Improving RCIA

[JoeyWarren]

I happen to hold a Priest on a high pedastal. Why shouldnt I?

Have you ever listened to “Fr Larry Richards” CD on “Confession” by the Mary Foundation?

If not please do so.

To many parishioners tend to place the priest upon a Pedestal and it in some cases becomes a form of Worship.

Fr Michael Richards makes a plea to people to not worship Priests. And he is right. People do worship Priests to an extent.

We can do a thread on this issue if you like.

 

[JoeyWarren]

Read my first post on this thread and see how some self -proclaimed Bible know it alls handle the classes.

Yes I did read it. I am not that type. At least I hope I am not.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

RCIA needs to follow in the footsteps of what John Salter has done at ScriptureCatholic.Com.

Some Priests that do the RCIA just run down thru the Catechism.

When I got involved in the last class, I had the attention of those present when I led them thru the Biblical Basis of Our Faith by getting them to read the scriptures themselves.

I am in a current battle with the Pastoral Council because they believe only a Priest or Deacon should teach RCIA whereas I believe someone that has more of a Biblical Knowledge should be doing it.

These people are the types that hold a Priest and/or Deacons too high up on a Pedestal.

Actually I don’t know what the official position is on who is suppose to teach RCIA.

An RCIA TEAM is made up of many different people with many different functions. There should be some who lead prayer and Spiritual development, some who plan and conduct liturgy according to the Rite. Some who plan and conduct Days of Reflection and Retreats, Those who provide refreshments (very important). The core are Catechists those who are WELL trained in adult education practice and presentation methods, experts in Catholic Doctrine and Dogma who know the Catechism from cover to cover. Some who know Scripture, some who know the Church Fathers and others who know magisterial documents like encyclicals and can find answers to questions asked. There should be a Sponsor coordinator who works directly with training Sponsors. It is not by any means a one person show. The DRE’s job should be to insure that the TEAM has what it needs. (Resources and finances as well as Parish visibility and support)

 

[JoeyWarren]

I’m at work and don’t have any documentation, but I think that the clergy is not supposed to run RCIA. It is supposed to be run by laity. Of course, it doesn’t always work out that way.

Peace,
Linda

Yes please share the documenatation if it does exist.

 

[JoeyWarren]

An RCIA TEAM is made up of many different people with many different functions. There should be some who lead prayer and Spiritual development, some who plan and conduct liturgy according to the Rite. Some who plan and conduct Days of Reflection and Retreats, Those who provide refreshments (very important). The core are Catechists those who are WELL trained in adult education practice and presentation methods, experts in Catholic Doctrine and Dogma who know the Catechism from cover to cover. Some who know Scripture, some who know the Church Fathers and others who know magisterial documents like encyclicals and can find answers to questions asked. There should be a Sponsor coordinator who works directly with training Sponsors. It is not by any means a one person show. The DRE’s job should be to insure that the TEAM has what it needs. (Resources and finances as well as Parish visibility and support)

Our RCIA Team is made up of only one person and that person is the Priest. We just established a stewardship program that we are learning from a Kansas Parish. We have chairpersons and co-chairpersons for each committee. The only committee that does not have co-chairpersons is the Adult Religious Education which is chaired by the Priest. I hope this tells you something about the Priest.

Our DRE is limited to the CCD program.

Sponsor Coordinator?

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Our RCIA Team is made up of only one person and that person is the Priest. We just established a stewardship program that we are learning from a Kansas Parish. We have chairpersons and co-chairpersons for each committee. The only committee that does not have co-chairpersons is the Adult Religious Education which is chaired by the Priest. I hope this tells you something about the Priest.

Our DRE is limited to the CCD program.

Sponsor Coordinator?

You would need to check with your diocese and see their policy on Parish Councils- Committees and Commissions. But those that I have seen do not allow priests or deacons or even parish paid staff to chair or vote on any Council, Committee or Commission. They may be members of the Council, Commission, or Committee but not voting members.

You should see about having a PCL and a Coordinator of Adult Catechesis, as well as a DRE for childrens programs.

The position of Sponsor is very critical in RCIA and they must be well trained in the role of Sponsor and have someone to come to with questions. They would also be responsible for making sure all Sponsors are qualified according to Canon Law.

 

[Damascus]

I’m at work and don’t have any documentation, but I think that the clergy is not supposed to run RCIA. It is supposed to be run by laity. Of course, it doesn’t always work out that way.

Peace,
Linda

I am just as egar as Joey Warren to hear this one. Apparently the JESUIT priest at my parish that has taken over needs some help from the posters here that seem to know more than he does.

 

[JoeyWarren]

You would need to check with your diocese and see their policy on Parish Councils- Committees and Commissions. But those that I have seen do not allow priests or deacons or even parish paid staff to chair or vote on any Council, Committee or Commission. They may be members of the Council, Commission, or Committee but not voting members.

You should see about having a PCL and a Coordinator of Adult Catechesis, as well as a DRE for childrens programs.

The position of Sponsor is very critical in RCIA and they must be well trained in the role of Sponsor and have someone to come to with questions. They would also be responsible for making sure all Sponsors are qualified according to Canon Law.

You are bringing up some serious issues that we don’t currently contend with. Even more so because I was a sponsor last Easter.

Considering we are merging two parishes together, we should be following some type of rule or guideline.

PCL?

 

[JoeyWarren]

The position of Sponsor is very critical in RCIA and they must be well trained in the role of Sponsor and have someone to come to with questions. They would also be responsible for making sure all Sponsors are qualified according to Canon Law.

This does not sit well with me since I was a sponsor last Easter.

 

[jmcrae]

This does not sit well with me since I was a sponsor last Easter.

Why not? Were you not qualified, according to canon law?

