RCIA-- group versus individual preparation

[iwillrisenow]

I am currently in an RCIA that has a small number of adults who are planning to receive the sacraments and one person who is not. This one person is VERY strong in their own faith and doesn’t seem to have any intention of converting, yet very vocal (though always in a polite way) and ends up being the focus of every single meeting. As a result, the whole tone of the process has been consumed by this person’s situation (taught in an apologetics style, with emphasis on a number of misconceptions about Catholicism before they’re even brought up). While I come from a Protestant background as well (as do 1-2 of the others-- the rest either Catholic families/educational settings) and understand that it is very difficult to make a group process into something that suits everyone’s needs, I must admit that I often leave the meetings frustrated and even a little angry to have to spend what seems like it should be a time focused on entering the body of the Church rather than a Protestant-style “come to Jesus.” And yes, I realize the potential and implications for this person’s soul, which is why I’ve largely left the approach unquestioned.

Since the beginning of the meetings, I have found time to learn the catechism, ask and have discussions about my own questions, and spend ample time in prayer in order to prepare outside of those sessions, but the group RCIA thing still phases me. Has anyone else dealt with a similar challenge in their own experience? Should I consider asking for a more personal preparation for the time leading up to Easter or just let it be?

 

[Mike_SFO_1]

Your RCIA team should be the one dealing with this person and if the person is not serious about conversion to the Catholic faith and only interested in disrupting they should be asked to leave. We had someone that just showed up and had no intention of conversion. We said he could join us however the course is for people getting their sacraments and we would appreciate if they could just passively attend the class.

The decision of single versus group classes is up to your Parish however the Catholic faith is all about being the family of God and this is more of a solo effort. Talk to the coordinator of your RCIA team about your concern and if they do not help with the issue talk to a Priest or Deacon. Your RCIA experience should be a solid foundation which you can build on. Some of the most passionate parishioners at our church are either converts or reverts.

Peace and all good,

Mike

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

Ideally your RCIA team shouldn’t be letting one person dominate the discussions. It might be worth talking with your RCIA director to discuss the problem. The obvious answer would be to limit the person’s questions in class and for someone to meet with him after class.

In my experience this kind of thing happens often, though not always with the same person. A certain topic will be of major interest to someone and they’ll ask question after question. The problem with answering all of their questions is that you lose other people. So I’ll tell them to stay after class and we can discuss it further.

I don’t know if there is even an option for you to receive individual instruction. You would need to have someone on the RCIA team who wants to double up their time commitment in order to do both the group sessions and individual sessions. I would think twice, though, even if you had a willing teacher. There’s a lot to learn from a group and not only in an instructional sense. Hearing about someone else’s experience of their faith journey can be very inspiring, and the relationships that develop among the people in RCIA are important. RCIA is not only an educational experience, but also an experience of inner conversion and other people can be important parts of that conversion.

 

[ccolley]

I am currently in an RCIA that has a small number of adults who are planning to receive the sacraments and one person who is not. This one person is VERY strong in their own faith and doesn’t seem to have any intention of converting, yet very vocal (though always in a polite way) and ends up being the focus of every single meeting. As a result, the whole tone of the process has been consumed by this person’s situation (taught in an apologetics style, with emphasis on a number of misconceptions about Catholicism before they’re even brought up). While I come from a Protestant background as well (as do 1-2 of the others-- the rest either Catholic families/educational settings) and understand that it is very difficult to make a group process into something that suits everyone’s needs, I must admit that I often leave the meetings frustrated and even a little angry to have to spend what seems like it should be a time focused on entering the body of the Church rather than a Protestant-style “come to Jesus.” And yes, I realize the potential and implications for this person’s soul, which is why I’ve largely left the approach unquestioned.

Since the beginning of the meetings, I have found time to learn the catechism, ask and have discussions about my own questions, and spend ample time in prayer in order to prepare outside of those sessions, but the group RCIA thing still phases me. Has anyone else dealt with a similar challenge in their own experience? Should I consider asking for a more personal preparation for the time leading up to Easter or just let it be?

Does every person in the class have a sponsor? If not, then they should. It it is the job of the sponsor to answer any individual questions that the Catechumen/Candidate has on a one to one basis. The person should be debating these issues with his/her sponsor. One person should not be taking the spotlight all the time.

Although RCIA is for all those “who seek truth”, there are some people who just are not ready to join RCIA. This person sounds like it. It sounds like he/she is not listening to the movement of the Spirit in their heart, but rather has an agenda that he/she has decided to put forth. The RCIA team needs to be addressing this as this is giving scandal to others who are honestly seeking truth.

As a fellow convert, I say, hang in there, keep doing what you are doing and give the RCIA team your honest feedback. Also everyone else in the class should be giving their feedback, too.
CC
[SIGN]convert since 1991![/SIGN]

 

[iwillrisenow]

Thank you all for the wonderful responses. As it turns out, due to a series of events and scheduling conflicts, the person will no longer be joining the group. Our meeting this afternoon had a completely different tone, and while we appreciated the person’s presence and (name removed by moderator)ut (it didn’t seem like it was meant to take over the group), I now have a renewed sense of hope for the months ahead. It looks like there was a plan all along…that being said, this person will definitely be in my prayers.