Non-Christians in RCIA

[lufty]

Are there any non-baptized non-Christians here that have been ignored, or unaccepted into any Catholic faith communities, including Archdiocese RCIA?

I for one, am beginning to believe that the RCIA and Catholic faith outreach programs are specifically for cradle Catholics, and are not interested in non-Christians/non-baptized folks.

I believe that Christ is present in my life. However, with even the Archdiocese ignoring my inquiry, I have doubts that Catholicism is in the teachings of Christ.

 

[Rolltide]

That’s somewhat unusual. In my experience, if anything, RCIA tends to be too simple for Christians and Catholics sitting in. Of course, it’s supposed to be geared specifically to non-baptized, non-Catholic Christians. Do you live in a small town? Have you tried a different parish? Many RCIA programs tend to start in August or September, and run to the Easter Vigil. If you PM me with your location, perhaps I can look up a program in your area and see what’s available.

 

[Linda_Marie]

I was non-Christian and unbaptised before entering RCIA. I had no difficulties entering the program other than having to wait eight months for the next one to start. They wouldn’t let me enter the program in the middle. There were 3 others in my class who were not baptised and the 27 candidates were all from other Christian faiths. None were returning cradle Catholics. They don’t usually require a course anyway. For most of them, all they have to do is go to Confession.

Contact the parish priest of your local parish rather than going to the Archbishop’s office. Just look in the phone book under Catholic Churches and find the one nearest to you. Call and make an appointment to meet with the priest to discuss your situation.

May God bless you in your efforts.

Praying for you

 

[lufty]

I live in a major US city. I have contacted many local parishes and the Archdiocese. Only in desperation have I been contacted by a Sister in my exploration, and her recommendation in contacting a parish has failed to meet with me as well.
Why is it that the CC depends on laypeople to contact non-baptized non-Christians? Why can I not have any contact with an actual priest or sister? These laypeople seem to fail to be interested in accepting me into an RCIA program, or have their own objectives? Why is this?

What gives?

I live in San Francisco. If anyone knows an actual Priest, Sister, or NON Layperson that can contact me, please help. I have serious doubts that there is a program to accept non-Christians into the CC that involves actual priests/sisters that can answer real questions, and get those interested in the CC and Christianity baptized.

Feel free to PM me.

 

[wolfgang]

When I contacted the Catholic church to convert, they were only too happy to meet with me whenever I wanted. I never experienced what you are going through. I was interviewed and put into a class the next week.

Anyway, any advice I could give would simply echo what other posters have already stated.

God bless you.

:harp:

 

[lufty]

When I contacted the Catholic church to convert, they were only too happy to meet with me whenever I wanted. I never experienced what you are going through. I was interviewed and put into a class the next week.

Anyway, any advice I could give would simply echo what other posters have already stated.

God bless you.

:harp:

This has not been my experience. In the 3 months of inquiry, I have yet to been introduced to an RCIA group that is run by an actual Priest.

What should I do?

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Are there any non-baptized non-Christians here that have been ignored, or unaccepted into any Catholic faith communities, including Archdiocese RCIA?

I for one, am beginning to believe that the RCIA and Catholic faith outreach programs are specifically for cradle Catholics, and are not interested in non-Christians/non-baptized folks.

I believe that Christ is present in my life. However, with even the Archdiocese ignoring my inquiry, I have doubts that Catholicism is in the teachings of Christ.

RCIA is PRimarily for non-Baptized persons. Have you made an appointment with the Pastor of your local Catholic parish church?

 

[puzzleannie]

Are there any non-baptized non-Christians here that have been ignored, or unaccepted into any Catholic faith communities, including Archdiocese RCIA?

I for one, am beginning to believe that the RCIA and Catholic faith outreach programs are specifically for cradle Catholics, and are not interested in non-Christians/non-baptized folks.

I believe that Christ is present in my life. However, with even the Archdiocese ignoring my inquiry, I have doubts that Catholicism is in the teachings of Christ.

RCIA is specifically for unbaptized persons. Can you give some more details of how RCIA in your parish or diocese is not meeting your needs? I assume you mean some pastors, directors, catechists, parish secretaries you have approached have not been welcoming, in some parishes, not that the entire Archdiocese fails to provide RCIA for those who wish to learn about becoming Catholic.

Welcome home. you would not be asking if God has not been calling you. You will get here in spite of roadblocks you encounter.

