Not Catholic and deployed

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ChildofPietrelcina

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Hello all! New to the forum and happy to be here. I am a Christian and looking to become Catholic. Unfortunately, I deploy to Iraq in six days. Obviously, due to this, I can’t go to RCIA. Can I still go to mass while deployed? What should I do about my calling to Catholicism? My biggest concern about this is being in a dangerous area (because I am legitimately going somewhere actively hostile in the country) and being unbaptized by the church. What should I do about this?

I spoke with a priest at a local church, but he really didn’t seem to be to concerned. He’s a non military guy and just told me to attend RCIA like a normal person when I got back. He waved off my concerns and told me it was nothing. Is this a right response?
 
Hello, Yes you can go to Mass, just dont participate in Communion.

Can you get some military type Rosary beads and learn to pray parts of the Rosary while deployed. There should be a military chaplain to help with your spiritual growth. Are you baptised in any other religion, if so which one? Some other religions have the Trinitarian form and water so the Church considers that a Baptism

You are in my prayers
 
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Find a Catholic chaplain. You circumstances certainly warrant individual instruction in the faith. Go to Mass anyways and ask the Lord for spiritual communion(read up on that). Do as the chaplain instructs and when your do have your first communion let us know of the divine graces He pours out upon you!
 
While my whole family has been military (both sides, the Catholic side and the non-Catholic side), they didn’t talk much about the intersection of their faith and their service. However, I had a Catholic cousin who was Marines. St. Michael and the rosary were both very, very helpful to him while he was deployed overseas. So even though you’re not able to participate fully, such as taking communion, you’re still able to attend Mass, commune spiritually, and cultivate whatever private devotions appeal to you in your situation. You might ask your chaplain for suggestions regarding your larger situation. I wish you the best. 💙
 
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Thank you for the replies and prayers, they are all immensely appreciated. I will definitely be talking to the chaplain on base once I get there, wasn’t sure if he would say something similar or not. I wholeheartedly agree with the rosary comment, the past few months I have learned to pray the rosary and it has been invaluable in deepening my relationship with Jesus and our Lady.
 
I’d also like to say that, at least from what I’ve seen, the intersection of faith and Americas fighting force is enormous. A personal hero of mine is Desmond Doss, a WWII medic who refused to carry a weapon because of his beliefs. Through God and his strength of will he was able to save dozens of men from certain death at the battle of Hacksaw ridge. But I digress. If any of you happen across this, please pray for our troops.
 
@ChildofPietrelcina
Welcome to CAF , ChildofPletrelcina😇 No way is this response from a priest how Christ would treat you. Pray for him, he needs it.
Thank you for serving our country and you are in our prayers. Hopefully you will have a Catholic Chaplin (priest) there and discuss it with him. Are you baptized in the same manner as a Catholic? Baptized into Christ …Father, Son and Holy Spirit?
Is there anyway, before you leave, that you can go to another catholic church and speak with a priest, tell him it is urgent and it is, you are not going on a vacation but to a dangerous area, also get the priests blessing before you get deployed.
May our blessed Mother keep you under her mantle of protection. 🙏 Please get a rosary, learn to pray it…it is all about the life of Christ. (Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
 
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Thank you for your kindness. No, I am not baptized, I have only reticently begun my journey in christian faith again. Infant baptism in a Lutheran tradition, but that is all. Yes, absolutely the Rosary. I got one from a local store here and it has already proven invaluable.
 
Are you sure you are not baptized? Please see this link, If you were baptized in Lutheran church …you are baptized.
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Is my Lutheran baptism valid? Ask an Apologist
+JMJ+ I was recently recieved into the Church this past Easter.I was originally baptised in the lutheran church.I was wondering if this is valid.I have the booklet that was used for my baptism ,it is called Order of Baptism of Infants.It uses the trinitarian formula ,Name ,I Baptize thee:In the Name of the Father, and of the son, and and of the Holy Ghost.Amen.That is exactly what is says.But it has a bunch of other prayers and stuff before the actual baptism,does this invalidate the baptism.Al…
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If you are in danger of death your Chaplin can baptism you. Also there is baptism of desire.
If you want it you will have if you should die. If you are badly hurt any Catholic and some Christians can baptism. The main thing is to pray and they Lord will do the rest.
 
Divine3 I am quite sure. Infant baptism was all. Why? I thought that that was not viewed as valid by the church since the Lutherans were not valid to practice on Christs authority.
 
Would the Baptism during times of danger allow one to participate in Communion? Or is it just a precaution in the case of death?
 
If you are baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit while water is poured over your head you are baptized. I believe Lutheran baptisms are valid. You can only be baptized once. You need to be instructed before you can receive Communion. That is because to receive unworthy is a very grave sin!
 
@ChildofPietrelcina

I have been praying for our troops every day for more than 56 years. I will add your name to my permanent list.

It does sound as though your infant baptism will be recognized by the Catholic Church, but only a priest can ascertain the validity, so it is imperative that you discuss this with a priest as soon as you can do so.

Please use all the features offered by Catholic Answers. You can also use catholic.com to find much information about our faith. Aaaaand, if you don’t find your answer, then just ask! 😀 You can listen on the radio, too.

Please, also, feel free to join us here on CAF in praying a perpetual rosary. Just go to our Spirituality Forum and look for the thread: Let’s Pray a Perpetual Rosary. You may type a decade whenever you wish; just follow the format.

May God bless you, may you become an ardent Catholic, and may you remember to check back in with us and keep us posted. 😇
 
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ChildofPietrelcina said:
Infant baptism in a Lutheran tradition
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How do the Lutherans baptise? if it is the right formula, then you are baptised. WE are only baptised once. And if it is the right formula in any denomination, as an infant or as an adult, we are baptised.

Lutheran is on this list as recognised by the Catholic Church.
https://www.catholicjhb.org.za/valid-invalid-baptism-roman-catholic-guide-2017/
It would seem, if you were baptised Lutheran as an infant, in the Lutheran form , then YOU ARE BAPTISED.

But please do confirm this with a Priest. Can you get hold of your Lutheran Baptism certificate?

This list also has Lutheran Baptism as Valid and is from USA rather then SA
https://www.cathdal.org/Valid_Baptism-A_Guide.pdf
 
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Was there water involved? And a Trinitarian forumla? Then it’s good.

The Lutherans use both those elements.

So, for example, you remember in the news a few years ago, there were Mormons who were posthumously baptizing people like Anne Frank. That would be one example of a baptism that Catholics wouldn’t recognize. #1, because sacraments are for the living, not for the dead. #2, because they didn’t have a way of pouring water on people who weren’t physically present. #3, because even though the formula is correct as far as words go, Mormons perceive both the Father and the Son as what Catholics would consider glorified creatures, and that the Father and the Son are not one in being.

If you had been baptized Pentecostal, that would be another example of a situation where you would be re-baptized, because Catholics don’t recognize the Pentecostal baptism as valid, because it is only in the name of Jesus. The Pentecostals will argue that, yeah, Matthew 28:19 is the only place where it says “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” , but, “the name” is used once because the name of the Father is Jesus, and the name of the Holy Ghost is Jesus. Which we disagree with— we would say that “the name” is used singularly because of the unity of the Trinity.

But a Lutheran baptism checks all of the boxes for form, matter, and intent, so the Catholics perceive it as valid.
 
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