RCIA: I have a confession

[CWBetts]

Does your RCIA use printed materials? If not, Ligouri Publications puts out a really good RCIA package.

 

[Texas_Roofer]

The rest of the story: Here.

Paul

Paul
Being Catholic is about a way of life not a local Priest or a too charismatic/orthodox time in the parish. Over the 1900 plus years of church parishes, I am sure practices varied a great deal. The religion does not vary. If you can mentally separate the local practice verses the religion the problems may go away. Additionally it is important to realize that no Priest lasts 1900 plus years. You should expect to have a dozen Priests during your Catholic life.

 

[T700]

Paul
Being Catholic is about a way of life not a local Priest or a too charismatic/orthodox time in the parish. Over the 1900 plus years of church parishes, I am sure practices varied a great deal. The religion does not vary. If you can mentally separate the local practice verses the religion the problems may go away. Additionally it is important to realize that no Priest lasts 1900 plus years. You should expect to have a dozen Priests during your Catholic life.

I agree with you, but I am not comfortable receiving the sacrament of reconciliation from a priest who may discuss it in a group setting. Additionally, if there are other parishes that more closely match the sense of worship I am comfortable with, why not seek them out?

Paul

 

[Texas_Roofer]

I agree with you, but I am not comfortable receiving the sacrament of reconciliation from a priest who may discuss it in a group setting. Additionally, if there are other parishes that more closely match the sense of worship I am comfortable with, why not seek them out?

Paul

Sacraments are installments of grace by the Holy Spirit, the attending Priest is only a messenger acting Christ Persona. The religion brings you in not the Priest. You control your fate not the Priest or the events which happen during your life. A Priest/Parish you differ with is just another event in your life. To walk away from the Church because you do not like the Priest/Parish is to reject the religion.

 

[Bonnie]

I agree with you, but I am not comfortable receiving the sacrament of reconciliation from a priest who may discuss it in a group setting.

You can receive the sacrament from another priest. I was too nervous to go to the priest who taught me & wanted anonymity, so I went to the downtown chapel.

We had a priest for a few years who had little regard for the sacraments, so I rarely went to confession to him, & then only behind the screen. I wasn’t taking any chances!

 

[CWBetts]

You can receive the sacrament from another priest. I was too nervous to go to the priest who taught me & wanted anonymity, so I went to the downtown chapel.

We had a priest for a few years who had little regard for the sacraments, so I rarely went to confession to him, & then only behind the screen. I wasn’t taking any chances!

I want to invite everyine toi come to my parish!!! We don’t seem to have the problems I am reading about here!

 

[T700]

Sacraments are installments of grace by the Holy Spirit, the attending Priest is only a messenger acting Christ Persona. The religion brings you in not the Priest. You control your fate not the Priest or the events which happen during your life. A Priest/Parish you differ with is just another event in your life. To walk away from the Church because you do not like the Priest/Parish is to reject the religion.

*My attending another parish is walking away from the Church and rejecting “the religion”? * I understand that I don’t control other people or my fate, but why would you have a problem with my deciding to pursue conversion through another parish where I will feel more comfortable?

Paul

Paul

 

[Texas_Roofer]

My attending another parish is walking away from the Church? I understand that I don’t control other people or my fate, but why would you have a problem with my deciding to pursue conversion through another parish where I will feel more comfortable?

Paul

You did not write you transferred you wrote “Looks like I won’t be taking a dip in the Tiber in 2009. I officially withdrew from the RCIA program on Wednesday.” We have had 4 Priest assigned to our Parish in ~4 years. Additionally loads of fill in Priests and a few temporaries. I really liked the first Priest ( the parish ran him off) Then Father John asked to come out of retirement to be our Priest, I really liked him, the parish administration discouraged it. Our current Priest wants out, I do not blame him. It is not a good fit. His original assistant Priest basically quit and went home. Meanwhile we have all stayed catholic, not always the happiest Catholics but Catholics. I am simply encouraging the same for you.

