Does every convert have to do RCIA?

[Kal2012]

In regards to your kids, it depends on the parish how they handle the baptism of the older ones.

I, too, was a protestant when my son was born and didn’t want him baptized. Then, I became Catholic and we decided to wait because my son was just really sensitive about people touching his head/hair. (Haircuts are a nightmare…)

Realizing we really had to get it done, I set up a meeting with our priest and he was great. He was totally understanding of what my son’s situation and started working on building a relationship with him. (My son is very slow to warm up to new people, regardless of who they are!)

Mine was 7 when he baptized in January. (He had to get baptized before he could get reconciliation and his first communion this spring.)

Also, a few of the kids receiving their first Eucharist this year were a little bit older than 2nd graders because for whatever reason, they just weren’t ready for the sacrament with their grade. There are always a few exceptions to the norm and it’s almost excepted that a few kids will be in this situation. In our parish, these kids had to do workbooks about the sacraments as well as their regular religious ed stuff because the sacramental information had already been taught in the 2nd grade classes. The staff was diligent, making sure that these kids got “caught up” and were able to receive this spring.

Mine didn’t go through a “children’s RCIA”, but the Religious Ed director met with my son and I for about an hour before mass and went over what baptism meant and the reason for the rite. It was a well done explanation and very age appropriate.

He might have been put through a more formal class had he not been going through religious ed this past year. (We moved to a new parish about a year ago - which was just another reason that it was easy to delay getting baptized. We’ve moved a few times since he was born, anyway…)

I’m coming to realize that priests and religious ed directors really have seen it all because they’ve dealt with so many different families over the years. They seem to have plans and ideas for whatever situation they are presented with.

Our problems really aren’t unusual and the church staff will take great care of to address your family’s needs.

I hope this gives you some insight.

Good luck with your conversion(s)!

 

[CatholicRaven]

Reading and studying on your own may or may not give you the foundation you need, so I would advise you to speak to the parish priest. He will be the one who can tell you what option(s) is/are available in that parish. God may ask you to wait… or not. Be willing to obey, even if that means waiting. Continue to be willing to follow where He asks you to go. All in God’s time, not ours, right?

If you do go through the RCIA classes, I’m betting you will learn new things, meet new people, and though it seems far off now, you will probably find that it will be worth the wait. If you don’t have to wait, it’s great that you are already getting involved in the parish–that would have been my next suggestion.

 

[babochka]

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.

I don’t think the parents doubt that their children should become Catholic, I think they are not sure that they will be willing to become Catholic, given everything they have been taught and have believed until this point. They kids are 9 and 11 years old. The Church will most certainly respect their faith and autonomy and would not baptize them if they were unwilling to be baptized.

 

[pianistclare]

I don’t think the parents doubt that their children should become Catholic, I think they are not sure that they will be willing to become Catholic, given everything they have been taught and have believed until this point. They kids are 9 and 11 years old. The Church will most certainly respect their faith and autonomy and would not baptize them if they were unwilling to be baptized.

What from my post indicated that the Church would force a child to be Baptized???

We almost never have a couple come into the church and not have their children brought in as well. This is why we do RCIA/OCIA. To show people the fullness of faith. Likely their instruction is not going to “change” any of their belief in Christ Jesus, indeed, it will embellish it.
They will learn about sacraments.
They will learn about the real presence.
Catholic theology on a child’s level. They’re not going to hear that what they already learned as CHILDREN is necessarily wrong.

It’s just highly irregular for a parent to want conversion for themselves, and not on behalf of their children that’s all.
Again, this is for the priest to advise.

 

[7_Sorrows]

What from my post indicated that the Church would force a child to be Baptized???

We almost never have a couple come into the church and not have their children brought in as well. This is why we do RCIA/OCIA. To show people the fullness of faith. Likely their instruction is not going to “change” any of their belief in Christ Jesus, indeed, it will embellish it.
They will learn about sacraments.
They will learn about the real presence.
Catholic theology on a child’s level. They’re not going to hear that what they already learned as CHILDREN is necessarily wrong.

