Feedback on Commuting to Church and my situation

[Addai]

I wanted to get more feedback regarding my situation.

It looks like in the future I will be going to Charlotte NC. (The big draw is we will be able to get a house there owned by a family member. We would otherwise have trouble affording a house).

In that city the only Eastern Catholic Church is a BC mission and I got confess though I’m a bit stuck on the Maronites. Anyway my questions…

1. Should I become a Latin Catholic who attends ECs when I can?

or

1. Become a Maronite Catholic who commutes to church when I can but goes to Latin mass or Byzantine DL otherwise to meet “Sunday Obligation”.

My baptismal status

1. originally baptized Lutheran but don’t have the documentation and am a little doubtful about getting it since the church has changed hands at least once since then.
2. Baptized Coptic Orthodox as an adult. My priest didn’t get around to giving me my certificate but I can get it easily by just asking him to do it and reminding him approximately when it was done.

(By the way I’ve never been to a Maronite parish yet only studied stuff on the web, bought and read “Captivated By Your Teaching” etc. so this whole thing is still under investigation)

 

[puzzleannie]

if you already belong to an Eastern Rite, and only have an opportunity to attend a Latin rite church, you can do that as long as the need lasts, years even. Be sure to let the pastor know your rite so when it comes times for sacraments for the children that is taken into account. There is no need to change rites. I am not understanding your history, so the pastor is the best one to tell you to which rite you belong.

 

[MartyMcFly]

Seems to me that you should speak to a Catholic priest. You might need to be “conditionally” baptized due to the lack of documentation

OR

you should try to obtain documentation from your Lutheran church as to you baptism. If the right form was used (most Protestants DO use the correct form) THAT was your baptism, not the Coptic one. According to Catholic teaching, one cannot be baptized twice.

Honestly what I would suggest, others might disagree with me (especially on this thread) is to just join the Latin rite of the Catholic Church. I, for awhile, was toying with the idea of becoming Greek Catholic, but in the end I found that those parishes are too closely tied with ethnicity and since I am not that ethnicity I always felt like a foreigner in Church. There is a Ruthenian Church in a suburb of Chicago but it would be a 2 hour drive for me to attend Divine Liturgy on Sunday, when I have about 5 Latin rite Churches within walking distance from my house.

Now, there are some exceptions, the Ruthenian Church does have a lot of people who have come over from the Latin rite and they have their services in English, and in general you don’t feel like a foreigner in their Church.
Problem is depending on where you live it may be quite a drive to get to Church.

If you are coming from the Lutheran background, it might be more logical to be a Latin rite Catholic, since obviously, Lutherans came out of the Western Church. If you are more attached to the Coptic, I believe there is a Coptic rite in the Church, maybe you can find a community somewhere.

Whatever rite you choose, you are always free to attend Mass in any rite, all rites are of equal dignity. You have to follow the fasting and holy days of obligation of your own rite though.

Also, you can always change your rite. If I were you I would just focus on the Baptism issue by going to your local Catholic parish. The issue of what rite to go into is kind of secondary. It is not hard to change rites.

 

[puzzleannie]

It is also quite likely that the pastor or bishop of an Eastern Rite Church would be very hesitant to welcome someone to change rites who is not immersed in the culture in which that rite developed, and in the disciplines and practices unique to that rite. there is a special procedure for baptized Christians who were at some point rebaptized Orthodox (since most Orthodox Churches do not recognize as valid any other baptism) and the pastor would be the person to know, or to find out from the bishop. Please see him soon. I am still not clear on whether or not you are Catholic.

 

[Addai]

Thanks Marty a t the very least, I do plan on getting my Coptic baptismal certificate since that was done much more recently. So no need for a provisional one. And yes I’ve heard about the 1 free Church/rite change thing (which I’m happy about).

I guess another thought towards joining the Maronites officially in the future would be to get my name registered as a person on the books so when they tally up the figures the next time they think about planting a mission in the area they would have some extra reason to do it in Charlotte rather then some place else.

Besides that I also am interested in other Maronite things like praying safro. Following the Church season etc.

But yes being Latin does seem to be the least common denominator that lets you do everything except pursue a vocation in that Church, and maybe get married according to an eastern rite…

 

[Addai]

It is also quite likely that the pastor or bishop of an Eastern Rite Church would be very hesitant to welcome someone to change rites who is not immersed in the culture in which that rite developed, and in the disciplines and practices unique to that rite. there is a special procedure for baptized Christians who were at some point rebaptized Orthodox (since most Orthodox Churches do not recognize as valid any other baptism) and the pastor would be the person to know, or to find out from the bishop. Please see him soon. I am still not clear on whether or not you are Catholic.

I am Oriental Orthodox convert who was originally Protestant.

Of course your comment makes me think that the option of being a Latin Catholic and trying the Maronite Church on for size for a few years would probably be the most sensible thing.

 

[Aramis]

1. Baptized Coptic Orthodox as an adult. My priest didn’t get around to giving me my certificate but I can get it easily by just asking him to do it and reminding him approximately when it was done.

The Moment you make your public declaration of faith, you become a Coptic Catholic.

You can remain a Coptic Catholic and practice in the Byzantine church fully, and when you can afford to, attend the Maronite liturgies.

For you, because you are Coptic Orthodox, conversion is just paperwork and the public affirmation before liturgy… plus any remedial instruction you may need.

 

[Addai]

The Moment you make your public declaration of faith, you become a Coptic Catholic.

You can remain a Coptic Catholic and practice in the Byzantine church fully, and when you can afford to, attend the Maronite liturgies.

For you, because you are Coptic Orthodox, conversion is just paperwork and the public affirmation before liturgy… plus any remedial instruction you may need.

Thanks Aramis

I found this article that is informative.

ewtn.com/library/liturgy/zlitur192.htm

 

[Formosus]

You are always welcomed to attend Divine Liturgy at St. Basil’s UGCC mission in Charlotte : ).

Edit*

There is though a Maronite Mission in Greenville , SC that is only an hour- hour half tops from Charlotte, NC.

 

[Addai]

You are always welcomed to attend Divine Liturgy at St. Basil’s UGCC mission in Charlotte : ).

Edit*

There is though a Maronite Mission in Greenville , SC that is only an hour- hour half tops from Charlotte, NC.

yes your talking about the Spartanburg one right? Yes that was the place I was thinking of.

Nice I didn’t notice that you are in NC before.

 

[Addai]

You are always welcomed to attend Divine Liturgy at St. Basil’s UGCC mission in Charlotte : ).

Edit*

There is though a Maronite Mission in Greenville , SC that is only an hour- hour half tops from Charlotte, NC.

Ok you are talking about St. Rafka mission. That area must be pretty dense in Lebanese to have two parishes in the same area.

 

[edward_george]

There is a Maronite Mission in Greenville, SC, about an hour down I-85 from Charlotte. I’ve been there a few times and have found it to be a very nice little community; they meet in the gym of St. Mary’s Catholic school.

The Byzantine mission that you speak of in Charlotte is St. Basil the Great Ukrainian Mission; I usually go there on the weekends. It’s a very small, but growing mission, and I’d recommend that you at least give it a look. The priests that serve it are good, holy men and are doing good work for the Church.

-ACEGC

 

[Formosus]

There is a maronite parish in Spartanburg?

Edit

I did a google search. There isn’t one. Greenville and Spartanburg are very close so that is probably where the confusion is comming from.