Easter Vigil Questions

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I’m going to be a candidate at the Easter Vigil this year. There will be 4 Candidates and 2 Elect (to be baptized).

Can someone please tell me how the vigil progresses? Is there any parts I need to totally memorize? We have a retreat during the day until 3:00pm, then the vigil will be at 8:00pm that evening. It will be bilingual since we usually have several regular masses, and one is always bilingual, so I expect it will be very crowded.

Is it ok to invite a couple of friends from outside the Church? It’s a very large Church.
I know this is a lot of questions, and I’d be thankful for even just a few answers.

Maybe I worry too much, but I’m so excited. It seems like “forever ago” when I made the decision to become a Catholic, and after all of these studies, I feel like it’s finally happening.
 
Unless you are told to memorize something you probably have learned everything you need to know for the Vigil.

It will be longer than a normal Mass. That’s about all I can tell you. It could be as short as 90 minutes (unlikely) or a long as three or four hours. If you invite guests then they should be prepared for it to be lengthy. And if your guests are non-Catholic they should know not to receive communion.

Oh… Wear comfortable shoes. 😉
 
Canuck000 said:
I’m going to be a candidate at the Easter Vigil this year. There will be 4 Candidates and 2 Elect (to be baptized).

Can someone please tell me how the vigil progresses? Is there any parts I need to totally memorize? We have a retreat during the day until 3:00pm, then the vigil will be at 8:00pm that evening. It will be bilingual since we usually have several regular masses, and one is always bilingual, so I expect it will be very crowded.

Is it ok to invite a couple of friends from outside the Church? It’s a very large Church.
I know this is a lot of questions, and I’d be thankful for even just a few answers.

Maybe I worry too much, but I’m so excited. It seems like “forever ago” when I made the decision to become a Catholic, and after all of these studies, I feel like it’s finally happening.
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Congratulations! Wow, it IS really exciting!

It’s a BEAUTIFUL vigil. (My favorite part is the singing of the Easter Proclamation.) But, it can be long. It depends on how many of the seven readings the priest decides to read. There is a Psalm and a prayer after each. And also an Epistle is read, and then the Gospel. Then, it pretty much proceeds like a regular Mass, with the Baptisms, etc. worked in.

When my daughter’s boyfriend entered the Church last Easter (Praise the Lord!!), his protestant parents were present. His father commented, “That was a lot of religion!” 😃 I think he liked it though.
 
I would not think memorization would be required, unless you were told otherwise.

The Vigil is normally 2-3 hours long. It begins at sundown on Holy Saturday (since sundown is, biblically, the start of the next day or Easter Sunday).

It begins with the lighting of the Paschal fire and lighting the Paschal candle, and everybody’s candles, from it. Then procession into the church and the reading of the Word, except there are 7 scripture readings rather than 2 as usual.

It is after the readings and the homily that the initiates are received.

This is followed by the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

Congratulations on your initiation into the Church!

ICXC NIKA
 
Canuck000 said:
I’m going to be a candidate at the Easter Vigil this year. There will be 4 Candidates and 2 Elect (to be baptized).

Can someone please tell me how the vigil progresses? Is there any parts I need to totally memorize? We have a retreat during the day until 3:00pm, then the vigil will be at 8:00pm that evening. It will be bilingual since we usually have several regular masses, and one is always bilingual, so I expect it will be very crowded.

Is it ok to invite a couple of friends from outside the Church? It’s a very large Church.
I know this is a lot of questions, and I’d be thankful for even just a few answers.

Maybe I worry too much, but I’m so excited. It seems like “forever ago” when I made the decision to become a Catholic, and after all of these studies, I feel like it’s finally happening.
Click to expand...
catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=1043

Part 1 is about 15-20 minutes, Part 2 could be anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, then a homily, then Part 3 will be probably around 30 minutes, and then Part 4 could be 30 minutes to an hour depending on the crowd. Total time, probably 2-3 hours.

It is by far the greatest event on the Catholic calendar. You will be forever changed by it.
 