I forwarded this discussion and your question to the email provided on the SF website and here is the link to the homepage of that website
sfarchdiocese.org/
there is a link to becoming Catholic but I agree the info is general and could be more helpful. the link to Christian Initiation lists names and phone numbers of parishes. You would have to link those parishes from the homepage to find out where they are.

When you approach a parish, ask to make an appointment with the pastor–not a lay person–about an urgent pastoral matter. The secretary needs no more detail. If he has delegated a lay person to oversee the RCIA he will refer you, but the place to begin is an interview with him.

Patience is the virtue most strongly cultivated in RCIA btw.

 

[lufty]

I initially contacted the Archdiocese, and met with the RCIA representative there 2 or 3 times. I was not brought into a group, or RCIA experience, but met a with them a few times. I asked if I could meet with other inquiring Christians, or a group, but this has not occurred.I have called multiple times after Christmas, but have yet to hear back.

I started a conversation with a parish that I attend mass often at, as they have an evening mass that I can attend daily. I met with the lay person that runs the RCIA program, and was invited to attend the RCIA group, but was warned that I would be “behind” in their class, as they begin in September. I thought I would give it a shot.
I was told that someone would greet me at this meeting, and let me know which group I would be a part of. When I attended, there were specific groups broken into types based on inquiry of some kind. I waited patiently for the layperson rep to speak with me, but she felt it more important to gossip with another member for 20 min while I waited to speak with her. I had no idea which group to be with, and as the class began led by the priest, I was completely out of place, and not given instruction on with which group I should be a part of. I have not gone back there, nor attend mass at that parish any longer.

Over 2 weeks ago I called the Archdiocese and asked to speak with a non-Layperson. Thankfully a Sister called me back that afternoon, and suggested I call again to the Archdiocese RCIA representative as he was on vacation, and she suggested another parish to contact. She let me know that I needed to be patient, and not to expect to be baptized for 2 years.

I called and left messages for the Archdiocese representative, and with the new parish priest. I have yet to be contacted. It has been over 2 weeks.

This month it will be 3 months that I have tried to get into an RCIA group, or continue discussions regarding my place in the Catholic Church. I guess at this point, I actually need to walk into a Parrish and demand something, or make an appointment with the Arch Bishop. I am not sure where I stand at this point.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

This month it will be 3 months that I have tried to get into an RCIA group, or continue discussions regarding my place in the Catholic Church. I guess at this point, I actually need to walk into a Parrish and demand something, or make an appointment with the Arch Bishop. I am not sure where I stand at this point.

I would recommend calling your closest parish and asking to speak with the RCIA director. That person will be able to tell you how RCIA works in the parish and what your next steps are. Another option would be to visit nearby parishes to see which one you want to make your home and then ask at that parish about how they handle RCIA.

Ideally you will be able to start Inquiry soon and perhaps be baptized next year at the Easter Vigil. Some parishes run on a school-year model; if that’s the case they may ask you to wait until September to start.

About all the archdiocese will be able to do is refer you to a parish. RCIA runs through individual parishes, not the archdiocese. Contacting the parish directly will save you some steps.

 

[1ke]

Are there any non-baptized non-Christians here that have been ignored, or unaccepted into any Catholic faith communities, including Archdiocese RCIA?

RCIA is specifically for the unbaptized. That’s the whole purpose.

I for one, am beginning to believe that the RCIA and Catholic faith outreach programs are specifically for cradle Catholics, and are not interested in non-Christians/non-baptized folks.

RCIA and Catholic outreach programs are two different things. RCIA is for the unbaptized. Catholic outreach programs may indeed be for fallen away Catholics, or might be for the unchurched. It would depend upon the program.

What, specifically, has led you to the conclusions you have drawn about RCIA?

I believe that Christ is present in my life. However, with even the Archdiocese ignoring my inquiry, I have doubts that Catholicism is in the teachings of Christ.

What inquiry is the diocese ignoring?

 

[baltobetsy]

Here are some real-world facts for you to consider:

1. It is most common for RCIA to begin in the fall and receive new Catholics at the Easter Vigil. Except for the first few weeks, it is not beneficial to simply jump in at any time.
2. Most medium-to-large parishes have lay people taking care of the RCIA program, with oversight and participation by the priests.
3. The diocese/archdiocese does not do much day-to-day work with RCIA. When someone inquires, they will most likely be referred to a parish.

So, to apply these to your situation, let’s start with timing. You began your inquiry when it was too late to join a program for reception into the Church this Easter. This does not excuse, but it may help to explain why your inquiry was given a low priority.

