Maybe Missing Call to Continuing Conversion

[AnchoredInHope]

I am a candidate in RCIA who is also currently in the process of filing for a lack of form annulment. (I am merely just waiting for a copy of the baptismal certificate from my former spouses parish so I can officially turn in the application) I just learned this week that my RCIA class will be going early next month to meet the bishop for Rite of Election and Rite of Sending Forth. I was told that unless everything was processed I likely cannot attend.

I am feeling heartbroken over this. I understand why I wouldn’t be able to fully join the Church at Easter and receive Eucharist until everything is taken care and I have no doubt that my paperwork will be fine at that point in time…but I feel very badly that I will be excluded from meeting the Bishop and receiving his blessing as I continue my faith journey. It makes me feel like I’m somehow a second-class RCIA candidate and I just don’t fully understand it.

Assuming all else goes well and I am able to be fully received into the Church at Easter, am I missing much by being excluded from this Rite? I understand some Dioceses don’t always do this and it can be “optional”? I just feel really down about this…

 

[Casilda]

I am sorry, but I would go above the heads of the volunteer staff and approach the priest directly about your situation. Paperwork issues thrown at me from six different parishes made me eventually give up my revert process. My current priest said it was all unnecessary and legalistic, instead of helping one along it actually impedes someone’s spiritual well being.

An example, I had to get a copy of my baptismal record, had my mom searching high and low for the original. Original was invalid. It had to be certified less than 6 months. I was not told why. Eventually, yes. After I had the certified copy I was threatened that it might expire prior to getting my marriage convalidated in which case it would delay being received by Easter.

You wonder why I gave up. Please talk to your priest.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

I am feeling heartbroken over this. I understand why I wouldn’t be able to fully join the Church at Easter and receive Eucharist until everything is taken care and I have no doubt that my paperwork will be fine at that point in time…but I feel very badly that I will be excluded from meeting the Bishop and receiving his blessing as I continue my faith journey. It makes me feel like I’m somehow a second-class RCIA candidate and I just don’t fully understand it.

I understand how much it hurts to have to consider the possibility of not going through a rite you were looking forward to as part of your journey into the Church. I’m sorry this is happening.

Let me start by saying you are NOT a second-class candidate. You’re on your particular path which is a bit different from other peoples. Just remember, God is holding your hand the whole way and won’t let go no matter what.

A bit of background about this rite:

There are two different rites depending on whether someone is a catechumen (preparing for baptism) or a candidate (someone who is already baptized).

Catechumens go through the Rite of Election while candidates go through a parallel rite, the Call to Continuing Conversion. The two different rites may be combined or may be separated. (Personally, I prefer separating them so that it is clear that you have a different status as a baptized Christian than does an unbaptized catechumen.)

The Rite of Election is required while the Call to Continuing Conversion is optional.

Depending on the diocese, both of these may take place on the same day, they may be on different days, or the Call to Continuing Conversion may be handled in some other way.

In my archdiocese the rites have been separated so that there is a distinction made between those who are already baptized and those who are not. The Call to Continuing Conversion happens in individual parishes rather than centrally and does not involve the bishop.

Talk with your pastor. If your declaration of nullity doesn’t come through in time for you to take part in the centralized Rite of Election/Call to Continuing Conversion, I don’t know why the rite couldn’t be celebrated in your parish in the weeks before your reception into the Church.

Prayers as you move forward.

 

[AnchoredInHope]

I understand how much it hurts to have to consider the possibility of not going through a rite you were looking forward to as part of your journey into the Church. I’m sorry this is happening.

Let me start by saying you are NOT a second-class candidate. You’re on your particular path which is a bit different from other peoples. Just remember, God is holding your hand the whole way and won’t let go no matter what.

A bit of background about this rite:

There are two different rites depending on whether someone is a catechumen (preparing for baptism) or a candidate (someone who is already baptized).

Catechumens go through the Rite of Election while candidates go through a parallel rite, the Call to Continuing Conversion. The two different rites may be combined or may be separated. (Personally, I prefer separating them so that it is clear that you have a different status as a baptized Christian than does an unbaptized catechumen.)

The Rite of Election is required while the Call to Continuing Conversion is optional.

Depending on the diocese, both of these may take place on the same day, they may be on different days, or the Call to Continuing Conversion may be handled in some other way.

In my archdiocese the rites have been separated so that there is a distinction made between those who are already baptized and those who are not. The Call to Continuing Conversion happens in individual parishes rather than centrally and does not involve the bishop.

Talk with your pastor. If your declaration of nullity doesn’t come through in time for you to take part in the centralized Rite of Election/Call to Continuing Conversion, I don’t know why the rite couldn’t be celebrated in your parish in the weeks before your reception into the Church.

Prayers as you move forward.