Oh wow!!! Now I’m not sure whether I’m excited or nervous or both, probably both. I had tears rolling watching those video’s, and I haven’t finished watching it all yet.
Thanks so much! We haven’t been told to memorize anything and I think I’ve got most of the regular Mass prayers and songs memorized anyway.
I don’t know the eucharist prayers so well anymore. I used to have them pretty much memorized, but we always have to leave right after the homily. I do get to observe during weekday mass though, and can’t believe how I have forgotten most of that since starting RCIA last summer, It’ll come back.
I am just so excited!!
Thanks again for the encouragement and the links. God Bless!!!
 
Canuck000 said:
Oh wow!!! Now I’m not sure whether I’m excited or nervous or both, probably both. I had tears rolling watching those video’s, and I haven’t finished watching it all yet.
Thanks so much! We haven’t been told to memorize anything and I think I’ve got most of the regular Mass prayers and songs memorized anyway.
I don’t know the eucharist prayers so well anymore. I used to have them pretty much memorized, but we always have to leave right after the homily. I do get to observe during weekday mass though, and can’t believe how I have forgotten most of that since starting RCIA last summer, It’ll come back.
I am just so excited!!
Thanks again for the encouragement and the links. God Bless!!!
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We’ll all be weeping with you!!! :love::love::love:
 
Can’t decide to wear waterproof mascara or simply no makeup at all cuz I will blubber through the whole thing 👋

Oh, and our RCIA director had us review the paper with our information on it, add our confirmation saint name, and look at the profession of faith at the bottom. No need to memorize anything as that will be provided to us. YAY
 
Congratulations! and Welcome home!

It is going to be beautiful. Let yourself be filled with the Holy Spirit and do not be nervous about anything.

If your RCIA director hasn’t suggested it, ask your sponsor to bring a small white towel and a zip lock bag. Have your sponsor wipe the Chrism from your forhead after you are back in the pew and close up the towel in the bag. The towel will hold the scent of the oil for weeks.

I’m so happy for you!
 
You’re going to be fine! No worries! The Holy Spirit is with you as will be all the RCIA folks, the Priest and the entire congregation. BTW invite away!
 
Congratulations 🙂 I am a graduate of the RCIA process also - loved the whole thing! Was sad actually when our weekly Tuesday night classes came to an end 😦

Praying for you 🙂

((HUGS))
 
Welcome Home!!! It is a night you will never forget.

There is one thing I wish I had done. I wish I had taken my sash and wiped some of the annointing oil on it. Get a large ziplock bag and put your sash inside. The scent is heavenly!!!
 
Bitternolonger said:
Congratulations! and Welcome home!

It is going to be beautiful. Let yourself be filled with the Holy Spirit and do not be nervous about anything.

If your RCIA director hasn’t suggested it, ask your sponsor to bring a small white towel and a zip lock bag. Have your sponsor wipe the Chrism from your forhead after you are back in the pew and close up the towel in the bag. The towel will hold the scent of the oil for weeks.

I’m so happy for you!
Click to expand...
What a great idea!! I will put this in my notes 👍
 
There are some fantastic ideas here that I will share with the class tomorrow . Thank you, nervousness is going and now I’m so looking forward to it. I can’t thank you all enough.
 
Canuck000 said:
I’m going to be a candidate at the Easter Vigil this year. There will be 4 Candidates and 2 Elect (to be baptized).
Click to expand...
Congratulations!
Can someone please tell me how the vigil progresses? Is there any parts I need to totally memorize? We have a retreat during the day until 3:00pm, then the vigil will be at 8:00pm that evening. It will be bilingual since we usually have several regular masses, and one is always bilingual, so I expect it will be very crowded.
Click to expand...
Jennet provided an excellent link. There shouldn’t anything that you should have to memorize. The candidates at my parish are given a slip of paper with what they have to recite. One thing we emphasize to our candidates/elect is to relax and enjoy the rite.
Is it ok to invite a couple of friends from outside the Church? It’s a very large Church.
Click to expand...
Definitely! Our parish actually cordons off several rows up front for the candidates/elect and their families/friends. Talk to your RCIA coordinator about this.
 
Jennet provided an excellent link. There shouldn’t anything that you should have to memorize. The candidates at my parish are given a slip of paper with what they have to recite. One thing we emphasize to our candidates/elect is to relax and enjoy the rite.

Yes this is an excellent link!!
Thank you!
 
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