 

[T700]

You did not write you transferred you wrote “Looks like I won’t be taking a dip in the Tiber in 2009. I officially withdrew from the RCIA program on Wednesday.” We have had 4 Priest assigned to our Parish in ~4 years. Additionally loads of fill in Priests and a few temporaries. I really liked the first Priest ( the parish ran him off) Then Father John asked to come out of retirement to be our Priest, I really liked him, the parish administration discouraged it. Our current Priest wants out, I do not blame him. It is not a good fit. His original assistant Priest basically quit and went home. Meanwhile we have all stayed catholic, not always the happiest Catholics but Catholics. I am simply encouraging the same for you.

You seemed to have missed the final paragraph of the posting of mine that you quoted: “Anyway, my annulment continues to process and we’re off to find a more traditional congregation. Doesn’t have to be TLM, but I’d at least like something faithful to the teachings of Holy Mother Church.”

Paul

 

[Texas_Roofer]

You seemed to have missed the final paragraph of the posting of mine that you quoted: “Anyway, my annulment continues to process and we’re off to find a more traditional congregation. Doesn’t have to be TLM, but I’d at least like something faithful to the teachings of Holy Mother Church.”

Paul

Paul it is difficult to believe the parish is so bad to not be “faithful to the teachings of Holy Mother Church” nor that the Priest and the Bishop (Whom oversee him) could be so bad that RCIA candidates are correcting them. Also an annulment though important is not a reason to withdraw from RCIA ( or a parish)

 

[T700]

Paul it is difficult to believe the parish is so bad to not be “faithful to the teachings of Holy Mother Church” nor that the Priest and the Bishop (Whom oversee him) could be so bad that RCIA candidates are correcting them. Also an annulment though important is not a reason to withdraw from RCIA ( or a parish)

Fortunately, my future is not in your hands, as you and I differ on certain fundamentals. You may want to read the thread again and see if there were any disturbing things taught. If not, perhaps my understanding of Catholic theology is fatally flawed. As for my correcting the priest and bishop, where did you read that? I attended a protestant seminary and have studied the church fathers and read quite a bit of Catholic theology, but I am in no way competent to correct Catholic clerics–nor did I. Please let me know where I posted that so I can correct it.

I appreciate your comments, but I think we will just have to disagree on my decision to seek another Catholic parish.

By the way, you might reread the thread. My annulment in progress was one of the things making reluctant to change. It was not a factor in driving my decision to go to another Catholic church.

Paul

 

[Texas_Roofer]

Fortunately, my future is not in your hands, as you and I differ on certain fundamentals. You may want to read the thread again and see if there were any disturbing things taught. If not, perhaps my understanding of Catholic theology is fatally flawed.

Sacraments are installments of grace by the Holy Spirit, … **You control your fate **…

As for my correcting the priest and bishop, where did you read that? I attended a protestant seminary and have studied the church fathers and read quite a bit of Catholic theology, but I am in no way competent to correct Catholic clerics–nor did I. Please let me know where I posted that so I can correct it.

well in post 1 you wrote
***"3. Factual errors. No, the senate of the United States never “voted that Mary is the protectoress of the country”. No, the constitution of the United States does not say, “The US shall forever remain a Christian nation.”

1. Doctrinal errors. Things that clearly contradict the CCC. For example, “To get to heaven, just be good and hope that God is happy with you.” ***
   Then there was
   [1] ***The pebble that tipped the balance came last Monday. One of the priests was talking with the RCIA group. He told us that if people refrained from sex outside of marriage, that they would receive, “extra blessings” and that it wasn’t really, “that big a deal,” and “not that it was his place to tell us what to do.” [2]He then proceeded to speak to one of the women in the group and say, “Just like I told you in your confession at the retreat.”
   At that point, I was seized with a intense desire to [3]punch him. Luckily for both of us, good sense weighed in and I didn’t. Even now typing this, I just want to grab him and…well, you get the picture.

