I can't make it to RCIA. Options for becoming Catholic?

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Opal0427

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I’m disabled and dont have my own transportation. I have a home healthcare nurse who offers transit once a week, but those hours are taken for her to take my laundry to the laundromat and pick up my groceries. I have transit from medicaid to doctors appts but they dont offer transit to church. I get a ride to the evening Saturday mass from my dad but he works second shift and isnt available to take me to RCIA when its offered in my area on Sunday Mornings or Tuesday Evenings. I only make $800/month so, getting an uber there and back weekly would be about $100/month which I frankly dont have since I cant even afford food without help on my income.

I called the church and the office signed me up for Tuesday evenings and said that I can retake a class here or there online, but that I need to make it to most classes and if I cant afford to make it to most weeks, I can just keep retaking RCIA for YEARS until I get enough classes in!

Is this really my only option? To take 1/4-1/2 of the classes for 2-4 years straight until I’ve gotten them all in?? It doesn’t sound right.
 
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Speak to your pastor.

There are other ways for the unbaptized to prepare for the Rites of Initiation.
 
Yes, speak to your pastor and explain your situation to him. He may be able to work out an alternate plan of instruction, and/or alternate transportation.
 
Exactly! The person in the office means well but isn’t in a position to make decisions on this. Speak with your pastor.
 
Hello, and congratulations on your intent to go through RCIA and possibly enter into full communion with the Catholic Church!

I am a convert myself, and I now coordinate the RCIA program at my parish. Things will be a bit different from parish-to-parish, but when people cannot make it to classes we try to accommodate their needs as best as we can. Of course we want people to be appropriately prepared to receive the sacraments, but we also don’t want to throw up unnecessary road-blocks! Our RCIA program is the “normal” way for adults to prepare, but it doesn’t work for everybody. At my parish we’ve had, for example, law enforcement officers who can only make it to half (or fewer) of the classes, and parents who cannot afford child care and so can only attend very few (or even none).

We handle these kinds of situations on a case-by-case basis. We make audio recordings of the classes available for when people have to miss classes, and if somebody can only make it to very few of the classes we try to come up with an appropriate individual study program that meets their needs. This is done at our pastor’s discretion (with my cooperation as needed).

Ultimately, it is a pastor’s responsibility to determine people’s readiness for receiving the sacraments. So, as others have already recommended, you should meet with your pastor and discuss it. Depending on your level of knowledge about the faith, he can determine what needs to happen…whether that be individual study/reading, informal classes with the pastor or some other catechists at the parish, etc.

Long-story-short: People who can’t attend a “regular” series of RCIA classes are not “locked out” of receiving the Sacraments. Your pastor and/or RCIA team should be able to work something out for you!

God bless!
 
You might be able to read yourself into the Church. Maybe the priest can give you a reading list and you can set up times that you call him to talk about what you read.
 
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Definitely talk to the RCIA director. It took some time, but they did hold a class for my husband and a few others who worked or had child care issues when the usual RCIA classes took place. They might offer to catch you up one on one or even maybe someone in the church will offer to drive you to class so that you can make it. I think that its valuable to actually meet with people instead of just simply reading because there are many points that might come up during the natural discourse of class that would be enriching to you.
 
Ok. I didn’t realize the woman in the office had little say on this. Thank you
 
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Opal0427 said:
Ok. I didn’t realize the woman in the office had little say on this. Thank you
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Yeah, it sounds a lot like you got someone who didn’t really know the options and didn’t think it through. A lot of people aren’t terribly great at how life circumstances work for other people.

I only took like a third of RCIA myself. I had class (grad school on stipend, so…basically job) and couldn’t go. Our pastor was very understanding. Some laypeople, not so much.
 
I would hope that your priests will be as accommodating of mine. I had two teen-aged children who could not attend, but wanted to join the Church, and was able to teach them myself. I would hope that under the circumstances, there would be at least one competent instructor that would be willing to work with you.

If it was me, I would look to move the RCIA meeting to a place at our near your home, at least some of the time, to incorporate you into the class.
 
My father in law didnt go to RCIA however he went to mass for 50 years. When he decided to convert the priest said he would make an exception for him
 
When I started RCIA there was a man using a wheelchair. We had lots of snow during the winter and the priest went to his home to teach as the man couldn’t get out of the door without getting stuck in the snow. He was received into the Church with the rest of us during the Easter vigil.

I am sure your parish can come up with something to help you in your situation.
 
You can go to Mass now. Try a few churches to find a good preacher. Find a church where the people include and support you as a new attender, but make sure you let someone know you are new - maybe at coffee after Mass. If you can sing join the choir immediately. You can’t receive Communion yet but you can receive the Eucharistic blessing (cross your arms). If you p.m. me I will send you a small book with the core beliefs from the CTS in the UK.

Blessings from the Lord
 
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Talk with the priest. Apart from anything else he might know someone who can give you a lift.
 
Dacinom said:
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Uriel1:
You can go to Mass now. Try a few churches to find a good preacher. Find a church where the people include and support you as a new attender, but make sure you let someone know you are new - maybe at coffee after Mass.
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I’m afraid this advice isn’t applicable in this situation. The original poster cannot simply “go to Mass” they are disabled and have no transportation. Prayers needed for sure!
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Every two weeks at Mass in those circumstances is enough
 
The person in the office may be the Coordinator of all Adult Education or they may be a volunteer that was answering the phone for a day.

I would make an appointment to speak to the pastor (assuming the parish does not have a good website where you can find contact info for people who run various programs).
 
Every human on earth lives inside the boundaries of a parish. Our original poster is wise to seek out his territorial parish first and then his parish can assist in getting the right resources (from online classes to another parish to volunteer drivers and more).
 
Thank you so much for all the replies!! I cant thank you all enough. The consensus is to talk with the priest specifically and to arrange something.

I appreciate the prayers too! God’s got all the power necessary and more. Its so easy for me to fall into the habit of relying on my own strength. I will pray too.
 
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