RCIA - "do you know what you're signing up for" - to prevent dropouts later

[3DOCTORS]

This is one of those things that bothers me. If parishes really cared about RCIA (and equally so for children’s and teen’s religious education) they would require certification or require people to pursue certification as they work in RCIA.

But faith and devotion aren’t sufficient. I had someone on the team who was very faithful…and also very ignorant. I had to correct so many of the things she said. If she wanted to talk about how much praying the rosary meant to her, it was great. But when she got into things like the sacraments, she often had no idea what she was talking about.

I realize the way I phrased some of my comments left it open to misinterpretation. The ideal would be a well-informed AND devout Catholic RCIA teacher/leader. :yup: The best is a balance between head and heart, and without a deficit either way. And obedient to the Magisterium and concerned for the eternal salvation of souls, rather than for indoctrinating them into a false ideology to which the educator subscribes. Hopefully this doesn’t happen often, but it does happen. :sad_yes:

 

[fieldsparrow]

I went through RCIA, sort of, fairly recently. I say “sort of” because I started in February and I feel like I missed a lot. I enjoyed our classes but I didn’t love them, and I do feel like some, er, “progressive” ideas were put forth, like there is no reason to not ordain women to the priesthood, etc. After I was confirmed I had a hard time getting replies from the RCIA leader, and the priest at that parish was somewhat distant, I thought. So I joined a committee, and then sort of fell away for several months. Thankfully we have a fantastic Catholic radio station locally where I have received more catechesis than I could have hoped for and I continued to listen to that station. After those few months I went to another parish and made a full confession including missing Mass, etc, and so far this other parish has been “a better fit” for me. I’m not sure that it’s OK to have gone “parish shopping” since we are the universal Church, right? but I was having a very hard time at the other parish.

So I attended at my new parish for some time, finally switched over my registration recently, and my son will be baptized there. I am actually looking forward to HIS religious education as I am quite positive there are still many gaps in my knowledge, which is why you will find me on here sometimes asking seemingly stupid questions as I try to make sure we are raising him with a good Catholic foundation. It is definitely a challenge as I try to make sure I have all the information right; thankfully he is still young.

But, yeah, I would say my RCIA experience wasn’t the greatest. One of the women did follow up with me several times and I appreciated her staying in contact since I didn’t know anyone else at the parish and it got kind of lonely going to Mass (daily, even, at the time) but not having anyone to talk about it with in between. Figuring out how to go about everyday life CENTERED around Christ in the Eucharist is where I still have much to learn and where I would have liked more help.

I am rambling. I have some regrets about my RCIA experience but there are always going to be imperfections, which is what I sort of had to realize and accept. I am happier now and in the process of realigning all parts of my life which is certainly only through grace.

Cheezey, I will keep you in my prayers. Your situation sounds quite frustrating!

 

[3DOCTORS]

I went through RCIA, sort of, fairly recently. I say “sort of” because I started in February and I feel like I missed a lot. I enjoyed our classes but I didn’t love them, and I do feel like some, er, “progressive” ideas were put forth, like there is no reason to not ordain women to the priesthood, etc. After I was confirmed I had a hard time getting replies from the RCIA leader, and the priest at that parish was somewhat distant, I thought. So I joined a committee, and then sort of fell away for several months. Thankfully we have a fantastic Catholic radio station locally where I have received more catechesis than I could have hoped for and I continued to listen to that station. After those few months I went to another parish and made a full confession including missing Mass, etc, and so far this other parish has been “a better fit” for me. I’m not sure that it’s OK to have gone “parish shopping” since we are the universal Church, right? but I was having a very hard time at the other parish.

So I attended at my new parish for some time, finally switched over my registration recently, and my son will be baptized there. I am actually looking forward to HIS religious education as I am quite positive there are still many gaps in my knowledge, which is why you will find me on here sometimes asking seemingly stupid questions as I try to make sure we are raising him with a good Catholic foundation. It is definitely a challenge as I try to make sure I have all the information right; thankfully he is still young.

But, yeah, I would say my RCIA experience wasn’t the greatest. One of the women did follow up with me several times and I appreciated her staying in contact since I didn’t know anyone else at the parish and it got kind of lonely going to Mass (daily, even, at the time) but not having anyone to talk about it with in between. Figuring out how to go about everyday life CENTERED around Christ in the Eucharist is where I still have much to learn and where I would have liked more help.

I am rambling. I have some regrets about my RCIA experience but there are always going to be imperfections, which is what I sort of had to realize and accept. I am happier now and in the process of realigning all parts of my life which is certainly only through grace.

Cheezey, I will keep you in my prayers. Your situation sounds quite frustrating!

Happy to hear that God provided for your spiritual needs and good for you in being persistent and not settling for less than a well-formed Faith!

 

[anon53744415]

My expereice with them leaving is more inclined to the following: [not necessarly in sequence of importance to them]

• Unqualified teacher
  [*]Liberal / Progressive [not much different than what they are running from] teachers
  [*]An inability to freely ask the questions on there minds and hearts
  [*]Either NOT fully teaching our beliefs or explaining them well
  [*]Teachers not provinding “evidence” of our beliefs so it comes off as just personal opinions
  [*]They find it “TOO Structured”
  [*]Not making a sufficient effort of having friendly and personal Fellowship durring RCIA [a HUGE ISSUE, both in RCIA and within the Catholic Community afterwards]
  [*]Typlically they come from some sort of “fellowship church” where often, beliefs are on on par or secondary to “Christian Fellowship”
  

Because we Catholics Do focus WORSHIP on GOD and that is the PRIMARY goal and purpose for our Mass; the lack of “Fellowship in our Worship” is a dramatically different FOCUS. Then because our catholi Fellowship varies soooo much from prish to parish; with the emphasis being on outside of Mass fellowship, that they are not INVITED SPECIFICALLY to join, they often [usually] suffer a SHOCK-lack of fellowship. They don’t know about the ldies groups, Kof C, Bible study ect. HUGE error on our part.

Or as you suggested; not being open to the Holy Spirit trying and offering to work in their lives.

God Bless you,
patrick [PJM]

Patrick, yes, if there’s one thing that Protestants do well it’s fellowship! The UMC I started out in as a kid and eventually left last year is second to none in fellowship activities. In fact, the fellowship and wonderful people were what kept me attending long past the point when I first wanted to leave; but it was the liberalism there that finally motivated me to get out. Watching EWTN and reading and studying Catholic doctrine and apologetics drug me kicking and screaming into the Catholic Church!