You keep running into lay people because lay people take care of the parish programs. It may have been helpful for you to politely interrupt the person who was in conversation when you arrived at the class rather than making a judgement about her.

At this point, you have plenty of time, since your next opportunity to join a program will be in September. Visit several parishes and find where you feel most at home. Make an appointment to speak with whichever priest you connect most with. If the secretary asks the reason for your visit, simply say it is a personal and pastoral matter. That will keep you from getting referred to the RCIA director. You can meet with priests at more than one parish to help you decide where you would like to go.

When you meet with the priest, it’s OK to express your frustration at what you have experienced so far, but going in with a huge chip on your shoulder is not helpful. Take a list of questions with you so you cover everything. Be sure to ask what you can do while you wait for the next session to begin. He may have some excellent suggestions.

God is calling you to His Church, and He has a plan for you. It may not be on the timetable you expected, but if you trust Him, He will not fail you. Try to relax into that knowledge a little bit.

Betsy

 

[1ke]

This has not been my experience. In the 3 months of inquiry, I have yet to been introduced to an RCIA group that is run by an actual Priest.

What should I do?

I think you are working under some serious misconceptions and have some unreasonable expectations. This is the source of your discontent.

#1: RCIA is for the unbaptized. But, as has been pointed out, the unbaptized who will enter the Church this Easter have been together for one to two years and are in the final stage. Therefore, you are coming into the process “in the middle.” That is fine, but certainly you will have to expect that there have been friendships created, bonds between groups, and you will have to work at making friends and it might take a while to find your place. Visiting once, getting mad that you weren’t catered to the way you wanted, and then never going back is hardly an adult way of dealing with this. I am sorry that you were treated badly, or felt you were, but going one time and quitting not only RCIA but Mass is really not the answer.

#2: It is unlikely that RCIA will be led by a priest. The catechetical sessions will mostly likely be led by lay persons, possibly a deacon, but likely not a priest. (And by the way, a sister is a lay person). Priests are stretched very thin and it is typical that a parish would employ a qualified director of religious education that would also encompass RCIA. Why is this a problem for you?

 

[lufty]

I think you are working under some serious misconceptions and have some unreasonable expectations. This is the source of your discontent.

#1: RCIA is for the unbaptized. But, as has been pointed out, the unbaptized who will enter the Church this Easter have been together for one to two years and are in the final stage. Therefore, you are coming into the process “in the middle.” That is fine, but certainly you will have to expect that there have been friendships created, bonds between groups, and you will have to work at making friends and it might take a while to find your place. Visiting once, getting mad that you weren’t catered to the way you wanted, and then never going back is hardly an adult way of dealing with this. I am sorry that you were treated badly, or felt you were, but going one time and quitting not only RCIA but Mass is really not the answer.

If you had read my post, it should be clear that I was informed by the RCIA coordinator to expect an introduction to the RCIA class, and was patient in waiting for the RCIA person present to introduce me to the working of their class, and inform me which group to be with. This person felt it important to ignore me, even after attempting to interrupt her gossiping, so naturally I left as I was not able to figure out the system solo. Nowhere did I mention that I stopped attending Mass altogether. I no longer attend Mass at that parish specifically.

#2: It is unlikely that RCIA will be led by a priest. The catechetical sessions will mostly likely be led by lay persons, possibly a deacon, but likely not a priest. (And by the way, a sister is a lay person). Priests are stretched very thin and it is typical that a parish would employ a qualified director of religious education that would also encompass RCIA. Why is this a problem for you?

I do not have a problem attending RCIA that is led by laypeople. I do however find it disappointing that at each Parrish I have inquired about RCIA, speaking directly to a priest regarding my inquiry into the CC has been non-present, or not an option. I feel that I should be given the opportunity to speak with a priest about my questions of faith, and interest in the CC.

As a result, I am not continuing investigating RCIA in parishes that do not have contact with a priest for new non-baptized non-Christian inquirers. I’m sorry if that offends some people here, but if I was OK with speaking only to lay people about Christianity, I could walk into any Protestant Church in this city.

Thankfully this afternoon, a priest who runs an RCIA program at a Parish nearby contacted me. He apologized for not being able to reach me earlier, as the Holidays and his other responsibilities have kept him busy, and he forgot about my inquiry. I have a meeting with him this week.
Additionally the Archdiocese RCIA coordinator called me, and I am meeting with him tomorrow afternoon to continue discussion on my 1-on-1 RCIA experience at the Cathedral. Funny, these 2 calls came in seconds of me posting my last post, and at exactly the same time practically!

