Putting a Toe In

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Curious

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Okay, I’m kind of excited. There’s a Catholic Church…oh…I’d say about two seconds from where I live. I called the priest tonight (very nice guy…80 freakin years old and goes hiking all the time). I’m supposed to meet with him to “chat” Monday. But I think he’s got the idea that I’m going to wait till October to start RCIA and then wait till NEXT EASTER VIGIL to come into the church.

Is there any way I can whine and beg and nag and plead to speed that up? Sometimes I think I’ve studied so much I could practically TEACH those classes. And then of course other times I feel like I know nothing because the Catholic faith is quite old and quite huge.

That’s a whole year, kids. I’ve got to get in earlier than that.

(This whine is now over. You may now return to your lives)

Curious
 
Have you asked in Evangelization? There are posters there who know a lot about how to come in.
 
Oh good idea. If the mods would remove this one I’ll just repost in Evangelization.

Thanks - I was unsure what subject to put this thread in anyway.
 
why not meet with the priest, explain your situation, your background, and let him tell you, in his considered judgment and experience, how he plans to best help you enter the church?
 
Okay, I’m kind of excited. There’s a Catholic Church…oh…I’d say about two seconds from where I live. I called the priest tonight (very nice guy…80 freakin years old and goes hiking all the time). I’m supposed to meet with him to “chat” Monday. But I think he’s got the idea that I’m going to wait till October to start RCIA and then wait till NEXT EASTER VIGIL to come into the church.

Is there any way I can whine and beg and nag and plead to speed that up? Sometimes I think I’ve studied so much I could practically TEACH those classes. And then of course other times I feel like I know nothing because the Catholic faith is quite old and quite huge.

That’s a whole year, kids. I’ve got to get in earlier than that.

(This whine is now over. You may now return to your lives)
 
Yeah, I’m going to see him Monday…maybe I can convince him how brilliant I am. 😃 (kidding)
 
I privately met with the priest at my Parish for about 6 weeks or so and he baptized me in Sept '07. It’s up to the priest, if he thinks you are ready he can baptize you. But don’t go in EXPECTING him to; I think I did that when I met with the priest at first but after about 6 weeks I think he saw how much I was willing to sacrifice. Good luck! 👍
 
God’s grace provides for every possible eventuality. However, centuries ago, it took some Catechumens years to make the journey. But, was it worth it? Of course! However much time it takes, the Lord will stand by you, because He knows your heart. Speak to the Priest and express your desire. Submit to his judgment with humble obedience, in imitation of Christ. When the day comes, you will forget the entire wait. We welcome you home!

May Christ’s peace always be with you.
 
Welcome home! May you enter the Church at the exact time God wills it and may He bless you along the way!
 
Depending on a person’s background, they may not have to go through RCIA. (See notes from: catholic.com/library/How_to_Become_a_Catholic.asp)
For those who have been instructed in the Christian faith and have lived as Christians, the situation is different. The U.S. Conference of Bishops states, “Those baptized persons who have lived as Christians and need only instruction in the Catholic tradition and a degree of probation within the Catholic community should not be asked to undergo a full program parallel to the catechumenate” (NSC 31). For this reason, they should not share in the same, full RCIA programs that catechumens do.
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The timing of their reception into the Church also is different. The U.S. Conference of Bishops states, "It is preferable that reception into full communion not take place at the Easter Vigil lest there be any confusion of such baptized Christians with the candidates for baptism, possible misunderstanding of or even reflection upon the sacrament of baptism celebrated in another church or ecclesial community . . . " (NSC 33).
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Rather than being received on Easter Vigil, “[t]he reception of candidates into the communion of the Catholic Church should ordinarily take place at the Sunday Eucharist of the parish community, in such a way that it is understood that they are indeed Christian believers who have already shared in the sacramental life of the Church and are now welcomed into the Catholic Eucharistic community . . .” (NSC 32).
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Christians coming into the Catholic Church must discuss with their pastor and/or bishop the amount of instruction needed and the time of their reception.
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Not knowing your situation, but sensing your study and background, do talk to your priest and (if you need to have a copy of the “How to Become a Catholic” with you) see what can be done!!!
 
ooo…thanks bwhite…does that mean I can print out and go waving it around at the priest Monday and say, “See? SEE? You better let me in…STAT!”

😃
 
Curious said:
ooo…thanks bwhite…does that mean I can print out and go waving it around at the priest Monday and say, “See? SEE? You better let me in…STAT!”

