I am thinking of becoming an instructor with our church’s RCIA program b/c of the time I have spent here on these forums. I thoroughly enjoy learning about my faith (I am a cradle Catholic but still learning) and I enjoy talking to others about it.
I thought that maybe an RCIA venue would enable me to teach others about the Catholic faith without all the heat and sarcasm one sometimes runs into when conversing with people who don’t want to learn the faith, only criticize it.
However, my idea of what it might be like and what it is really like might be two different things. Not so much from the spiritual standpoint, but from a time commitment standpoint as well.
Any advice from any RCIA catechists (or current students)??
I am the coordinator of RCIA Inquiry at my parish, which gives me the privilege of working with volunteers and with people who are only just now encountering the Church for the very first time in their lives. It is an awesome privelege to work with these people.
What is it like?
Well, it’s kind of messy, actually. Everyone is coming from completely different places - some are coming from a strong Protestant background and through a study of theology have found that they want to be Catholics; some have just been released from prison, and are seeking a spiritual foundation for the many changes and adjustments that they must make in their lifestyle; some are recovering from various addictions and are facing many of the same challenges as those who are just out of prison (it seems to me that there are many similarities between having an addiction and being in prison); some are thinking of marrying a Catholic and are wanting to know what religion this is that they will be raising their future children in; some have hit a mid-life crisis or spiritual crisis, and are investigating what the Catholic Church has to offer them; some are new immigrants who just want to “fit in” somewhere, and feel that acquiring a Catholic identity might fill that need; some have entered into mixed marriages of other kinds (Jewish/Dutch Reformed, for example), and are seeking a spiritual “common ground” - they are investigating to see whether the Catholic Church can provide this common ground for them.
In the Inquiry period, it is
absolutely essential that everyone be made to feel welcome. This can be done very simply, by having coffee and snacks available for them (this is a non-verbal way of saying “We were expecting you, and we are glad that you are here.”) It is also very important to use the word “Welcome” - frequently. If someone arrives late, you need to say, "Welcome, please come and join with us - we are praying right now/ reading the Scriptures right now/ etc. At the beginning of every meeting you should say “Welcome, everyone. Here is what we are doing today,” and explain to them what your plan is for the meeting.
When explaining how they should behave at Mass, it’s very effective to say, “You are welcome to …” do this or that, and it’s also effective to say, “You are welcome to join with the congregation in praying the Rosary on weekday mornings at such and such a time,” You are welcome to make use of Holy Water," etc.
It is also essential to provide lots of “empty” time for them to ask questions, veer off topic, and discuss things that are of interest to them, including things that may not be strictly “on topic” - keep in mind that they are
also developing community together, as well as seeking answers to their initial questions. Although Inquiry is not a Catechism class, I do find it helpful to keep a Catechism handy to look up answers to questions that I don’t know. It’s also a good idea to maintain a habit of daily Scripture reading; it’s amazing how the questions they come up with will relate to something that you just recently read, if you do this.
Topics that I cover during Inquiry include “An Introduction to the Bible,” “A Tour of the Church,” “Using the Missal,” “Introducing Jesus (a survey of the Gospel story),” “What does it mean, to have faith in God,” and the like.
