RCIA Experience

[fdesales]

Thanks…I did do my first confession at the Lenten penance service (and also another time since) so I have been receiving communion.

I am REALLY rusty on my faith although I am catching up… But I have spent the last 20+ years as a Protestant…and still have some of that thinking. I don’t want to leave again because I don’t know my faith… And it’s something for my husband and I to talk about together. Although if they do dismissal…I think I’ll let him do that and stay at Mass.

Thanks for letting me know what to expect though.

God Bless!

No problem.

With the additional information that you provided, I would suggest that you did go through the RCIA with your husband. But ultimately, that is your choice.

God bless and welcome home!

Fdesales

 

[TrixRN]

the intent of Mass dismissals and the subsequent discussions are NOT about learning doctrine by having a bunch of new people discussing the Bible passage and coming to a conclusion on “what it means”. The POINT is to experience Christ through the Liturgy and the Word of God. Discussions should center around how a passage speaks to the participants in their daily lives and recognizing that God is speaking to them to do “x”, as Christ does/did. The “material” learned is on a different level than formal doctrinal learning.

Like I said…the person leading the discussion at dismissal is a new convert, <1 year, so we sound more like a Protestant discussion group than Catholic. No deacon or priest involved at all. Our parish has 3 priests and numerous deacons.

This all presumes that there is another meeting during the week that discusses more formally a catechesis of the faith. I agree that Sunday dismissals are not the place to learn the doctrines of our faith. But they are important to the intent of RCIA, which is a sacramental formation in the experiencing of Jesus Christ. Sunday dismissals are integral to this process.

Most of what you just said went right over my head and I’ve been attending weekly RCIA since the week after Easter and dismissal almost as long. I bought the catechism (the paperback with the white cover) and have been studying on my own

As to being dismissed as “silly”, consider how you would feel if you were invited to a picnic or party, but were not allowed to eat at it… While candidates can be presented with a choice of remaining, invariably, they prefer the sharing of experiences of Jesus that goes on during the Dismissals.

I don’t consider dismissal “silly” I just wish it was more “filling” Pray for us candidates and the staff trying to lead us to the faith. BTW of the staff in the Adult Education dept only one is a cradle Catholic…rest are converts

Regards,

Fdesales

I’m learning a lot off this forum and EWTN. So thanks to you guys and CAF for being here.
My husband is very supportive too. He’s the best. I thank God every day for bringing him into my life
Trix

 

[fannytemper]

Here is a really excellent article on how a good RCIA class should be conducted, as well as some pitfalls to look out for - it’s good stuff.

unamsanctamcatholicam.blogspot.com/2010/06/how-to-run-successful-rcia-program.html

Thanks for this link-- It answered some questions!

My husband & I have a bit of a dilemma-- We are on our parish’s RCIA “team” ( the writer of the linked article is strongly opposed to RCIA teams, but when your parish can’t afford a full time DRE, that’s what you get!) One of the teachings we do is on Marriage, & it is doctrinally based, not sugarcoating the difficult area of birth control. The head of the RCIA team spoke to us this year about “lightening up” on the Church’s teaching about artificial birth control, since it apparently put off at least one of the cathecumens. We were rather appalled at this suggestion, to say the least!!

Certainly RCIA programs need to present Catholic teaching in its fullness, and as the Truth, not, as our RCIA head suggested, as an “ideal”, in the sense of something good but out of reach. It was also suggested that since lots of current Catholics don’t agree w/ the Church on this issue, then why press it at RCIA. Yikes! A cathecumen, or current Catholic for that matter, who can’t accept the Church’s teachings in any area, definitely needs to think more deeply about why they want to be in the Catholic Church, and probably needs more cathechesis on said topic.

Has anyone else had a similar situation? How did you handle it?

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

The head of the RCIA team spoke to us this year about “lightening up” on the Church’s teaching about artificial birth control, since it apparently put off at least one of the cathecumens. We were rather appalled at this suggestion, to say the least!!

There are some teachings that are hard for people to accept. Depending on the person it might be related to birth control, sex outside of marriage, homosexual relationships, divorce, or other matters.

Sometimes when I teach about these things I see the looks on the faces of the catechumens and candidates and they’re shocked. When I’m covering one of these potentially difficult subjects, I tell them up front that I’m going to talk about a topic that some people find difficult but that I think it’s important for them to know what the Church teaches. I don’t want them to come into the Church and then find out at some later point that I misled them or sugarcoated things to the point that they didn’t know what the teaching was.

I also tell them that if the teaching seems too hard, to keep an open heart and try to understand why the Church teaches what she does. We are so exposed to our secular culture where certain things are acceptable, and the Church teaches something very much in opposition to the culture. There isn’t necessarily going to be instant acceptance of the teaching. But with time people come to understand and accept it more.

I think it’s important to teach the hard topics with as much love and acceptance as possible. As they’re going through the whole RCIA experience they’re changing day by day. I try to present these difficult topics in a way that invites them to continue their conversion.

And you never know what the Holy Spirit might do. I was overjoyed when one of my catechumens told me that she had gotten her own apartment and no longer was living with her boyfriend. She was a little shocked at herself, but said that it no longer seemed right to live with him. Metanoia!

 

[Seminarian_Matt]

But it seems at the core is that her RCIA class did a (very) poor job.
– they didn’t explain the mass
– many people were insensitive and not-loving
– there were no educational materials
– basically everything is a mystery just accept it, don’t ask questions, “what’s wrong with you protestants?” etc

I experienced the exact same thing when I went through RCIA in 2004. For that reason, I have helped form an RCIA program that is online and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week that actually teaches the fullness of the Faith!

If you do need better catechesis and wish to learn the Faith, please look into this program: catechismclass.com/packages/1