Is being RCIA sponsor too demanding?

[Vic_Taltrees_UK]

In case I am not allowed on RCIA as a student (having been confirmed in a previous historical epoch) it has been suggested I become an RCIA sponsor.

However this idea strikes me as unsuitable because I probably don’t know the ropes well enough myself.

Is this so?

 

[Trident_H]

I don’t know why you’d sign up as a sponsor. I mean you were just asking if it was ok to sit in on the sessions to bring you up to speed and now suddenly someone thinks you should be someone else’s lead into things? I don’t know. This doesn’t sound right.

 

[AKDee]

If you are not well catechized, you should not be a sponsor. I don’t see why any parish would have an issue with a previously confirmed Catholic sitting in on RCIA classes (assuming they don’t have adult faith formation classes already for that purpose) but you should not be a sponsor because part of a sponsor’s job is to answer questions and you also will be responsible for attesting that your catechumen is ready for baptism / confirmation.

Classes are not the only way to get a better grasp of the Catholic faith. There are tons of books. Consider “Rediscover Catholicism” by Mathew Kelly or “Catholic Christianity” by Peter Kreeft. View the “Symbolon- the Catholic Faith Explained” series on DVD or “Catholicism” DVD’s by Fr. (Now Bishop) Robert Barron.

 

[pianistclare]

Based on your many threads, I say no.

 

[Allegra]

No. That sounds really inappropriate. Maybe you could be a volunteer of some kind though?

 

[Convert1]

A direct answer to your question is: Yes. Being a sponsor can be very demanding, as your constant emotional and educational support of the candidate is needed to assist them on their journey.
I concur that being properly prepared for this role is crucial. You could assist the RCIA team with the program to get a feel for the process. I know we received a great deal of printed material to study over a nine month period. Perhaps you could also sit in on the classes. That would provide you some further education, which it sounds as though you need. Afterward, it could be determined whether you are prepared to be a sponsor. Just my opinion.

 

[808Catholic]

In case I am not allowed on RCIA as a student (having been confirmed in a previous historical epoch) it has been suggested I become an RCIA sponsor.

However this idea strikes me as unsuitable because I probably don’t know the ropes well enough myself.

Is this so?

I would suggest you ask the RCIA team leader and let him/her know your intent to learn more. All Catholics can stand to learn more about their faith so I don’t see the harm of sitting in and learning along with your confirmandi. Another thought is to volunteer to be part of the RCIA team; sort of an “intern” position. You can learn and perhaps even teach a subject if one of the veteran instructors is willing to mentor you.

I’ve learned so much more being an RCIA instructor than just learning on my own because I’m “forced” to become the subject matter expert on the topic I’ve volunteered to teach. Give it a try and see what happens. God Bless you.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

Maybe I’ll be the lone voice to say that I don’t think being an “expert Catholic” is a prerequisite for being a sponsor.

I think the first requirement is to be someone who loves his or her faith and wants to help someone else on the journey into the Church. You should be someone who loves the sacraments, someone who loves the Church, someone who prays, and someone who can be a supportive mentor and friend to a catechumen or candidate.

Catechumens have catechists and if they have questions, the catechists are good sources for answers. The kinds of questions a sponsor should be able to answer would be things like “Why are you Catholic?” and “Why do you pray?”

If all you want is “facts,” then buy yourself a copy of Catholicism for Dummies and start brushing up. Being a sponsor means making a serious commitment to helping someone else on the journey.

 

[808Catholic]

Maybe I’ll be the lone voice to say that I don’t think being an “expert Catholic” is a prerequisite for being a sponsor.

I think the first requirement is to be someone who loves his or her faith and wants to help someone else on the journey into the Church. You should be someone who loves the sacraments, someone who loves the Church, someone who prays, and someone who can be a supportive mentor and friend to a catechumen or candidate.

Catechumens have catechists and if they have questions, the catechists are good sources for answers. The kinds of questions a sponsor should be able to answer would be things like “Why are you Catholic?” and “Why do you pray?”

If all you want is “facts,” then buy yourself a copy of Catholicism for Dummies and start brushing up. Being a sponsor means making a serious commitment to helping someone else on the journey.

Agree 100%.

 

[AKDee]

Maybe I’ll be the lone voice to say that I don’t think being an “expert Catholic” is a prerequisite for being a sponsor.

