Question about conversion

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I am learning about the Catholic faith and just attended my first Mass last Sunday with plans of attending again. I’ve learned quite a bit from some online friends, from listening to Catholic Answers, reading online, and reading Catholicism for Dummies (which was recommended to me otherwise I never would have picked it up and it has been really helpful!).
I am a former Mormon, and I know that my LDS baptism is invalid so I am in need of all the sacraments. I live in Utah.

I was talking with an online friend yesterday, who is a convert from Lutheranism, and she said that her and her husband had to wait a year after coming into the church to be in full communion with it. So if I were baptized say at Easter Vigil 2012, then I would not be in full communion until Easter Vigil 2013. And that in the interum I’d be able to go to confession, but I would not be able to partake of the Eucharist.

I had never heard of a year probationary period before, besides in her situation but she says it is the Salt Lake Diocese rule, and she gave me a link to an article about it. It is kind of long, so to summarize it talked a lot about how to handle somebody with an irregular marriage (either part of the couple had been married before their current marriage), but all I can make of it is that if I had an irregular marriage then I’d need to get that worked out before coming in to full communion. As far as I know my marriage is …erm…regular because it is a first and only marriage for either of us, it was just performed in an LDS temple, though it is of course a legal marriage. Here is the link

Anyway, my point - does anybody know of a waiting period to come into full communion in the church like this?
I am excited at the prospects of coming into the church, and I know it is already going to take longer than I would wish because of the RCIA program, and taking things slowly for the sake of my husband who is still a believing Mormon though seems supportive of me and my interest in the Catholic Church. I am just trying to trust in God’s timing and follow His will. It is just heartbreaking to think of coming into the church and having to wait a full year to partake of the Eucharist.
Thanks!
 
Welcome to the forum and welcome home to the Catholic Church!

I have never heard of a "probationary"period. From what I know, if you are baptized and confirmed at the Easter Vigil then you are Catholic that day. You are, as of that day, in communion with the Church.

I do know of circumstances where people had to wait for annulments, but I have never heard of a mandatory “probation” period.
 
Also, if this is both you and your wife’s first marraige, than it cold just be convalidated and would not require any other formalization. While that takes time because it requires a petition from the Bishop, it is truly more proforma than anything else. I don’t see why this would take a year. My wife and I had our marriage convalidated in only a few weeks.
 
Dear a_soft_answer,

Deo gratias (Thanks be to God!) that His Holy Ghost has called you to the Church and that you are inquiring as to what you should do!

It seems that your diocese has a policy that before a catechumen (I’m assuming that is what you’d be considered) may be initiated by faith to the Church (anyone can really), but to be initiated to her sacramental life, all irregular marriage must be regularized. I would hope that all dioceses proceed with this much caution to protect the Sacraments from sacrilege and from scandalizing the souls of those in irregular marriages.

I am of the personal opinion that RCIA and the time of initiation should be determined by the pastor of a candidate and that candidate’s particular readiness or lack thereof. One year may be too soon for one person, but too long a wait for another; everyone is different. However, concrete impediments (i.e. irregular marriages) are more objective and should be resolved first.

I do not know much about the RCIA process, but I would speak with the pastor of a parish first and try meeting with him on a regular basis even before contacting the RCIA director and directing all questions (especially ones like why the process is so long and what to do about your marriage) to him as he is most directly responsible for the care of your soul: he (or another priest) will be giving you your Sacraments and helping you nurture your spiritual life after all.

In the mean time, keep reading and discovering the riches of the Church and in your prayers, pray for the virtue of patience to accompany you as you come home to Rome.

Blessings,
Christopher
 
a_soft_answer said:
I was talking with an online friend yesterday, who is a convert from Lutheranism, and she said that her and her husband had to wait a year after coming into the church to be in full communion with it. So if I were baptized say at Easter Vigil 2012, then I would not be in full communion until Easter Vigil 2013. And that in the interum I’d be able to go to confession, but I would not be able to partake of the Eucharist.
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I think your friend wasn’t clear or you misunderstood what he said.

The Church says the period of the catechumenate – where you are preparing for baptism – should last at least a year but can be longer. So if you entered RCIA now, you would be preparing for baptism in 2013 or later. At that time you would be baptized, confirmed, and receive your First Communion. You wouldn’t go to confession at that time because baptism removes all your sins but would prepare to participate in the sacrament afterward.
As far as I know my marriage is …erm…regular because it is a first and only marriage for either of us, it was just performed in an LDS temple, though it is of course a legal marriage.
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Then there shouldn’t be any issues related to your marriage. It’s valid now and will continue to be valid after your baptism.
 
