If you could change RCIA

[hwriggles4]

Perhaps there needs to be an official instruction plan / Syllabus for each of the years A, B, and C so all the parishes can be on the same page…
Purpose, to guarantee the basics covered each week.

This would be a good idea. In my diocese, you can drive within a 30 mile radius and see the differences between parishes. I think this will change with the newer clergy members that are coming, as the older priests who were educated in the 1960’s and 1970’s are beginning to reach retirement age.

I believe some dioceses are working on an education program for people who are CCD teachers, RCIA instructors, etc. to become a certified Catechist. I think this is in part to address the “poor catechesis” that was prevalent over the past 40 years. What I don’t know is how long something like this will take. It would help promote uniformity amongst the diocese.

I have noticed since Advent that the revised English Translation seems to be catching on, and more people seem to pay more attention at Mass. I hope this keeps up - it makes the Mass more pleasant, and the music has been more traditional too.

 

[MonicaMariaGS]

I got my religious education ever since I was four, had Communion end of second grade, and then I stopped going to religious education when I was a sophomore in high school…Because it got replaced by my education for Confirmation.

All those years, my Priest was doing the Religious Education, and I have learned SO MUCH from him. He is my inspiration, and a very blessed Priest.

From what I have seen, they have students or adults talk about the Catholic Faith, which is great, but they do not have the education that the Priest has, and therefore they cannot get too much into depth with it. I don’t understand why the Priests just can’t do it themselves??? I feel like the Catholic priests in America have gotten lazy, and not doing their job. It is their job to educate the Church and make sure that everything is going well…It’s not just doing Mass and Confession…And that is why (I am guessing) so many people have left the Church and that is because they do not understand what Catholicism is truly about…

When I got to college this fall, almost everyone I encountered said that I seem close to God…But I wish everyone could have gotten the same education that I did!

Tell your Parish Priest to do RCIA if they aren’t doing it yet…

 

[kkollwitz]

When my wife & I taught RCIA classes years ago, we chucked the whole diocesan program, and with our pastor’s permission organized and taught our own curriculum.

 

[Joannm]

I
All those years, my Priest was doing the Religious Education, and I have learned SO MUCH from him. He is my inspiration, and a very blessed Priest.

From what I have seen, they have students or adults talk about the Catholic Faith, which is great, but they do not have the education that the Priest has, and therefore they cannot get too much into depth with it. I don’t understand why the Priests just can’t do it themselves??? I feel like the Catholic priests in America have gotten lazy, and not doing their job. It is their job to educate the Church and make sure that everything is going well…It’s not just doing Mass and Confession…And that is why (I am guessing) so many people have left the Church and that is because they do not understand what Catholicism is truly about…

.

While it would be nice to have a priest do it all himself, in a parish with 1600 kids in the religious education program that would be impossible. It is impossible for our three priests to visit each and every class each week due to their other duties. They just don’t say Mass and hear confessions. We are lucky if they can stop in to just spend a few moments in several classes a week.

Many of my catechists have great knowledge of the Catholic Faith. Two of my catechists have degrees in Theology and several have graduated from our lay formation program or have diocesan catechist certification so they are very capable of teaching the faith. It’s not only the priest who know their stuff.

My RCIA catechists are wonderful, do their research before teaching a session, and the candidates love them. We meet on Sunday mornings so it is difficult for a priest to come each week, but they do come once in awhile.

 

[Desertsilver]

My RCIA class was very well organized and a great experience. The thing that really did bother me was that often the sponsors, most of them cradle Catholics, would speak about the inevitability of women priests, the ‘fact’ that all Catholics used birth control… The fact that they were voting for politicians who supported abortion because they supported immigration reform…

I know that the RCIA director could not control them, (none of them were assisting with the class) but I wish that she had found a way to let them know that what they were doing and talking about was absolutely wrong.

My biggest wish is that there was some continuing process, bible study or some such. The only bible study at our church is 25$ a class- out of my reach atm.

 

[Desertsilver]

I don’t know about you but I was told that the Catechism is too difficult to understand. We were encouraged NOT to read it, in case it just confused us. We were told instead to read little handouts that dumbed things down so much that I wasn’t sure WHAT they were telling us to believe. Those stupid handouts were more confusing then the Catechism - which I read and LOVED.

That is just bizarre! Our director brought one in to show us ( it was obviously well loved, with sticky notes all over it’s pages ) and said we really all should get one and read it. It is not difficult to read in any way, and beautifully written.

 

[Joannm]

I think the CCC can be a bit overwhelming for most catechumens. I suggest the compendium. It is less expensive and contains all the basics.