RCIA, Confession, etc

[Brian_C]

Forgive me if this is the wrong forum, but… I’m in RCIA and it’s never really been addressed but besides not participating in the Eucharist, am I allowed or encouraged to go to confession? I am one of those folks who decided to come to the church purely after a realization that this is where I need to be (my wife and I were both raised baptist) and not because of a marriage or anything. That being the case, I really don’t KNOW anyone in the parish who I can just informally quiz on practices and etiquette. I’ve asked a few questions here before, but otherwise…

 

[bauerice]

I work with RCIA, We have first confession about 2 weeks before the Easter Vigil. If you have not been baptized, you will go into the confessional just to check it out. Your sins are all wiped away when you are baptized. Then you will have first confession usually about a month later.

 

[Brian_C]

Well, I was baptized already in the Baptist church. That’s what’s kinda funny about RCIA. Already being a baptized Christian leaves you in a kind of limbo! Thanks for the info, though.

I live in Louisiana and work for the feds so I’ve been doing 14 hr days working on Katrina and have missed a couple of RCIA’s (though I doubt that was covered yet). Thankfully, since my church is dealing w/ Katrina and Rita evacuees from largely Catholic South Louisiana they are understanding of scheduling problems!

 

[Brian_C]

That leads me to another question. On the "how to become Catholic) link on the main page of the website, it mentions that the participants who are already baptized Christians should be seperated out from those needing baptism and not be welcomed in on the Easter Vigil but at a Sunday Eucharist. Which one? I have been an inquirer since late spring and have never picked up on that in my RCIA.

 

[bauerice]

That may differ from diocese to diocese. We have all new, baptized or not yet baptized, received in at the Easter Vigil.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Brian_C:

That leads me to another question. On the "how to become Catholic) link on the main page of the website, it mentions that the participants who are already baptized Christians should be seperated out from those needing baptism and not be welcomed in on the Easter Vigil but at a Sunday Eucharist. Which one? I have been an inquirer since late spring and have never picked up on that in my RCIA.

Some parishes simply do not have resources to run two tracks. One for Candidates and one for Catechumens. However a simple solution is to receive Candidates either during Lent or at Pentecost. However if there are only a few total Candidates and Catechumens. The RCIA does allow for a “Combined Rite”.

 

[puzzleannie]

for those preparing for full initiation into the Catholic Church, who have already been validly baptized, they must be prepared for and make their first confession before the Easter Vigil wherein they will celebrate the other sacraments, Eucharist and Confirmation. This is ordinarily part of their preparation during or shortly before Lent. They are not “in limbo”, rather their special status among the baptized is recognized so that their formation and rites differ from those of the unbaptized. This is especially apparent during the rites of Lent.

If the topic of confession has not come up by the beginning of Lent, be sure to bring it up, and make sure you get proper preparation and the opportunity to confess before Easter. You will make a general confession of all sins of your past life at this time. A retreat or day of recollection is a great way to prepare for this sacrament.

 

[thistle]

Brian_C:

That leads me to another question. On the "how to become Catholic) link on the main page of the website, it mentions that the participants who are already baptized Christians should be seperated out from those needing baptism and not be welcomed in on the Easter Vigil but at a Sunday Eucharist. Which one? I have been an inquirer since late spring and have never picked up on that in my RCIA.

I was a Methodist as was one other in my RCIA group. We were welcomed into the Church at the Easter Vigil but whereas the non-baptised were baptised we were formally accepted into the Church without going through the baptism so the entire RCIA group became Catholics together. I have never regretted that moment.

 

[Brian_C]

Thanks for the replies. I realize I am not REALLY in limbo, it’s just much of the material refers to the catechumen. I just wanted to make sure I haven’t missed out on any explanation in the last couple o’ classes. My wife attended but didn’t hear it discussed. I guess I just can’t fathom the fact that some of my classmates are completely new to Christianity!

As for confession, I am all ears on how to get over attachment to some past sins. Ah well, don’t want to deviate anymore…