Boulder257 said:
Also, if this is both you and your wife’s first marraige, than it cold just be convalidated and would not require any other formalization.
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There’s no need to convalidate a valid marriage.
 
Most adults are required to take the RCIA classes that the local Parish offers. You may still be able to get into the class and go over everything you need before Easter. I know that I’m in the classes right now and one lady that is in the class with me and my wife has never been Baptized at all and they are saying she will recieve Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist at the same time. I’ve never heard of them making an adult wait for Communion…
 
a_soft_answer said:
I amAnyway, my point - does anybody know of a waiting period to come into full communion in the church like this?
I am excited at the prospects of coming into the church, and I know it is already going to take longer than I would wish because of the RCIA program, and taking things slowly for the sake of my husband who is still a believing Mormon though seems supportive of me and my interest in the Catholic Church. I am just trying to trust in God’s timing and follow His will. It is just heartbreaking to think of coming into the church and having to wait a full year to partake of the Eucharist.
Thanks!
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your friend is reporting her experience which is not yours, nor is that of anyone else in RCIA, which is the normative process for entering the Catholic Church. Each participant is unique, starts from a different place, proceeds at their own pace, while the RCIA catechists, director, sponsor and pastor do their best to meet that individual’s needs along the journey. It is a huge mistake to go in expecting your journey to be the same as another’s.

That being said, the norm is an inquiry period of an indeterminate length, but enough time for the individual to decide he wants to continue, and to begin preparing for the initiation sacraments, and to put himself under the guidance of the Holy Spirit for his conversion. And conversion means different things. For one it may be a total radical turning away from a sinful lifestyle, for another it may be unlearning an erroneous view of Christ and his Church, for another it may be returning to an earlier fervor and faith that has been somehow lost. There again, it is a mistake to compare your experience to that of others.

Once the unbaptized person is ready, he celebrates the Rite of Acceptance and begins the formal period of the catechumenate. This should last no less than one calendar year, from Lent or Easter to the following Lent. There are several optional rites, blessings and anointings during this period, along of course with scripture study based on the Sunday gospels, and formal teaching on Catholic doctrine, which strengthen and support the catechumen (that word is Greek for, “hey I’d like to be baptized and become Catholic”).

A sponsor, chosen by the Parish, accompanies the catechumen during this period and helps him enter into parish life and apostolates through service, social activities etc. and helps him learn what it means to live as a Catholic.

At the beginning of Lent, if the person is ready to proceed, is the Rite of Election where he is welcomed by the bishop along with the other Elect (those preparing for baptism at Easter). At this time the godparent takes over as the companion and mentor. Lent is an intensive time of spiritual preparation and deepening conversion, and the rites and blessing of this period foster that process. Lent culminates in the Easter Vigil where the catechumens are baptized, make a profession of faith, are confirmed and receive the sacrament of Eucharist for the first time.

Easter is followed by a period of Mystagogy, or “study of the mysteries” which is a more spiritual exploration of the sacraments the neophyte (Greek for newbie) has just received, help in deepening prayer life and Christian living. This support period where he is incorporated more fully into the Parish community is extremely important, and neglecting it is a huge mistake, and almost guarantees the individual will have great difficulty remaining in the “Catholic lifestyle”. It should be no less than 50 days, until Pentecost, ideally with periodic meetings for at least a year.

For a given individual therefor, the journey could easily take 2 or 3 years, for some about a year, plus the mystagogy periodc, and every moment of it is graced and blessed. In no sense of the word is any part of this a “probationary period”. They are preparatory and very carefully designed, rooted in scripture and the life of the Church, and for the benefit of the catechumen and, very importantly, the entire community.

Don’t attmpt to shortchange yourself by trying to skip some of the very things intended to give you strength, courage and support. The Holy Spirit is offering gifts during each part of the process, don’t reject them without even knowing what they are.

I will also tell you from experience that persons coming from two particular backgrounds, namely Mormon and Jehovahs Witness, often have an extremely difficult time in RCIA, face challenges that those coming from mainstream Protestant, or even unchurched, backgrounds do not face, and seem to need a lot of support, reassurance, and help in many areas. The RCIA is designed to provide that.

Welcome Home.
 