Thank you to anyone whom may have prayed for me. Looks like I got another shot.

 

[lufty]

Oh hey, does it seem weird to “shop around” for a parish?

 

[jmcrae]

This has not been my experience. In the 3 months of inquiry, I have yet to been introduced to an RCIA group that is run by an actual Priest.

What should I do?

RCIA is not supposed to be run by priests. It is lay people mentoring lay people, and showing them how to live the Catholic life. A priest lives a priest’s life; you are (most likely) going to be a lay person, at least at first, so your mentors are going to be lay people. The priest is in the background making sure everything is “up to code” and he visits the class from time to time, but your models and mentors are people who are like what the Church is expecting you to become like, when you convert.

 

[skeyes]

No, it is not weid to shop different parishes. Keep in mind though, you are looking for a place where you feel that you fit in. Where you think that you can be part of the community. Ultimately the Parish we choose has to be a place where we are willing to put forth all of our zeal for the Lord and His kingdom. I pray that you will find the exact place our Lord is calling you to.

Peace!

Stan

 

[Linda_Marie]

Thankfully this afternoon, a priest who runs an RCIA program at a Parish nearby contacted me. He apologized for not being able to reach me earlier, as the Holidays and his other responsibilities have kept him busy, and he forgot about my inquiry. I have a meeting with him this week.
Additionally the Archdiocese RCIA coordinator called me, and I am meeting with him tomorrow afternoon to continue discussion on my 1-on-1 RCIA experience at the Cathedral. Funny, these 2 calls came in seconds of me posting my last post, and at exactly the same time practically!

Thank you to anyone whom may have prayed for me. Looks like I got another shot.

May God be praised!

I hope that things go more smoothly for you now but the devil will try to stop you. Expect other obstructions, more bumps in the road, maybe even craters that will look impossible to cross. Be aware that the enemy is subtle and persistent and will try at every turn to keep you from the Church.

God of power, You promised us the Holy Spirit through Jesus your Son. We pray for Lufty. Protect him/her from the spirit of evil and guard him/her against error and sin so that he/she may become the temple of your Holy Spirit. Confirm what we profess in faith so that our words may not be empty but full of the grace and power by which your Son has freed the world. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen

 

[1ke]

I do not have a problem attending RCIA that is led by laypeople. I do however find it disappointing that at each Parrish I have inquired about RCIA, speaking directly to a priest regarding my inquiry into the CC has been non-present, or not an option.

You can call the parish and ask for an appointment with the priest. You do not have to go through anyone else or tell anyone what you want to talk to the priest about.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I initially contacted the Archdiocese, and met with the RCIA representative there 2 or 3 times. I was not brought into a group, or RCIA experience, but met a with them a few times. I asked if I could meet with other inquiring Christians, or a group, but this has not occurred.I have called multiple times after Christmas, but have yet to hear back.

I started a conversation with a parish that I attend mass often at, as they have an evening mass that I can attend daily. I met with the lay person that runs the RCIA program, and was invited to attend the RCIA group, but was warned that I would be “behind” in their class, as they begin in September. I thought I would give it a shot.
I was told that someone would greet me at this meeting, and let me know which group I would be a part of. When I attended, there were specific groups broken into types based on inquiry of some kind. I waited patiently for the layperson rep to speak with me, but she felt it more important to gossip with another member for 20 min while I waited to speak with her. I had no idea which group to be with, and as the class began led by the priest, I was completely out of place, and not given instruction on with which group I should be a part of. I have not gone back there, nor attend mass at that parish any longer.

Over 2 weeks ago I called the Archdiocese and asked to speak with a non-Layperson. Thankfully a Sister called me back that afternoon, and suggested I call again to the Archdiocese RCIA representative as he was on vacation, and she suggested another parish to contact. She let me know that I needed to be patient, and not to expect to be baptized for 2 years.

I called and left messages for the Archdiocese representative, and with the new parish priest. I have yet to be contacted. It has been over 2 weeks.

This month it will be 3 months that I have tried to get into an RCIA group, or continue discussions regarding my place in the Catholic Church. I guess at this point, I actually need to walk into a Parrish and demand something, or make an appointment with the Arch Bishop. I am not sure where I stand at this point.

You generally don’t contact the Archdiocese, but the pasrish nearest where you live. Usually if you contact the Diocese they give you the name, address and phone umber of a parish near you and tell you to call and make an appointment.