Thank you for your kind words. How long is a reasonable amount of time for a parish to have sent a copy of the baptismal certificate? It will be two weeks this Wednesday and the parish is only a few hours upstate from my city. I don’t want to be obnoxious but I’m wondering if I should call them again to confirm it was sent.

I am keeping your words in my thoughts as I try to hope that it will all work out as I hope.

 

[Casilda]

I tried unsuccessfully for nine months to obtain my baptismal certificate, not counting the months determining which parish to contact. I filled out a form at the parish where I was receiving sacrament instruction, they had a certified copy sent to them within the week.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

Thank you for your kind words. How long is a reasonable amount of time for a parish to have sent a copy of the baptismal certificate? It will be two weeks this Wednesday and the parish is only a few hours upstate from my city. I don’t want to be obnoxious but I’m wondering if I should call them again to confirm it was sent.

I am keeping your words in my thoughts as I try to hope that it will all work out as I hope.

Talk to your pastor. Perhaps it would help if he (or his representative) contacted the other parish directly to let them know this is time sensitive. If the parish won’t do it then you can call the other parish, but I think it’s reasonable to follow up.

Let us know what happens.

 

[AnchoredInHope]

Talk to your pastor. Perhaps it would help if he (or his representative) contacted the other parish directly to let them know this is time sensitive. If the parish won’t do it then you can call the other parish, but I think it’s reasonable to follow up.

Let us know what happens.

Thank you so much for your support–it really is helping me and means a lot. My deacon I was assigned to sort of left it up to me to contact the parish again if I wanted to… I was so worried about being “pushy” but I finally decided two weeks had been long enough…you can imagine after contacting nearly 40 churches and several dioceses and finally finding THE church it took every ounce of me asking God for patience these last two weeks. I decided I’ve gone too far to give up now.

When I called this time last night, a different woman than the one I had to call twice before answered. I told her my reason for calling and she put me on hold to see if she could verify if the certificate had been mailed. She picked up and apologized that she couldn’t find any information about whether or not it had been and said the other woman in the office had been out of the office for “time away” so she wasn’t there to ask. When I heard that I felt crushed and became worried that she had forgotten to send the certificate. The woman on the phone with me said that she would be willing to make another copy and drop it off at the post office that evening so it would go out first thing in the morning.

I have to admit I became tearful/choked up on the phone. I explained to this woman I was in my own conversion process and there was an upcoming Rite I very much hoped to participate in and, in the least, I hoped to be able to fully join the Church at Easter Vigil and that this had become a very time sensitive matter. I even told her how badly I wish to receive Communion.

I said I would be willing to pay for the cost of sending overnight if that was something that could be done. She was very kind and I think she could tell how emotional I was. She promised me that she would make a copy and have it to the post office and that if my deacon had not received it by the end of this week, I could call her back and discuss arrangement for overnight shipping as the post office was already closed for the evening in her area and she couldn’t arrange to overnight then.

I don’t know if the other person ever sent it or not… maybe it may show up in the next day or so after being held up for some unknown reason but I have doubts as this a neighboring city in the same state. I know there was no malicious intent if it was not but I do feel better knowing that another copy was sent first thing this morning and I believe that the woman I spoke to yesterday will keep her word to me.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

Your story has me choked up… Bless that woman and her care for you.

 

[PJM]

I am a candidate in RCIA who is also currently in the process of filing for a lack of form annulment. (I am merely just waiting for a copy of the baptismal certificate from my former spouses parish so I can officially turn in the application) I just learned this week that my RCIA class will be going early next month to meet the bishop for Rite of Election and Rite of Sending Forth. I was told that unless everything was processed I likely cannot attend.

I am feeling heartbroken over this. I understand why I wouldn’t be able to fully join the Church at Easter and receive Eucharist until everything is taken care and I have no doubt that my paperwork will be fine at that point in time…but I feel very badly that I will be excluded from meeting the Bishop and receiving his blessing as I continue my faith journey. It makes me feel like I’m somehow a second-class RCIA candidate and I just don’t fully understand it.

Assuming all else goes well and I am able to be fully received into the Church at Easter, am I missing much by being excluded from this Rite? I understand some Dioceses don’t always do this and it can be “optional”? I just feel really down about this…

No, it’s not an essential part of initiation UNLESS that local Bishop makes it so.

I taught RCIA for 3 years.

As a FYI; because of time constraints [usually Aug to Easter]; after I retired I developed a TOTALLY FREE OF ALL COST HOME STUDY COURSE AS A SUPPLEMENT TO RCIA.

1 Lesson is e-mailed each week & no homework

Not restricted by time my course covers FAR more than RCIA
ALL in greater depth
& I stress providing the evidence of our Catholic Faith beliefs and practices.

So If I can be of further assistance please let me know via a private message.

This offer is open to anyone who wishes to become an Informed Roman Catholic:thumbsup:

God Bless you & pray much,

Patrick [PJM] here on CAF