RCIA and Mass Attendance

[Melchior_1]

I haven’t had too much of an issue, although due to working with teens and young adults those who want to convert/receive Sacraments usually go “all-in” and need little prompting to attend Mass.

The catholic church I attend has RCIA classes scheduled on Sunday. Everyone in RCIA goes to Mass every Sunday. Period.

This isn’t a bad idea if there is attendance issues.

 

[Kahlan_Amnell]

I talk with them about the importance of coming to Mass even though they can’t receive the Eucharist yet. It’s an opportunity to come together with the community and to be in the presence of the Lord. It’s a chance to be strengthened, to hear to readings and homily, to pray and sing. I explain that the Church requires Catholics to come to Mass on Sundays and holy days. And I tell them that the community wants to know them and be inspired by their journey into the Church.

That’s exactly why I love coming to Mass every week, even though I haven’t started RCIA yet. I look forward to it all week. I feel like if I go erratically now, I’ll get used to not going and then have to deal with getting out of that habit once I’m fully accepted into the Church. I also kind of already feel obligated to go…I would feel guilty if I missed a week or a Holy Day.

 

[sparkletina]

So far this hasn’t been a problem with catechumens, only with candidates coming from Protestant churches. (And only with some. My guess is that their former communities didn’t have the kind of emphasis we do on attendance so they never got in the habit.

Excuse me, but having been an evangelical Protestant for 20 years before reverting, in all the congregations I belonged to, people show up for church on Sundays–90% of them every Sunday–and that includes Sunday school! Also, bible study during the week! Most average Protestants that I know go to church way more than the average Catholic. What is more, Protestants don’t have a “rule” that you must be there. We *wanted *to be there, that’s the difference! That is why I do not think your comparison applies. It just so happens there are lazy people in every denomination.

 

[JoDee]

I am in RCIA in a very small parish in a small town and no one speaks to us except for the sign of peace. I am a convert candidate and my husband and son are cathecums and we are blessed to be receiving instruction from our priest. It is just a stark contrast between the reserved Catholics in our area and the warm “glad handing” you get at the local baptist churches. Protestants stress that fellowship is very important while the focus of the Mass is rightfully on Christ.

I do think that as newbies learn the true significance of the Eucharist and that coming to Mass is an opportunity to be in the presence of Christ even when you cannot yet partake, this will hopefully motivate them-if their motives are right in the first place.