[4]Why am I so angry? ***

I appreciate your comments, but I think we will just have to disagree on my decision to seek another Catholic parish.

By the way, you might reread the thread. My annulment in progress was one of the things making reluctant to change. It was not a factor in driving my decision to go to another Catholic church.

Paul

Paul if you chose to transfer to another parish that is a small issue. if you withdrew rather than transfer that is a problem. Later if you chose to stay you will learn we are not Protestents, we do not follow the man at the pulpit*, we follow the Holy Spirit. It is the same spirit and same Church at the other parish.

• many protestants acknowledge a difference in the religion and the pastor.

 

[jmcrae]

Paul if you chose to transfer to another parish that is a small issue. if you withdrew rather than transfer that is a problem.

Good point - if you transferred, then you got credit for all of the RCIA that you have done up to this point, but if you actually quit, then you will have to start over from the beginning again.

RCIA leaders understand about a parish not being a good fit. When I was running an Inquiry program, I transferred people for all kinds of reasons, including that my approach was too conservative for their tastes - I simply recommended them to a more liberal parish and sent their documentation over to the other parish - no big deal.

 

[Mike_Dye]

I am sorry your RCIA program is not what it should be. I would bring my concerns to the pastor. It sounds to me that you are capable of learning the Faith on your own with no problem, but I would still complain for the sake of others in your group and those to follow in coming years.
I teach most of our classes and really take my responsibility seriously. It is just too important not to.

 

[Texas_Roofer]

…
3. Factual errors. No, the senate of the United States never “voted that Mary is the protectoress of the country”. No, the constitution of the United States does not say, “The US shall forever remain a Christian nation.”
…

Just FYI what is being referenced is US Supreme Court Ruling :

CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRINITY v. U.S. Feb. 29, 1892

[excerpts] " *These and many other matters which might be noticed, add a volume of unofficial declarations to the mass of organic utterances that this is a Christian nation."

“Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the teachings of the Redeemer of mankind. It is impossible that it should be otherwise; and in this sense and to this extent our civilization and our institutions are emphatically Christian.”

Quoted 87 precedents in a 16 page document*

eadshome.com/supremecourt.htm

 

[anjoh66]

Hi all!

I am also going through some kind of RCIA but as my parish is not a big one but rather small it could be said i am the only student, so the priest is giving me books to read and that is followed up by personal talks between me and him.

Is that common in small parishes?

He could have sent me to clases in another parish not so far away but he said that i have already basic knowledge so he will himself prepare me for the baptism.

Anyhow for me it is a good solution, it is less tensed to not be in a class and maybe refrain from asking some questions while on the other hand i do not have the opportunity to share others experiences or questions.

What do you think about this concept, i dont think its very common?
Anders

 

[Texas_Roofer]

Hi all!

I am also going through some kind of RCIA but as my parish is not a big one but rather small it could be said i am the only student, so the priest is giving me books to read and that is followed up by personal talks between me and him.

Is that common in small parishes?

He could have sent me to clases in another parish not so far away but he said that i have already basic knowledge so he will himself prepare me for the baptism.

Anyhow for me it is a good solution, it is less tensed to not be in a class and maybe refrain from asking some questions while on the other hand i do not have the opportunity to share others experiences or questions.

What do you think about this concept, i dont think its very common?
Anders

It is uncommon it that there is such a Priest shortage few Priest can do this method. In many ways it is a better experience than classes. It was once a more common method. Our parish can rarely get a Priest to visit the RCIA group even once per year ( which is sad :sad_yes: )

 

[CWBetts]

It is uncommon it that there is such a Priest shortage few Priest can do this method. In many ways it is a better experience than classes. It was once a more common method. Our parish can rarely get a Priest to visit the RCIA group even once per year ( which is sad :sad_yes: )

Our Prist is at RCIA virtually every week