I wanted to clarify - and sorry I don’t have all the terminology down (I keep saying learning Catholicism also requires learning a new language).
My friend was saying that there was a year waiting period beyond baptism before she could partake of the Eucharist. I know that RCIA is varied, and personal journeys are different, but this waiting period was actually after officially becoming a member of the Church.

I will get in touch with my Parish and ask there, as that will be the best option for complete clarification. I am just confused because everything I have ever read about people coming into the church talks about their joy at receiving the Eucharist at that same time, and it is something I long for so much.

Would it be possible that a diocese would make it a rule for somebody to wait a year after being baptized to take communion?
 
oh, and I am a girl =) My name is Lindsey, nice to meet you all.
 
a_soft_answer said:
I wanted to clarify - and sorry I don’t have all the terminology down (I keep saying learning Catholicism also requires learning a new language).
My friend was saying that there was a year waiting period beyond baptism before she could partake of the Eucharist. I know that RCIA is varied, and personal journeys are different, but this waiting period was actually after officially becoming a member of the Church.

?
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there is no such thing as part of RCIA

again, your friend is reporting personal experience. Perhaps she had a marriage issue that had to be resolved. If she was Lutheran, she was NOT rebaptized. Perhaps she misinterpreted something she heard. A validly baptized Christian is brought into the Church through RCIA in the Rite of Reception into Full Communion, through profession of faith, confirmation and first communion as part of the same celebration, not in stages. This must be preceded by sacramental confession, and if someone has an unresolved lifestyle issue, such as an invalid marriage, they cannot proceed until that is rectified, so that they can make a valid confession and receive absolution.

(the newly baptized make their first confession sometime during the Mystagogy period, as all their sins have been removed in baptism).

Your best bet is to first talk to the parish priest where you will be received, talk to him about your own personal situation, including faith background, marriage etc. and follow his advice.
 
SuscipeMeDomine said:
I think your friend wasn’t clear or you misunderstood what he said.

The Church says the period of the catechumenate – where you are preparing for baptism – should last at least a year but can be longer. So if you entered RCIA now, you would be preparing for baptism in 2013 or later. At that time you would be baptized, confirmed, and receive your First Communion. You wouldn’t go to confession at that time because baptism removes all your sins but would prepare to participate in the sacrament afterward.

Then there shouldn’t be any issues related to your marriage. It’s valid now and will continue to be valid after your baptism.
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I agree that there shouldn’t be any issues regarding the marriage, since it’s a first marriage for both, and there’s not been a previous marriage of either spouse. The Church does not want to break up families even when one spouse converts. Of course, what Jesus says in scripture regarding divorce is taken seriously by the Church, but that’s not a problem here.

When I converted to Catholicism and was baptized (because I’d never been baptized at all before), the priest asked clarifying questions regarding where and under what circumstances I was married, but even though my husband was and is still not Catholic or Protestant (he’s a New-Ager) the marriage is still valid, since neither one of us had been previously married. It’s not considered ideal in the eyes of the Church, but the marriage shouldn’t be a problem for this situation.
 
a_soft_answer said:
I wanted to clarify - and sorry I don’t have all the terminology down (I keep saying learning Catholicism also requires learning a new language).
My friend was saying that there was a year waiting period beyond baptism before she could partake of the Eucharist. I know that RCIA is varied, and personal journeys are different, but this waiting period was actually after officially becoming a member of the Church.

I will get in touch with my Parish and ask there, as that will be the best option for complete clarification. I am just confused because everything I have ever read about people coming into the church talks about their joy at receiving the Eucharist at that same time, and it is something I long for so much.

Would it be possible that a diocese would make it a rule for somebody to wait a year after being baptized to take communion?
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I guess it is possible. Theoretically a Bishop could make that rule for his Diocese. I am not aware of any diocese where this is the case, nor have I ever heard of such a rule.
 
a_soft_answer said:
oh, and I am a girl =) My name is Lindsey, nice to meet you all.
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I am really embarressed! Please forgive me! 😊

I have absolutely no idea why I would have made the assumption I did, but I sure did learn a lesson from it. My sincere apologies!!!
 
