RCIA in your parish

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I’m curious how the RCIA program differs from parish to parish. If you care to share, and if you know, how does your parish carry out the RCIA program? Who teaches the classes? Are sponsors assigned to the people interested in joining? Are the classes followed by group discussion and then chapel prayer? How are those who joined welcomed into the community after RCIA is over?
 
No RCIA classes, priest provides private instruction as needed and then confirms candidates at a suitable opportunity.
 
I believe there are people who are certified in the parish who teach RCIA. I believe they show videos and then there is discussion. I believe there is some homework, etc.

I believe the converts are welcomed into the CC on Easter Vigil through a ceremony. The catechumens are baptized and then all of the candidates receive Holy Eucharist. About a month or so later, I believe they are confirmed.
 
Graceful_Lamb said:
I believe there are people who are certified in the parish who teach RCIA. I believe they show videos and then there is discussion. I believe there is some homework, etc.

I believe the converts are welcomed into the CC on Easter Vigil through a ceremony. The catechumens are baptized and then all of the candidates receive Holy Eucharist. About a month or so later, I believe they are confirmed.
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It’s that way in my parish.
 
The college parish I go to has two classes: one that starts in Janurary and ends in November (small class), and one that starts in September and ends after Easter (large). The Priests, Sisters from the Apostles of Interior Life, Campus Ministers, and the RCIA director herself all give talks on various subjects, starting with basic Christianity, then the Sacraments, and evangelization after the Rite of Initiation. Food is provided once a month, everyone gets one bible (NABRE study) and one catechism, both of which are blessed by one of the priests. In the classes, everyone is divided into groups with RCIA leaders. Each table generally has one new Catholic and one older, more experienced Catholic as RCIA leaders.

And that’s the Fightin’ Texas Aggie RCIA program. Whoop! 😛
 
For adults the Priest teaches the class. There were about 8 in my class and there were a few more this year. We met once a week for at least an hour, sometimes more. They gave us each two books: Catholicism for Dummies (they apologized over and over for the title but they really liked the book, it wasn’t half bad) and a large NABRE, both free of charge. If we didn’t have a sponsor they paired us up with someone. Overall it was a very positive experience compared to what I had been expecting after reading forum posts.
 
KKM said:
I’m curious how the RCIA program differs from parish to parish. If you care to share, and if you know, how does your parish carry out the RCIA program? Who teaches the classes? Are sponsors assigned to the people interested in joining? Are the classes followed by group discussion and then chapel prayer? How are those who joined welcomed into the community after RCIA is over?
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There is a period of inquiry, that roughly coincides with the beginning of the School year. In most parishes, the DRE is over the RCIA programs for adults and those for children, which are sometimes called OCIC, although they do the same Rites as the Adults, so it’s kind of a misnomer.
Then classes begin and generally are about 2 hours each Sunday, after the last Mass. If they do not already have someone suitable to sponsor them in the process, they are assigned a “friend for the journey” by the Director, which in our case, is a Deacon. We use materials from ACM. There are lectures, breaking open of the Word, small group discussion and reading assignments. People are encouraged to meet with their sponsors during the week to dig deeper into the lessons or ask questions. Everyone has a catechism and the Catholic Answer Bible.
During the Easter Vigil the various Sacraments are received, including Baptisms, Confirmations, and First Holy Communion. Not everyone is in need of all of them, some people having been baptized as infants, and merely “away” from the Church until their adulthood. Children who enter the church at this time receive all three Sacraments.
A huge reception happens, and in subsequent weeks there is a period of Mystagogia, where ministry heads come and speak about their various ministries. The class is encouraged to visit ministry meetings or gatherings and report back to the class as to when they meet, what they do, what qualifications are needed, if any so that everyone can get a feel for the various ways one can serve the parish. If one is still not comfortable, there is no pressure to “join” anything. Come to Mass, receive Eucharist, and be part of our family. I require all the teachers/leaders to be Master Catechists. Deacons, and sometimes the pastor teach if they are available. Today, our Pastor taught the lesson on Anointing of the Sick.
 
Our RCIA class meets once a week, Sunday morning after the 9:00 AM Mass for 1 1/2 hours. It is mostly taught by the priests and deacons, occasionally a layperson member of the team will give a presentation, like how to say the Rosary, or Jesus’ life as a Jew, or a personal witness. We meet from September through the Easter season, and of course Baptisms, Confirmation and first Eucharist are given at the Easter Vigil. All candidates receive a copy of the Bible, and we have extensive handouts on everything else.

Our candidates and catechumens meet together, and provide their own sponsors, although if their is someone who does not have a sponsor, a team member will sponsor. This year we have no catechumens, only candidates, so there will be none of the Rites associated with the catechumens, like the Scrutinies.

The whole process seems to fly by quickly.
 
We generally have 20-30 adults in our program and 20-30 children. The adult program is run by one of our deacons and classes are taught by our deacons, priests, trained laity and other religious. I (Asst DRE) run the children’s program and have a team of catechists that help teach the classes. Candidates are encouraged to find their own sponsors. We help them if needed. We do assign Parish Guides to help them early on.
 