(And while we’re on the subject, has anyone got a gentle and pastoral way of telling a gentleman that his living-together girlfriend can’t be his sponsor? I’ve already mentioned to him that it is less than ideal that he is living with a girl, and that he needs to find a way to get out of that situation.)

 

[JoeyWarren]

Why not? Were you not qualified, according to canon law?

What Canon Law? Exactly. Had no Idea that was were laws concerning Sponsors and the Priest surely never mentioned it.

 

[JoeyWarren]

(And while we’re on the subject, has anyone got a gentle and pastoral way of telling a gentleman that his living-together girlfriend can’t be his sponsor? I’ve already mentioned to him that it is less than ideal that he is living with a girl, and that he needs to find a way to get out of that situation.)

Living in Sin! What a delimna. I wish I had some words of wisdom to give you, but that is not me. I lack wisdom…

 

[jmcrae]

Living in Sin! What a delimna.

Yep - they’re fornicating. Not sure how to break it to them that that’s a sin. After all, “everybody’s doing it.” And hey, God can’t send everybody to Hell, can He? (Actually, yes, He can.)

I wish I had some words of wisdom to give you, but that is not me. I lack wisdom…

So do I.

I suppose I could just come right out and say, “Hey, did you know that you’re fornicating?” But then he might quit RCIA, and I don’t want him to quit.

 

[Marsha_Adams]

How can a person involved in public unconfessed sin receive Sacraments? Baptism, Confirmation, or Eucharist?

Since confession requires true repentence and a firm purpose of amendment, the fact that there is still a “live-in” suggests that either there was no confession or the confession was not valid.

In order to be a sponsor, an individual must be a practicing Catholic and cannot be now or future spouse of the sponsored individual. (You can’t marry your mother, and you can’t marry your Godmother either.)

Marsha

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

You are bringing up some serious issues that we don’t currently contend with. Even more so because I was a sponsor last Easter.

Considering we are merging two parishes together, we should be following some type of rule or guideline.

PCL?

Parish Catechetical Leader

 

[puzzleannie]

OkSo, what should parishes and dioceses do to improve the RCIA? I have my own thoughts but I’ll share them later.

what you and other “annoyed with RCIA” graduates can do, and you are the best ones to do it, because any pastor or DRE will tell you RCIA newbies make the best volunteers, is to do just that. Come back to the RCIA program in your parish, for at least a year as a sponsor while you continue to grow in your own faith and knowledge, and then as a catechist.

 

[puzzleannie]

What if there was some kind of entrance exam… well exam may not be the right word - entrance survey. It would have a range of questions on it to allow the RCIA director to better be able to see where each inquirer was on his or her faith journey. That way there could be a time for small groups in which the discussions would be more relevant to the participants instead of having some participants feeling like they are in a remedial class and others feeling like they are lost and confused…

our diocese requires a very detailed interview form to be completed (not filled out, a real interview one on one) for each candidate with the deacon or director. this uncovers things like marriage and family issues that have to be resolved, and answers the most important question, where are you coming from. It avoids trying to process everyone the same as if they are in some civil service program, and enables the directors to discern conversion and progress.

 

[Cat]

Our RCIA was great. It was taught by an ex-Protestant and she spent three hours every Monday night for a year passing on her faith in Jesus, her wealth of knowledge, and enthusiasm for the Catholic Church. We learned everything!

My suggestion is that RCIA should be standardized, at least in the U.S. Many people don’t have the good luck I had to be taught by such a knowledgeable and enthusiastic teacher. They end up with someone who is kind and willing, but not knowledgeable.

Many of us agree that the Catholic Church’s worst enemies are uncatechized Catholics. They can really make a mess, can’t they? So why do we create them by allowing RCIA to be taught any old which way?

There should be a Study Guide that ALL parishes in the U.S. use, and it should cover everything. All the history, the Rites, the Sacraments, the disciplines, the prayers, the teachings of the Church, Biblical basis for our faith, the CCC, basic apologetics (to use when your friends and relatives try to talk you out of converting)–everything.

It should all be there, so that when the newly-converted Catholic realizes that they really don’t have a clue, they will have a resource to turn back to and re-learn all the stuff they missed during RCIA.

It would also be a great resource for cradle Catholics who realize that they don’t have a clue and want to change that.

Many Protestant churches use standardized curriculum in Sunday Schools, children’s clubs, VBSs, youth groups, and Bible studies. IMO, it’s just foolish–sorry, Magisterium!–to allow individual parishes to just wing it. No wonder we have so many Catholics walking around who know nothing about their Church or their faith.

 

[valient_Lucy]

But the only thing that will really protect us from being scooped up by whatever the local heresy is, is a strong prayer life - the Rosary, the Stations of the Cross, Novenas, etc., along with a strong sense of community, so that’s why these are the top priorities.

I want to disagree (slightly) with this statement. I do not deny that prayer protects us from heresy. However, I do not believe that prayer alone will protect people from heresy. After all, many Protestants have fantastic prayer lives, but they still deny the Real Presence.

The best way for a teacher to protect a Catholic from heresy is to instruct them in what the Church teaches. If a teacher encourages them to pray a lot, but also makes no effort to instruct their class as to the teachings of the Church, the students will not recognize heresy when they are confronted with it, and will not be able to reject it.
How can a Catholic reject heresy if they don’t even know what heresy is?

 

[Sheeniac]

Good News…there is a website, www.catechismclass.com that runs an excellent RCIA program, five on-line classes per week, no BS, solid doctrine and information, exactly what I need.

I was looking at the site, and it turns out there’s a discount associated with Catholic Answers:

“If you are part of a member parish, diocese, homeschool group, or Catholic Answers, please enter your code here now.”

Does anyone know about that?

On this page: catechismclass.com/select_package.php