Jewish and RCIA

[charmed0723]

My co-worker is Catholic. Her husband was raise Jewish/Catholic but barely. He wasn’t baptized or spend time in any synagogue. They were married by a Protestant preacher. She was told by her Catholic Church it would take 3 years of RCIA for a Jewish person to convert to Catholicism. I had no idea this is true, so please clarify. I understand the normal times for RCIA but if you are from a non Christian faith those it take longer or is something else require of you?.
Thanks,
Charmed

 

[Texas_Roofer]

Different Parishes use different formats for RCIA, how some one determined 3 years is not known. That would not be typically of the parishes I know, however I have certainly seen people who were lucky if they made it in three years! The issues were related to past marriages ( or attempted marriages). I have never heard anything about treating a Jewish person differently than any other attendee.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

My co-worker is Catholic. Her husband was raise Jewish/Catholic but barely. He wasn’t baptized or spend time in any synagogue. They were married by a Protestant preacher. She was told by her Catholic Church it would take 3 years of RCIA for a Jewish person to convert to Catholicism. I had no idea this is true, so please clarify. I understand the normal times for RCIA but if you are from a non Christian faith those it take longer or is something else require of you?.
Thanks,
Charmed

No, that is not true. A Jewish person would or should spend some time in Inquiry and after the Rite of Acceptance One Full year in the Catechumenate and then the Saraments of Initiation the next Easter Vigil after the One Full Liturgical year.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

I have had three Jews in my RCIA. None had prior marriages. All went through in the normal year.

 

[csg1976]

No, that is not true. A Jewish person would or should spend some time in Inquiry and after the Rite of Acceptance One Full year in the Catechumenate and then the Saraments of Initiation the next Easter Vigil after the One Full Liturgical year.

I am/was raised Jewish and in RCIA this year. Please explain why I would need another year before being received in the church. BTW, the director of the program and everyone else in class (about 40-50 people) know that I am from a Jewish background, a fairly religious one, and nothing has been mentioned. Thanks.

 

[KarenElissa]

I am/was raised Jewish and in RCIA this year. Please explain why I would need another year before being received in the church. BTW, the director of the program and everyone else in class (about 40-50 people) know that I am from a Jewish background, a fairly religious one, and nothing has been mentioned. Thanks.

What Br. Rich said is how RCIA is ideally supposed to work for everyone, at least one year in the catechumen so that you can experience the whole liturgical year. That said, in many, if not most parish, it doesn’t last that long. I imagine you will be baptized at the same time as anyone else in your group if you are ready.

 

[jmcrae]

I am/was raised Jewish and in RCIA this year. Please explain why I would need another year before being received in the church. BTW, the director of the program and everyone else in class (about 40-50 people) know that I am from a Jewish background, a fairly religious one, and nothing has been mentioned. Thanks.

Typically the time line for people not raised in the Christian faith runs one full Liturgical year of Catechesis (at least 52 consecutive Sundays), with (typically) three months before that for the Period of Inquiry, six weeks of Lent for the Period of Purification, and seven weeks for Mystagogia. Depending on the start time of the Period of Inquiry (which is up to the Holy Spirit) it can be anything from 18 months to 2 full years. I’m not sure where the three years is coming from, unless they are giving at least one year for the Period of Inquiry, or the Period of Mystagogia. (Or maybe both - which would make it at least three years, plus the six weeks for the Period of Purification.)

 

[csg1976]

I was just wondering why it would be different for a Jewish person versus someone who maybe didn’t have a religious upbringing at all. I’m just thinking it would be the same educational-wise, if that is what we are talking about. He should say Jewish or other non-Christian religion if that was what he meant.

My director certainly hasn’t indicated that I am not on the same track as everyone else in class on being baptized Easter 2009.

 

[Light_Seeker]

I sponsor and am involved as an assistant in my parish’s RCIA program. This year one of our enquirers is Hindu, another is Jewish.

Both of these enquirers will progress through our normal 9 month program, and celebrate the rite of Confirmation in the Easter season. They will both be baptized, along with other non-baptized enquirers, before their confirmation.

The Church doesn’t have different rules for Jews, or other non-Christians.