😃
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Well … maybe with a little decorum!!! 😃

I’m sure the priest would want to know that this is a real conversion!!! As a former Protestant, some Protestant’s practice “church hopping”. Like ‘well, this church down the road has a neat, new dynamic preacher - let’s go there’, or ‘this church has a good youth program for the kids’ let’s go there’.

To me, becoming a Catholic was the end to ‘church hopping’. I am a Catholic until I die. I suppose I could disagree with the Pastor on something (like a group of us wanted adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and he didn’t want it - no good reason) - but I’m still there - and still at daily Mass.

So, as you waltz into the meeting with the priest (with the paper in hand), he may want to know that you are serious about being a Catholic (we have enough Catholics that aren’t serious about their faith 😉 ). Have you been attending Mass; although coming from another Christian background and understanding the Bible, you may not fully understand some of the doctrines and concepts of Catholicism ('what - no married priests?" “what - no female priests?” “what - you expect me to believe that that piece of wafer / bread REALLY IS JESUS”).

But … seemingly the concept is that RCIA is for those that have not been involved with Christian churches; and that there is an alternative for those that have strong Christian backgrounds to join the Catholic Church!!!

May God bless you on this journey!!!

Bruce
 
Well, meeting the priest tomorrow. I think my husband is going to come too, to ask some questions. He has re-nigged on his whole “Yes, go ahead and be Catholic” stance to his previous, “I can’t stand it if you become Catholic” stance. I pretty much just laid it out for him and said I was going to anyway. I don’t know if it was the right thing to do or not, but I have to follow this path to its completion or it will drive me insane.
 
Curious said:
Well, meeting the priest tomorrow. I think my husband is going to come too, to ask some questions. He has re-nigged on his whole “Yes, go ahead and be Catholic” stance to his previous, “I can’t stand it if you become Catholic” stance. I pretty much just laid it out for him and said I was going to anyway. I don’t know if it was the right thing to do or not, but I have to follow this path to its completion or it will drive me insane.
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You will be in our prayers!!!

Bruce
 
Curious said:
I pretty much just laid it out for him and said I was going to anyway. I don’t know if it was the right thing to do or not, but I have to follow this path to its completion or it will drive me insane.
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Your eternal salvation is at stake here. Pretty serious stuff! Persist and you will lead him home as well. Christ’s peace always be with you.
 
Make sure this is what God wants from you at this time of your life. Having the knowledge which you say you have, is good, but does not come close to living a Catholic lifestyle. Try living as a Catholic, with the different devotions and follow the rules laid down by the Magisterium. (but not receiving the sacraments yet)

God bless you in your journey
 
So today the priest mumbled something about being able to “speed up the process” but that he’d rather me drag through the whole bleedin year and wait till next Easter.

Hmph…where to go from here. There is a parish not too far from here that has year long RICA. I could consider that, or I could wait it out and see if the priest decides differently, or just wait a whole stupid year when I already know this is what I want. What to do, what to do.

Frustratedly,

Curious
 
Curious said:
So today the priest mumbled something about being able to “speed up the process” but that he’d rather me drag through the whole bleedin year and wait till next Easter.

Hmph…where to go from here. There is a parish not too far from here that has year long RICA. I could consider that, or I could wait it out and see if the priest decides differently, or just wait a whole stupid year when I already know this is what I want. What to do, what to do. Frustratedly, Curious
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Have great patience, and humbly submit to the will of the priest. The journey will pass more quickly than you might imagine. And, when the day somes, there will be celebration on earth and in Heaven!

Amen!
 
Yes, I’m going to have to find ways to amuse myself until the time comes. I just bought a very nice hard back catechism I’m going to explore. My next thing to do is to get me a Catholic bible. Keep reading, keep praying, keep pacing the floors and pulling my hair out until SOMEONE LETS ME IN THE DOOR!!!

😃
 
Curious said:
ooo…thanks bwhite…does that mean I can print out and go waving it around at the priest Monday and say, “See? SEE? You better let me in…STAT!”

😃
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For what it’s worth, I was a seminary graduate, DEEPLY read in Catholic theology and in some ways “too Catholic” for much of the Catholic Church when I came in. They would not BUDGE on the Easter Vigil date for being received, and that left me with a wait of 9 months. Every time I went to Mass, I cried like a baby because I could not receive the Eucharist.

In hindsight, those were a very important nine months. The patience and obedience they taught were an invaluable lesson.
 
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