Question about RCIA for converts

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Hi, I’d like some advice from converts that have completed the RCIA process. I’ve been attending Mass as a non-Catholic for some time (I was baptised as an Anglican) and decided that I wish to be confirmed in the Church. I’ve met with my local priest who has told me that there isn’t enough time before Easter for me to join the current RCIA cohort. He has given me two options: (1) hold out until next September to join the next RCIA cohort or (2) start the process immediately alone, missing out on the full community and liturgical experience with a group.

So my question: should I hold out for 9 months to join an RCIA group? Did you experience real benefits in going through the process with others?

I really long for full participation in the Eucharist and in the Body of Christ, but fear I might miss important aspects of conversion if I undergo the RCIA immediately and alone. Appreciate your thoughts.
 
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I am not a convert but my husband converted in 2014. He did get a lot out of going through the class with others. We both did. So much so that we joined the team and are able to participate every year. I am a cradle Catholic but I learn so many new things every week. Every parish is different but in my parish you are able to join the class at any point but if you miss too much you may have to go through another year before coming into the church. I would suggest that, if you don’t want to wait, go ahead and go through the process now and join the RCIA team in September. You will be participating as a team member so it will probably be different than if you were going through it, but you can still experience it and learn so much!!
 
Why not go through individually and attend RCIA classes if you want? Is that an option?

I’m in RCIA right now. It is nice to be a part of a group, but I could also review the information individually and get the fellowship another way.
 
You are not a convert and you need not go through RCIA. Your parish may want you to because it is more practical for them than to be instructing different individuals based on their starting point. Strictly, a ‘convert’ is someone who comes from a non-Christian faith and that is whom RCIA is intended for. Unfortunately, my brain is not co-operating right now and I cannot recall the correct word instead of convert.

To answer your question is a challenge. A starting point would be to know what kind of Anglican you are. If you are very low church almost like an Evangelical I think the entire RCIA process would be a good thing for you to go through to develop a thorough understanding of the Catholic Faith. But, if you are a high church Anglo-Catholic you probably do not need RCIA and you could go through the alternative route the priest has offered you.

Have a think about it. Look where you are coming from and decide what you think will be the best for you.

Welcome home!
 
I think it will depend on how the lone process will go and how you best learn (from an education point of view). Personally, I can learn in a closet with none but me and my books. My wife is the same way. We went through RCIA classes together and didn’t really get much from the group experience.

But not all people learn best by themselves; they learn better in groups through shared experiences and exchanging ideas with others (a social-constructivist viewpoint). My mother, who is going through RCIA would fall into this camp. I am her RCIA sponsor, so I attend the classes with her.

So, it’s up to you and your learning style. You could do both - start attending the running RCIA course and doing it solo. I am sure the priest would be there to direct your solo adventure. You could also always ask him questions. That might be an option you explore with your priest.

Best of travels in your faith journey!
 
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I went through RCIA alone due to my work schedule. I met with the RCIA director or Father once a week. I thought I might miss out on something not being in the main class but I got much more out of it taking the class solo. They were able to tailor the class more and we were able to go far more in depth on the subjects that really mattered. Also if you’re coming in from another Christian tradition and are baptized typically you don’t go through the entire RCIA program. Meeting one on one helps the director accommodate for that.
 
I didnt feel I got anything from going thru the experience with a group. In hindsight I wish I had just got catechised privately as I was offered which would have taken me much less time than eight months and many boring powerpoints later where nobody really talked to each other. At the end of the day you will be part of a parish anyway and you can have fellowship then . Don’t delay 🙂
 
Ah man I felt like I was being all ‘correct’ and attempting fellowship going thru it with everyone else and if I realised I never had to as a baptised Christian I’d have gone solo
 
Our pastor handled my reception into the Church in a very helpful manner, and also very quickly. He appointed my wife, who is a cradle Catholic, to be my sponsor, so most of my learning was done at home, with the pastor giving overall guidance. I had a few – three or four, I think – one-on-one meetings with him, each lasting from a half-hour to an hour. It was over twenty years ago now, so I don’t recall all the details, but from start to finish it took about three months. My first communion was on Gaudete Sunday, the third Sunday in Advent, along with two other adults who had missed out on first communion at the usual age.
 
As an Anglican, there aren’t many doctrinal differences. This is why Catholic priests become Anglican priests and vice versa with very little fuss. As I’ve said before, RCIA classes can really vary in quality depending on the group itself and who is leading the class. You may find it fantastic and you may find it horrifying. Flip a coin.

I would opt for the private sessions with the priest. If you are curious about RCIA you can always attend later as an observer.
 
I would wait myself. The interaction you get during the whole process not to mention the rites is a big part of it. I think you would be disappointed if you short changed yourself this way. Late summer will be here before you know it.
 
I’m sort of in the same boat myself. I have to wait until around August/September, but I’m planning on moving by the winter. I have absolutely no idea how to go about this.
 
Same for me. I think that’s pretty typical.

By the time Easter comes, it will have been over a year since I first started attending my parish. I was not offered the opportunity to do individual instruction despite the fact that I had already done so much studying of the faith. Still, I think RCIA has been worthwhile. I needed time to stop and reflect on what I had read.

But, I’ll be honest, I also have not “learned” anything new since being in RCIA.
 
I only did RCIA from January to Easter. In my case, there was a schedule conflict I couldn’t resolve without endangering my livelihood. Personally, I feel that I did well enough.
 
I’d go through it alone. I became a Catholic in 2017. I was a candidate, as I had my baptismal certificate and didn’t need baptizing. The RCIA classes are hardly what you would call classes. We just read over the latest readings, a couple of people would read the same thing over again, and we were to meditate on them and see if any one word stood out for us. I thought it was pointless, but it was required. I actually entered the program a little late, so I didn’t have to do the whole eight months of it. I think you will do fine going through it alone, and maybe they can “fast track” you a little if you ask.

RCIA is not really a class. Most of what I learned about attending Catholic Mass I learned from my sponsor. What to do when you enter, why you do that, going to the pew and genuflecting, the different parts of the Mass. You can also get books on something like “Introduction to the Mass.” I think you should bypass RCIA if you can and get through as fast as possible. Really nothing to be gained from it, IMO.
 
I’m a convert from Lutheranism, but I read a lot before I went into RCIA. Personally, I’d recommend going through the full program.
 
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