New Catholic Help

  • Thread starter Thread starter TotenKampf
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
T

TotenKampf

Guest
Hello, this is my first post. I have recently decided that the Catholic faith is the right one for me, it feels right also. However I have been attending a Methodist Church for two or three months now with my girl friend. About two weeks ago I decided that Catholocism is right for me. I know that a non-Catholic church cannot supstitue Mass. However I am aware that “Lay” or “Lapsed” Catholics exist who identify themselves as Catholic but do not practice, currect me if I’m wrong please. There are only four or five parishes in my county, Madison, of Alabama. Only one of them I could attend if I had the means of going. The Methodist Church I go to does have a Eucharist, however when they talk about it they do not state it is symbolic, yet neither do they say it is literal. Also, my girl friends father is Itallian and was raised Catholic, but I have no idea if he is still Catholic or not. Most of the time however, I help my girl friend with children who attend a learning class so technically I am not attending their services. Ironically, attending this Church actually revitalized my faith and I was curious as to wich was truly right for me and that is how I decided on being Catholic.
 
From what I understand, you are allowed to attend non-Catholic church services as long as you do not take their communion.

Every Sunday is a day of obligation, meaning you are supposed to attend Mass every Sunday, although it is understood that it’s not possible for everyone to do so.
 
You will want to contact the parish that is closest to you and inquire about their RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) program. If you have never received the Sacrament of Baptism, then you will need to be Baptised and Confirmed in the Catholic Church before you can become Catholic and share in the Eucharist. If you have already received a valid baptism in another faith tradition then you will only need to attend the RCIA classes that normally last approximately 7-8 months and then receive your Confirmation, which is usually during the Easter Vigil.

The most important thing to do is to contact the parish of your choice and arrange to speak to someone, as they will be able to answer all of your questions and help you understand the process of becoming a Catholic. RCIA will help you in so many ways, besides teaching you about our faith and the history of the Catholic Church, you will meet new friends and grow even closer to our Lord. Most classes start in the early Fall, so it is the perfect time for you to inquire. Blessings and prayers for you as you start this wonderful faith journey.
 
TotenKampf said:
Hello, this is my first post. I have recently decided that the Catholic faith is the right one for me, it feels right also. However I have been attending a Methodist Church for two or three months now with my girl friend. About two weeks ago I decided that Catholocism is right for me. I know that a non-Catholic church cannot supstitue Mass. However I am aware that “Lay” or “Lapsed” Catholics exist who identify themselves as Catholic but do not practice, currect me if I’m wrong please. There are only four or five parishes in my county, Madison, of Alabama. Only one of them I could attend if I had the means of going. The Methodist Church I go to does have a Eucharist, however when they talk about it they do not state it is symbolic, yet neither do they say it is literal. Also, my girl friends father is Itallian and was raised Catholic, but I have no idea if he is still Catholic or not. Most of the time however, I help my girl friend with children who attend a learning class so technically I am not attending their services. Ironically, attending this Church actually revitalized my faith and I was curious as to wich was truly right for me and that is how I decided on being Catholic.
Click to expand...
You can attend the Church but it does not fulfill your weekly obligation simply because you must receive the Eucharist which IS the living bread from heaven.
 
rinnie said:
You can attend the Church but it does not fulfill your weekly obligation simply because you must receive the Eucharist which IS the living bread from heaven.
Click to expand...
It’s hard to tell from the OP’s statement whether he is Catholic or not. If he is in fact a Catholic, then the requirement is to attend Sunday mass and holy days. First step for a lapsed Catholic would be an appointment with teh pastor and reconcilliation then join the congregation. RCIA is also required or recommended in most parishes for situations like this.

If this person is not a baptised Catholic Christian, then there is no obligation to go to a Catholic Sunday mass. Remember the code of canon law starts with a simple statement, the code is written for Latin Rite Catholics only.

PS. There is no weekly obligation to recieve the Eucharist.
 
I was baptized as a Baptist, and the reason why I cannot attend any perish is because of the hours and the fact that I’m still dependent on my parents, who are Baptist, for transportation. The Parish I could attend is Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Military Chapel. However this is a good half hour drive IF I knew where exactly on base it was, which I don’t. But once I do become independent on my own transportation I was planning on attending as often as possible. And even attend this RCIA that I’ve read a little about.**
 
If you were baptised as a Baptist your baptism would be valid, but you would need to attend RCIA and receive the Sacrament of Confirmation before you can receive the Sacrament of Communion in the Catholic Church. As I stated before, the best thing to do is to contact the parish you would attend and discuss this with them, they will be able to answer any questions and provide guidance for your particular circumstances.
 
