RCIA and how long does it REALLY take?

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OK, I have seen numbers going from about a year, to a year or more, to the very vague “it depends”, just from those who have done it from “Canterbury”, how long does it take to make Catholics out of us?:cool:
 
Glorfindel said:
OK, I have seen numbers going from about a year, to a year or more, to the very vague “it depends”, just from those who have done it from “Canterbury”, how long does it take to make Catholics out of us?:cool:
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It will depend on how your parish runs things. Adults who have never been baptized are baptized at Easter Vigil, Saturday night before Easter. So often people will be in RCIA from whenever it starts until Easter, and hopefully afterwords for a period of mystagogy.

As for adults who have been baptized, it will depend on your parish. Technically they are to be received into the Church whenever they are ready. Often, however, they are included right along with the catechumens at Easter. At my parish, candidates who are ready were received into the Church at Christ the King, right before Advent.

But again, the most important thing is that it takes however long you need it to. Some people are ready quickly, for others it may take another year of RCIA. It is a process of growth and learning, not just a program that you go through and graduate from. 😃

And welcome home! 😃
 
KarenElissa said:
It will depend on how your parish runs things. Adults who have never been baptized are baptized at Easter Vigil, Saturday night before Easter. So often people will be in RCIA from whenever it starts until Easter, and hopefully afterwords for a period of mystagogy.

As for adults who have been baptized, it will depend on your parish. Technically they are to be received into the Church whenever they are ready. Often, however, they are included right along with the catechumens at Easter. At my parish, candidates who are ready were received into the Church at Christ the King, right before Advent.

But again, the most important thing is that it takes however long you need it to. Some people are ready quickly, for others it may take another year of RCIA. It is a process of growth and learning, not just a program that you go through and graduate from. 😃

And welcome home! 😃
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Cool! Thanks! I wonder if I can do the 2 week “track”?🙂 🙂 🙂 Kidding!
 
The reason they normally wait a few months (normally around November) for baptized Christians is because the candidate is on a trial period within the Catholic community… they want to see if you are going to Mass, studying the faith, etc.

Me… I’m just enjoying the journey… I would love to be accepted before Easter Vigil and will be sad if I don’t get accepted before then… but then again… I’ll be Catholic either way… I just have to remind myself of that.
 
We travel a lot…if I am gone at some point while in RCIA and play catch-up when I get back, is a year still possible? The reason it is important is the idea of a whole year without the Holy Communion, seems a VERY long time!:eek:
 
Glorfindel said:
We travel a lot…if I am gone at some point while in RCIA and play catch-up when I get back, is a year still possible? The reason it is important is the idea of a whole year without the Holy Communion, seems a VERY long time!:eek:
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I imagine that will just depend on how much you miss and when and that kind of stuff. 🤷 😃
 
Glorfindel said:
Doh!
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Normally the instructors, deacon(s), and priest(s) will work with you and let you catch up some things… depending on the situation and all that goody goody gumdrop stuff… 😃

Who knows… you may end up having “make-up work”…
 
RCIA as most anything else is under the direction of the Bishop, who practically never gets involved anymore. The Bishop gives the Priest the responsibility, and in most parishes the Priest gets a Director of Religious Education (DRE) or at least a volunteer to setup and operate a program for RCIA. Prior to 1965 seven weeks was common. Now nine months is common. There is a push to go to 2 years. The nine month programs are listed as year round but most are not year round. For example we usually end mystagogue on the first Sunday of June, then schedule a team meeting in July, and meet the last Sunday of August but the other nine months we really do met and teach. It is important to understand the priest can bring people into the Church at any time. The priest may do this as an individual act or at the request of his DRE. Often people who cannot attend regular classes (often this is medical issues) are taught through visitation and then enter the church in this method. Additionally people with valid baptisms are not under the same requirements as mentioned earlier they typically attend Dec-Easter. RCIA has three section first inquiry (typically Sept, Oct, Nov) then Catechism (teach catholic religion Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar) and last Mystagogue ( the sacred mysteries April & May ). So the bottom line is if you are not in this for life you are not really in it at all.

Hope that helps
 
Up here in my part of canada, the RCIA program takes 2 years ideally and can be fast tracked in 1 year depending on your parish. I have to admit that the long committment was a stumbling block for me but I am glad I did it.
 
Glorfindel said:
OK, I have seen numbers going from about a year, to a year or more, to the very vague “it depends”, just from those who have done it from “Canterbury”, how long does it take to make Catholics out of us?:cool:
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“It depends” is not a cop-out. It is the only answer that can be given.

The **inquiry **period is open ended and can be as long as it needs to be for any catechumen or candidate. It is a decision made by both the inquirer AND the RCIA leader/pastor. A person could be an inquirer for several months or several years and then decide to either officially prepare for reception into the Church or decide they do not want to become Catholic.

The time in inquiry for an unbaptized and/or uncatechized person may be much different from that of a highly catechized person.

From the point in time when the person officially enters into the commitment to become a Catholic through the Rites of RCIA it is then about 4-5 months total until they are received into the Church.

On a case by case basis, the pastor can make adjustments as necessary.
 
1ke said:
“It depends” is not a cop-out. It is the only answer that can be given.

The **inquiry **period is open ended and can be as long as it needs to be for any catechumen or candidate. It is a decision made by both the inquirer AND the RCIA leader/pastor. A person could be an inquirer for several months or several years and then decide to either officially prepare for reception into the Church or decide they do not want to become Catholic.

The time in inquiry for an unbaptized and/or uncatechized person may be much different from that of a highly catechized person.

From the point in time when the person officially enters into the commitment to become a Catholic through the Rites of RCIA it is then about 4-5 months total until they are received into the Church.

On a case by case basis, the pastor can make adjustments as necessary.
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I don’t see where I said cop-out my friend, it just sounded it sounded vague, which it rather does to a Newbie. No need to be offended. Pax.
 
Here’s the thing. If I read correctly you are already a baptized Christian. I’d say if you are already convinced of the truth of the Catholic faith and can reasonably articulate that, then I would schedule some appointments with the priest and see if he will make an exception to RCIA.
 
mamawest said:
Up here in my part of canada, the RCIA program takes 2 years ideally and can be fast tracked in 1 year depending on your parish. I have to admit that the long committment was a stumbling block for me but I am glad I did it.
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The Forum on the Catechumenate teaches that a full liturgical year is what we should aim for where catechumens are concerned. Depending on when we start that could mean almost two years if you start late in the liturgical year and as little as 12 months if you start right after Easter.

When we are talking about receiving baptized Christians into full communion, the Rite teaches that it should not pose a hardship and that depending on the person it might take as little as 6 weeks to two months for an already well-catechized person to much longer for a non-catechized one.
 
I entered the Church in January 1971 with approximately three months of weekly private sessions with the parish priest back in 1970. I have to admit, I often think if I had to go through the time requirements of today’s RCIA programs, I would never have entered the church. I was an adult, intellectually and spiritually informed, and ready to make a good proclamation of faithfulness. Did I enter “fully prepared?” Probably not. But I entered fully faithful and, through the grace of God, have grown in my faith ever since. My three children were raised and married in the Church; and the grandbabies are being baptized as they arrive. 😉

I understand the need to fully catechize incoming Catholics. But I also worry that, in an adherence to **processes **establish by a parish or diocesan hierarchy, we may be shutting the door to some people who are ready to become very good Catholics in a much shorter time frame.
 
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