The only time the Confirmation is delayed is if an annulment or marriage convalidation is required. This may delay the individual’s confirmation, but does not extend the RCIA process.

 

[jmcrae]

I was just wondering why it would be different for a Jewish person versus someone who maybe didn’t have a religious upbringing at all. I’m just thinking it would be the same educational-wise, if that is what we are talking about. He should say Jewish or other non-Christian religion if that was what he meant.

My director certainly hasn’t indicated that I am not on the same track as everyone else in class on being baptized Easter 2009.

Then this is most likely what will happen. Many RCIAs are still on the September to Easter time line, and it seems as though yours is one of them.

 

[csg1976]

Thanks for your positive comments and reassurance. I’m doing this because I felt the call/pull of Jesus and my experience has been awesome in finding a really wonderful church, RCIA program and sponser! This the first almost negative comment I have heard about Jews becoming Catholic. Maybe it wasn’t meant that way so I’ll just forget about it.

 

[jmcrae]

Thanks for your positive comments and reassurance. I’m doing this because I felt the call/pull of Jesus and my experience has been awesome in finding a really wonderful church, RCIA program and sponser! This the first almost negative comment I have heard about Jews becoming Catholic. Maybe it wasn’t meant that way so I’ll just forget about it.

Most likely it was to do with the person being unbaptized and uncatechized, rather than specifically because he was Jewish. He had not been raised in the Jewish faith, either, so he would not start out with knowledge about God or knowledge of the Hebrew Scriptures, which most Jewish people would already know - so most likely the time line was based on the fact that he was uncatechized (didn’t know his own faith, either, in addition to not knowing anything about the Catholic faith, yet), rather than because he was Jewish.

 

[puzzleannie]

what is supposed to happen is a period first of inquiry or pre-evangelization, of no set time, can be days, weeks, months or in some case years, before someone is ready to commit to the catechumenate. That is the period of formal instruction and preparation. It begins with the rite of acceptance and is supposed to last through one liturgical cycle, from Lent or Easter the first year, to the beginning of Lent the second year, and should be a full calendar year (not a school year). Those meetings might be weekly or biweekly, will include formal catechesis on doctrine, and teaching based on the scripture readings for each Sunday.

This period ends with the Rite of Election at the beginning of Lent which begins the period of Purification and Enlightenment, the intense immediate preparation during Lent (the original purpose of the season, by the way) for baptism and confirmation at Easter. Lent is marked by special blessings and rites as well. After Easter is Mystagogy, which lasts a minimum of the 50 days until Pentecost, but should be a full year, although perhaps not with weekly meetings but less frequently, which is literally “instruction in the mysteries” more reflection and teaching on the sacraments of initiation themselves.

So yes the full process could very well take 3 years, but should be no less than one full year. It takes as long as it takes. My guess is your friend was given the basic info when they made their initial phone call, and after an interview and meeting with the pastor, wherein their individual needs and spiritual state could be assessed, they can get a better idea of what this journey entails and how long it will take. The answer is not going to be the same in every parish, nor for every individual.

 

[Texas_Roofer]

what is supposed to happen is a period first of inquiry or pre-evangelization, of no set time, can be days, weeks, months or in some case years, before someone is ready to commit to the catechumenate. That is the period of formal instruction and preparation. It begins with the rite of acceptance and is supposed to last through one liturgical cycle, from Lent or Easter the first year, to the beginning of Lent the second year, and should be a full calendar year (not a school year). Those meetings might be weekly or biweekly, will include formal catechesis on doctrine, and teaching based on the scripture readings for each Sunday.

This period ends with the Rite of Election at the beginning of Lent which begins the period of Purification and Enlightenment, the intense immediate preparation during Lent (the original purpose of the season, by the way) for baptism and confirmation at Easter. Lent is marked by special blessings and rites as well. After Easter is Mystagogy, which lasts a minimum of the 50 days until Pentecost, but should be a full year, although perhaps not with weekly meetings but less frequently, which is literally “instruction in the mysteries” more reflection and teaching on the sacraments of initiation themselves.

