More Questions from a Catholic-wannabe!

[Chris258]

Hello everyone!

I’m a little clueless about long it will take before I can receive Confirmation. I was baptized outside the Church in the Trinitarian formula.

I plan to take RCIA classes in the fall. For a baptized non-Catholic, what usually happens? How long do RCIA classes usually last, and to what degree would I need to attend them? Will it take a few weeks, a few months, or much longer?

I’ve sorta been catechizing myself for about two months by diving into the early Church fathers and reading the Catechism and Catholic Encyclopedia, not to mention gleaning good stuff from CAF. Is any self-catechesis taken into account when determining how long before Confirmation can take place?

Most baptized non-Catholics probably go through a much longer “simmering period” before deciding to join the Church, but God’s grace finds us wherever it will; I was blessed to not have anchored myself in any specific Reformed theological mold by the time I started reading about the Catholic Church.

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Can anyone recommend a good array of books that would make the process of choosing a patron saint a little easier? There’s so many of them that I’m not sure how to start looking earnestly.

 

[Tietjen]

Hello everyone!

I’m a little clueless about long it will take before I can receive Confirmation. I was baptized outside the Church in the Trinitarian formula.

I plan to take RCIA classes in the fall. For a baptized non-Catholic, what usually happens? How long do RCIA classes usually last, and to what degree would I need to attend them? Will it take a few weeks, a few months, or much longer?

I’ve sorta been catechizing myself for about two months by diving into the early Church fathers and reading the Catechism and Catholic Encyclopedia, not to mention gleaning good stuff from CAF. Is any self-catechesis taken into account when determining how long before Confirmation can take place?

Most baptized non-Catholics probably go through a much longer “simmering period” before deciding to join the Church, but God’s grace finds us wherever it will; I was blessed to not have anchored myself in any specific Reformed theological mold by the time I started reading about the Catholic Church.

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Can anyone recommend a good array of books that would make the process of choosing a patron saint a little easier? There’s so many of them that I’m not sure how to start looking earnestly.

Hi Chris,

Normally, in the situation that you describe, you would be confirmed next Easter. RCIA is the usual means by which adults enter the Church, but it is not written in stone that a person must attend RCIA. Your best bet as to getting answers to your questions is to speak with your parish Priest. He will be in a better position to assess your individual position.

 

[Chris258]

Hi Chris,

Normally, in the situation that you describe, you would be confirmed next Easter. RCIA is the usual means by which adults enter the Church, but it is not written in stone that a person must attend RCIA. Your best bet as to getting answers to your questions is to speak with your parish Priest. He will be in a better position to assess your individual position.

I thought catechumens were the ones whose Confirmations were reserved for Easter. Or do you mean everyone who joins the Church gets confirmed sometime during the Easter season?

 

[PhilotheaZ]

I thought catechumens were the ones whose Confirmations were reserved for Easter. Or do you mean everyone who joins the Church gets confirmed sometime during the Easter season?

In most parishes, catechumens (unbaptized) and candidates (like yourself) are confirmed at the Easter Vigil. But exceptions can be made. Talk to the pastor of the parish to which you will belong. If you want to do it sooner and he agrees, great. If not, accept the decision as coming from God, and allow it to help you develop the virtues of patience and humility.

Sometimes it may depend on directives from the bishop (for example, our bishop reserves to himself the Confirmation of adult Catholics who were not confirmed as children; priests in our diocese cannot confirm adult Catholics except in particular situations, e.g., danger of death).