.
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Orthodox Christians don’t go through RCIA. They have already validly received all the sacraments of initiation. They make a profession of faith and join the Eastern Catholic Church that corresponds to their Orthodox Church (e.g., Greek Orthodox becomes Greek Catholic, Russian Orthodox becomes Russian Catholic).
 
Everyone who wants to become Catholic has to go through the RCIA. (I have never understood why the word “Rite” is singular rather than plural.)

What is not absolutely required is for a baptized Christian to go through a time regulated communal RCIA.

However most people do benefit from communal instruction and communal rites because Catholics place a much higher emphasis on the communal implications of salvation than do most non-Catholic communities. Catholics do believe that the act of waiting is a part of formation so there is some growth value in being made to wait to enter the Church. And many (thankfully not all) parishes are unprepared to accommodate the individualized Rites of Reception that well informed non-Catholic/non-Orthodox Christians could benefit from.

Many parishes have instruction classes for non-Catholic (baptized or non-baptized) Children who are over the age of reason. It is certainly the ideal that parents and children enter the Church together.

I know that in my parish we would do all that was possible to have a family like yours enter the Church together, and it would most likely NOT be at the Easter Vigil.
 
I can understand your impatience with going through the RCIA process, I was there once as I was received into the Church on the Easter Vigil in 2014.

I urge you to give your family, ALL of them, a chance to participate in RCIA, and you’ll be in my prayers, whatever path you choose.

Now, I wouldn’t trade early reception for the joy of being received at the Vigil…despite the frustrations that occasionally arose!
 
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