Thank you very much. Also would it be right of me to identify myself as Catholic without having yet done these?
 
TotenKampf said:
Thank you very much. Also would it be right of me to identify myself as Catholic without having yet done these?
Click to expand...
You can call yourself catholic, as you are part of the universal church. But to referto yourself as Catholic, as in Latin Rite, would be improper…😃
 
Thank you. So probably the most propper way to say it would be, I’m Catholic but have not received Confirmation.
 
TotenKampf said:
Thank you. So probably the most propper way to say it would be, I’m Catholic but have not received Confirmation.
Click to expand...
That was kind of a play on words, notice the small “c” as opposed to the big “C”.😛
 
TotenKampf said:
Thank you. So probably the most propper way to say it would be, I’m Catholic but have not received Confirmation.
Click to expand...
No, you are Christian, but not officially Catholic yet. You need to be confirmed a Catholic before you can actually call yourself one, and also receive the eucharist.
 
Hello, fellow Alabamian! I am soon beginning RCIA to become “officially” Catholic. Until then, I just explain that I am in the process of becoming Catholic if anyone asks.😃 When attending mass, my priest told me that if I approach with my arms crossed, I may receive a blessing (but not the Eucharist) until it is official.
 
One of the best states I’ve lived in 😃 but not being able to receive the Eucharist until confirmation is actually something I was not aware of.
 
Totenkampf,

Are you able to talk to a priest at a local parish? He may be able to give you some good advice on how to live as a Catholic-in-spirit to the best of your ability while waiting for the opportunity to be fully joined to the Catholic Church.

By virtue of your valid baptism you are already joined (albeit imperfectly) with Christ’s bride the Catholic Church. I consider you a brother. Welcome home! And hang in there. Time goes by fast and you will soon be old enough to freely make your own choices.

Paul
 
Thank you for welcoming me PaulDupre. I actually have 5 months before I can drive on my own 😃 which so happens to be the biggiest impairment. That or not owning my own vehicle yet <.< however is the Eucharist performed by Catholics differant, the act where Christ is the bread and wine, differant from another denominations equivilent if in my heart I feel it is literally Christ? Also sorry for all the questions 😊
 
TotenKampf said:
One of the best states I’ve lived in 😃 but not being able to receive the Eucharist until confirmation is actually something I was not aware of.
Click to expand...
There is no requirement to be confirmed before recieving the Eucharist. However, the way it generally works is you would go through RCIA and at the Easter Vigil you would make profession of faith, the creed, before the congregation then the pastor would administer the sacrement of confirmation then at communion time you would recieve the Eucharist.

That is only the normal chain of events, but it is not required that you be confirmed first.

I have seen individuals allowed, because of their knowledge level, to make a proffession and recieve before the Easter Vigil mass; then be confirmed at the EV. This is not the norm however.
 
TotenKampf said:
Thank you for welcoming me PaulDupre. I actually have 5 months before I can drive on my own 😃 which so happens to be the biggiest impairment. That or not owning my own vehicle yet <.< however is the Eucharist performed by Catholics differant, the act where Christ is the bread and wine, differant from another denominations equivilent if in my heart I feel it is literally Christ? Also sorry for all the questions 😊
Click to expand...
Communion in the Roman Catholic Church is completely different than all other Christian denominations. The Body & Blood, Soul & Divinity of Christ is 100% present in our Communion. It is the true Body & Blood of Christ, and no longer bread & wine. It’s a serious sin for you to receive Catholic Communion before you’ve gone through RCIA and been fully accepted into the Church. I’m not sure if you should receive communion from another church if you are in the process of converting, either.

Since you seem to be under 18 (can’t drive yet), do your parents know about this, and do they approve? That might be a stumbling block that you will have to deal with before you can begin, too. You might want to talk to the Priest about your situation before enrolling in RCIA. If your parents are OK with it, then there should be no problem as long as you are sure about it.

Welcome aboard! 😃
 
My parents both know about this, but are both very busy with college, or school for me is also gonna start back up soon. They both raised me as Christian but not as any specific denomination. My father wasn’t baptised until his first combat deployment in '02. Personally, they probably aren’t too concerned about any of this, because they raised me to be extremly independent if needed, especially in faith. So their approvial is no problem. However it’s really time to do things that also make it hard.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top