It’s just highly irregular for a parent to want conversion for themselves, and not on behalf of their children that’s all.
Again, this is for the priest to advise.

I agree.

 

[babochka]

What from my post indicated that the Church would force a child to be Baptized???

We almost never have a couple come into the church and not have their children brought in as well. This is why we do RCIA/OCIA. To show people the fullness of faith. Likely their instruction is not going to “change” any of their belief in Christ Jesus, indeed, it will embellish it.
They will learn about sacraments.
They will learn about the real presence.
Catholic theology on a child’s level. They’re not going to hear that what they already learned as CHILDREN is necessarily wrong.

I think we interpreted the original post differently. I assumed that they were planning to have their children catechized through the Church. It never occurred to me that the children would not participate in the parents lives as Catholics, including Mass attendance and religious instruction. Most children would follow their parents in this, of course. It seemed to me that the poster was concerned that their older children would not experience their own conversion to the Catholic faith, which would be necessary for their baptism to occur.

It’s just highly irregular for a parent to want conversion for themselves, and not on behalf of their children that’s all.
Again, this is for the priest to advise.

I didn’t get the impression at all that they don’t want conversion for their children. I understood the acknowledgement that, at the age of 11 and 9, the children would need to experience their own conversion, and that might not happen in the same time frame as their parents’ conversion.

 

[Jon_S_1]

I think we interpreted the original post differently. I assumed that they were planning to have their children catechized through the Church. It never occurred to me that the children would not participate in the parents lives as Catholics, including Mass attendance and religious instruction. Most children would follow their parents in this, of course. It seemed to me that the poster was concerned that their older children would not experience their own conversion to the Catholic faith, which would be necessary for their baptism to occur.

I didn’t get the impression at all that they don’t want conversion for their children. I understood the acknowledgement that, at the age of 11 and 9, the children would need to experience their own conversion, and that might not happen in the same time frame as their parents’ conversion.

I agree. This is how I was reading it.

 

[Phemie]

I didn’t get the impression at all that they don’t want conversion for their children. I understood the acknowledgement that, at the age of 11 and 9, the children would need to experience their own conversion, and that might not happen in the same time frame as their parents’ conversion.

I agree. This is how I was reading it.

As was I.

 

[Jennifer132]

I think we interpreted the original post differently. I assumed that they were planning to have their children catechized through the Church. It never occurred to me that the children would not participate in the parents lives as Catholics, including Mass attendance and religious instruction. Most children would follow their parents in this, of course. It seemed to me that the poster was concerned that their older children would not experience their own conversion to the Catholic faith, which would be necessary for their baptism to occur.

I didn’t get the impression at all that they don’t want conversion for their children. I understood the acknowledgement that, at the age of 11 and 9, the children would need to experience their own conversion, and that might not happen in the same time frame as their parents’ conversion.

Original Post here: this is the correct reading of my post. I definitely want my children to convert with me. Perhaps it is irregular the level of religious instruction they have gotten as children, but, for my 11 year old especially, he has quite internalized his faith, he may need to come to this choice himself. That’s all. It’s not at all that I don’t want them to be instructed in the Catholic faith.

 

[Magdalen2013]

Original Post here: this is the correct reading of my post. I definitely want my children to convert with me. Perhaps it is irregular the level of religious instruction they have gotten as children, but, for my 11 year old especially, he has quite internalized his faith, he may need to come to this choice himself. That’s all. It’s not at all that I don’t want them to be instructed in the Catholic faith.

Then I really urge you to have the older children go through your parish’s equivalent of RCIA for children. They WILL be asked if they want to be received into the Church, and the priest and instructor will respect those wishes.

I’m assuming you’re going to have the younger children baptized when you’re received in to the Church?

 

[Bookcat]

Does every convert have to do RCIA?

No.