Boulder257 said:
I am really embarressed! Please forgive me! 😊

I have absolutely no idea why I would have made the assumption I did, but I sure did learn a lesson from it. My sincere apologies!!!
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lol, no problem at all! =)
 
First time I’ve heard of a waiting period. I was already Baptized in the Episcopal Church. I entered RICA in September, and was Confirmed and received first Communion at the following Easter Vigil. I had to go through the Rite of Election at the Cathedral several weeks before Easter. There were several short ceremonies at Sunday Masses during Lent, and a first Confession on Holy Saturday. That was it. It took 7 months. The biggest problem I had was locating my Baptismal record, which was at a large church in Boston, because they had my birthday wrong. This was in the Archdiocese of Detroit. I suppose the rules could be different elsewhere.
 
ok, I am chatting with her now, and this is what she just said:
For example, if you were to make contact with a priest and begin preparing for baptism now. Sometime this spring you would go to a service at the Cathedral and sign the book of the elect, making you a catechumen. Then at Easter Vigil you would be baptized. Then for the next year you would participate in RCIA classes, meeting with a priest, learning, studying, etc. Then next year at the Easter Vigil you would receive FHC and be confirmed making you a full member of the Church and able to participate fully in the Eucharist.

The way I understand it is that the period of inquiry, and participating in RCIA is prior to baptism, and then baptism, confirmation and receiving the Eucharist would all take place at the same time. catholic.com/tracts/how-to-become-a-catholic

She said that in Utah it is different because there are so many ex-mormons that they need a longer period of time to “un-teach” them what they learned and believed as Mormons, and also to protect the Eucharist . I guess I don’t understand why they’d allow somebody to be baptized if they thought they were not genuine. She said they didn’t really know what to do with her and her husband who came from the Lutheran church, and had been baptized, but that they participated in 3 different parishes and all said the same thing.
 
a_soft_answer said:
ok, I am chatting with her now, and this is what she just said:
For example, if you were to make contact with a priest and begin preparing for baptism now. Sometime this spring you would go to a service at the Cathedral and sign the book of the elect, making you a catechumen. Then at Easter Vigil you would be baptized. Then for the next year you would participate in RCIA classes, meeting with a priest, learning, studying, etc. Then next year at the Easter Vigil you would receive FHC and be confirmed making you a full member of the Church and able to participate fully in the Eucharist.

The way I understand it is that the period of inquiry, and participating in RCIA is prior to baptism, and then baptism, confirmation and receiving the Eucharist would all take place at the same time. catholic.com/tracts/how-to-become-a-catholic

She said that in Utah it is different because there are so many ex-mormons that they need a longer period of time to “un-teach” them what they learned and believed as Mormons, and also to protect the Eucharist . I guess I don’t understand why they’d allow somebody to be baptized if they thought they were not genuine. She said they didn’t really know what to do with her and her husband who came from the Lutheran church, and had been baptized, but that they participated in 3 different parishes and all said the same thing.
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Wow. I can understand the “Utah” reason that she mentions, although I have just never heard of that. The way you describe it, with all three happening “at once” is the way that I have always seen it practiced. Best to just contact the parish or diocese office and confirm. Please let us know what you find out. I am very interested to hear.
 
a_soft_answer said:
ok, I am chatting with her now, and this is what she just said:
For example, if you were to make contact with a priest and begin preparing for baptism now. Sometime this spring you would go to a service at the Cathedral and sign the book of the elect, making you a catechumen. Then at Easter Vigil you would be baptized. Then for the next year you would participate in RCIA classes, meeting with a priest, learning, studying, etc. Then next year at the Easter Vigil you would receive FHC and be confirmed making you a full member of the Church and able to participate fully in the Eucharist.
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She has some of the timing wrong.
Sometime this spring you would go to a service at the Cathedral and sign the book of the elect, making you a catechumen.
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What she is describing is the Rite of Election and that comes at the end of the process, not the beginning.

What comes long before that is the period of inquiry and the catechumenate. At the end of inquiry you will go through the first of several rites, called the Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens. That is when you become a catechumen. At the end of the catechumenate you go through the Rite of Election and enter the final period (purification and enlightenment) prior to receiving the sacraments of initiation.
Then at Easter Vigil you would be baptized. Then for the next year you would participate in RCIA classes, meeting with a priest, learning, studying, etc. Then next year at the Easter Vigil you would receive FHC and be confirmed making you a full member of the Church and able to participate fully in the Eucharist.
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Adults receive all of their sacraments of initiation at the same Mass. You will be baptized, confirmed, and receive your first communion at the Easter Vigil.

You would do well to talk with the pastor or initiation director at your local parish. Your friend’s vague ideas about RCIA are inaccurate to say the least.
 
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