So yes the full process could very well take 3 years, but should be no less than one full year. It takes as long as it takes. My guess is your friend was given the basic info when they made their initial phone call, and after an interview and meeting with the pastor, wherein their individual needs and spiritual state could be assessed, they can get a better idea of what this journey entails and how long it will take. The answer is not going to be the same in every parish, nor for every individual.

Are you formiliar with Pope [St.] Gregory’s [Ist] writing on this subject?

Did VII leave up to the local authority?

• just respectfully asking

 

[jmcrae]

Are you formiliar with Pope [St.] Gregory’s [Ist] writing on this subject?

Did VII leave up to the local authority?

• just respectfully asking

Pope Paul VI wrote a document that is entitled The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. This is the only authoritative document in the Church at present, for bringing unbaptized persons into full membership in the Catholic Church. Supporting documents include the General Directory for Catechesis which gives greater detail regarding Church norms around Catechesis in general, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church for use in creating materials for the Period of Catechesis.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I am/was raised Jewish and in RCIA this year. Please explain why I would need another year before being received in the church. BTW, the director of the program and everyone else in class (about 40-50 people) know that I am from a Jewish background, a fairly religious one, and nothing has been mentioned. Thanks.

No “extra” year intended in my answer. Lets say you start in August, you spend 8 weeks in Inquiry, that takes you to October. You spend one full Liturgical year in the Catechumenate that takes you to the next October, Now you have studied and experienced all the Liturgical seasons. You would be Baptized at the next Easter Vigil, 6 months later. Adults ar usually only Baptized at the Easter Vigil. .

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I sponsor and am involved as an assistant in my parish’s RCIA program. This year one of our enquirers is Hindu, another is Jewish.

Both of these enquirers will progress through our normal 9 month program, and celebrate the rite of Confirmation in the Easter season. They will both be baptized, along with other non-baptized enquirers, before their confirmation.

The Church doesn’t have different rules for Jews, or other non-Christians.

The only time the Confirmation is delayed is if an annulment or marriage convalidation is required. This may delay the individual’s confirmation, but does not extend the RCIA process.

A person awaiting an Annulment process to complete cannot even be Baptized. Your post sounded like only the Sacrament of Confirmation would be delayed. They would generally be Initiated into the Church with Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist at the next Easter Vigil after the Annulment process is completed and found Null.

 

[Light_Seeker]

A person awaiting an Annulment process to complete cannot even be Baptized. Your post sounded like only the Sacrament of Confirmation would be delayed. They would generally be Initiated into the Church with Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist at the next Easter Vigil after the Annulment process is completed and found Null.

Thank you, my post didn’t mention delaying baptism, if needed, if a person is awaiting annulment/convalidation.

The delay may differ parish to parish, diocese to diocese. When I went thru RCIA several years ago, I was also waiting on an annulment to have my present marriage convalidated. I was told at the time if the annulment did not occur by Easter, my Confirmation & Eucharist would occur as soon as complete, without the ceremony.

I was lucky, annulment & convalidation were completed before RCIA finished at Easter.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Thank you, my post didn’t mention delaying baptism, if needed, if a person is awaiting annulment/convalidation.

The delay may differ parish to parish, diocese to diocese. When I went thru RCIA several years ago, I was also waiting on an annulment to have my present marriage convalidated. I was told at the time if the annulment did not occur by Easter, my Confirmation & Eucharist would occur as soon as complete, without the ceremony.

I was lucky, annulment & convalidation were completed before RCIA finished at Easter.

I know that sometimes we (all of us) “Want what we want and want it now!!” Technically Adult Baptism unless serious reasons require differently, should only be celebrated at the Easter Vigil.

 

[Texas_Roofer]

Pope Paul VI wrote a document that is entitled The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. This is the only authoritative document in the Church at present, for bringing unbaptized persons into full membership in the Catholic Church. Supporting documents include the General Directory for Catechesis which gives greater detail regarding Church norms around Catechesis in general, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church for use in creating materials for the Period of Catechesis.

FYI- During the first five hundred years or so of the history of the Roman Catholic Church (and still today in the Christian churches of the East), it was always the case that the sacraments of Christian initiation were celebrated in an invariable sequence: Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. And it was almost always the case that all three sacraments were celebrated together at the same time, even with infants.
ewtn.com/library/BISHOPS/ordsacinit.HTM

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