I don’t disagree but I think having the fundamentals down is probably important. Solely based on the OP’s several posts the last few days, it does not sound like they feel they have the fundamentals. It would be much like the blind leading the blind in that case.

 

[808Catholic]

I don’t disagree but I think having the fundamentals down is probably important. Solely based on the OP’s several posts the last few days, it does not sound like they feel they have the fundamentals. It would be much like the blind leading the blind in that case.

Careful…I wouldn’t say I’m an “expert” Catholic either but I can and do serve the Lord in different ways.

 

[Kal2012]

Maybe I’ll be the lone voice to say that I don’t think being an “expert Catholic” is a prerequisite for being a sponsor.

I think the first requirement is to be someone who loves his or her faith and wants to help someone else on the journey into the Church. You should be someone who loves the sacraments, someone who loves the Church, someone who prays, and someone who can be a supportive mentor and friend to a catechumen or candidate.

Catechumens have catechists and if they have questions, the catechists are good sources for answers. The kinds of questions a sponsor should be able to answer would be things like “Why are you Catholic?” and “Why do you pray?”

If all you want is “facts,” then buy yourself a copy of Catholicism for Dummies and start brushing up. Being a sponsor means making a serious commitment to helping someone else on the journey.

No - you aren’t alone! I was thinking the same thing. None of us are ‘perfect’ Catholics.

We are all on a spiritual journey and we have a duty to mentor younger Catholics as they grow in their faith.

Honestly, my sponsor was a “sponsor in name” only. She was thrilled that there were no meetings to attend and she had a long standing vacation planned for Easter (and Easter Vigil.) So, I had a stand-in on the big day (who, looking back, I should have asked to be my sponsor in the first place.)

I like to think that I could do better than be a “sponsor in name only”. I almost think that I should have let the parish find a volunteer to be my sponsor, but I wanted it to be someone I knew - even remotely. Not a completely random stranger.

Just be yourself and if God wants you to be a RCIA sponsor, then it will eventually happen.

Heck, even I volunteered to be a sponsor at my new parish, mostly because I know what it’s like to go through the process and know what it’s like to struggle with faith and try to decide whether Catholicism is really for me.

I really doubt that the RCIA director will ever call me, but I’m open to the possibility of helping someone with their conversion process because I think that it’s wonderful, that in this day and age, people would still want to be Catholic. It’s important to support potential converts.

 

[1ke]

In case I am not allowed on RCIA as a student (having been confirmed in a previous historical epoch) it has been suggested I become an RCIA sponsor.

However this idea strikes me as unsuitable because I probably don’t know the ropes well enough myself.

Is this so?

I’m sure the person who suggested you be a sponsor meant well. But, a sponsor must meet canonical qualifications-- because you are sponsoring a person for their baptism and/or confirmation.

You do not currently meet those qualifications, since you are not a practicing Catholic (or at least that is the impression I have from your description of yourself as a “nominal Catholic”). It would not be appropriate for you to be a sponsor in your current circumstance.

 

[1ke]

Maybe I’ll be the lone voice to say that I don’t think being an “expert Catholic” is a prerequisite for being a sponsor.

No, but meeting the canonical requirements for sponsoring a person for baptism or confirmation IS a prerequisite. It does not appear the OP meets that criteria at this time.

 

[Vic_Taltrees_UK]

Thanks all for the many illuminating answers. This is roughly what I thought all along.

Besides not having the fundamentals myself yet, as an Asperger I wouldn’t want to interfere in someone else’s religious affairs, I wouldn’t be up to it.

It’s difficult to know whether I shall ever have the fundamentals or even what they are in essence.

 

[808Catholic]

Thanks all for the many illuminating answers. This is roughly what I thought all along.

Besides not having the fundamentals myself yet, as an Asperger I wouldn’t want to interfere in someone else’s religious affairs, I wouldn’t be up to it.

It’s difficult to know whether I shall ever have the fundamentals or even what they are in essence.

God gave us all different talents and gifts. Sometimes He disguises those talents and gifts in other ways such as Asperger’s. I would recommend you take His gift and multiply the worth by befriending other people with Asperger’s so they can find Christ as you did. You’ve walked in their shoes (and continue to do so) and may relate to them better than people without this particular talent/gift. God does not make mistakes; He creates opportunities. God Bless you.