Our parish’s RCIA program was very structured with the weekly class, followed by a small group meeting where they want people to open up about their thoughts on the class and ask questions. A few people who are already members of the church lead those groups of 4-5 students. They assigned sponsors, though, before knowing if people were wanting to join or not, but it was helpful for questions either way. After that class we would go to a small chapel that isn’t part of the main church, but still in the building, and it was a different type of prayer session each week. Our class was very relaxed, since our priest is very down to earth and didn’t mind any type of questions. After joining we had a get together where all the ministries were discussed, and everyone was invited to inquire about whichever one they had interest in. I actually haven’t seen anyone from my RCIA class at the mass, which is why I started my other thread about shopping for parishes. That’s another topic, though 🙂

There’s a parish in my area who barely has much of a program. The priest does the class and one parishioner shows up to unlock the door and get the chairs set up, hand out materials, etc, and at the end of that class they do a short prayer and go home. I’m not sure how it works if they decide to join, though.
 
In my current parish, the priest meets with a group of people on a regular basis. I don’t think there is any involvement from laity. He tends to be very doctrinal in his preaching, so I would guess he is in his RCIA. Parishioners would not hear who is in the program, unless some enter the Catholic Church and/or baptized on Easter vigil.

My previous parish was the opposite extreme. The priest would stop the noon Mass at one point, and announce, Now we will dismiss the catechumens, and a very public departure to an adjoining room, to study the readings. The parish bulletin would talk about the RCIA every other week, with constantly repeating “RCIA PROCESS” in the bulletin, announcements, etc. Laypeople (including me) were invited to give talks to the group at Tuesday night meetings. Pictures of the candidates were on the wall of the parish church. I suspect some liked that a lot, some maybe not.

The priest in my former parish would attend sometimes but it clearly was a lay function. The candidates would get assignments for the week, such as: “Go to the beach. Let the sand rub through your toes. Feel God’s presence, in the wind and the waves.”

One helper brought a box full of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and handed them out to the candidates. The person in charge of the program caught him doing it, collected all the books back from the candidates, and told him the candidates were not ready for that yet. But they went through the whole program, she never allowed them to get the Catechism. They were fanatic about PROCESS, not content. They regarded Catholicism as a work in progress, where each individual is on a personal journey, no real dogmas. They emphasized community, both the RCIA candidates themselves, and integrating RCIA into the parish life.

While my former parish program was mostly rotten, it had some good features that I wish my current, doctrinal pastor would incorporate, connecting RCIA to the parish community.
 
commenter said:
In my current parish, the priest meets with a group of people on a regular basis. I don’t think there is any involvement from laity. He tends to be very doctrinal in his preaching, so I would guess he is in his RCIA. Parishioners would not hear who is in the program, unless some enter the Catholic Church and/or baptized on Easter vigil.

My previous parish was the opposite extreme. The priest would stop the noon Mass at one point, and announce, Now we will dismiss the catechumens, and a very public departure to an adjoining room, to study the readings. The parish bulletin would talk about the RCIA every other week, with constantly repeating “RCIA PROCESS” in the bulletin, announcements, etc. Laypeople (including me) were invited to give talks to the group at Tuesday night meetings. Pictures of the candidates were on the wall of the parish church. I suspect some liked that a lot, some maybe not.

The priest in my former parish would attend sometimes but it clearly was a lay function. The candidates would get assignments for the week, such as: “Go to the beach. Let the sand rub through your toes. Feel God’s presence, in the wind and the waves.”

One helper brought a box full of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and handed them out to the candidates. The person in charge of the program caught him doing it, collected all the books back from the candidates, and told him the candidates were not ready for that yet. But they went through the whole program, she never allowed them to get the Catechism. They were fanatic about PROCESS, not content. They regarded Catholicism as a work in progress, where each individual is on a personal journey, no real dogmas. They emphasized community, both the RCIA candidates themselves, and integrating RCIA into the parish life.

While my former parish program was mostly rotten, it had some good features that I wish my current, doctrinal pastor would incorporate, connecting RCIA to the parish community.
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Yup. My pet peeve. Our RCIA folks think the Catechism should be given at Easter, when the classes are winding down.
\No. They need them to look up things, and basically at least know how to FRAME their questions for class. Drives me nuts.
 
pianistclare said:
Yup. My pet peeve. Our RCIA folks think the Catechism should be given at Easter, when the classes are winding down.
\No. They need them to look up things, and basically at least know how to FRAME their questions for class. Drives me nuts.
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I think the message conveyed, is “here’s a book you should keep in an honored place, safe and undisturbed; keep in in mint condition, a keepsake.”

That is how the Catechism is kept in many Religious Education offices. Honored. Not read.
 
commenter said:
I think the message conveyed, is “here’s a book you should keep in an honored place, safe and undisturbed; keep in in mint condition, a keepsake.”

That is how the Catechism is kept in many Religious Education offices. Honored. Not read.
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LOL, not in mine. We practically have it memorized!
And I require all Confirmation students to have their own copy.
I don’t know why RCIA directors thinks it’s “overwhelming”.
:confused: Odd. Our Director is not me (the DRE), but a Deacon. We’ve gone round and round about this. Our Pastor doesn’t even like the Bible edition they use, but he won’t be swayed.
We even sponsored a workshop given by the people who WROTE the program we use, and he still disagreed. 😊
 
In my Parish RCIA starts in September and ends at Pentecost. We have a variety of speakers, with two main catechists who do the majority of the presentations. Our priest attends every week. We start very informally with a description of the RCIA process, a tour of the Church and going through the missal showing people how to use them. Our evening always starts with a short prayer and finishes with a longer prayer, where we introduce different types of prayer, including but not limited to meditation with music, lectio divina, Divine Office, Rosary, etc. We cover old and new testament, God, the Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, (including the Trinity), the Saints, Our Blessed Mother, Sacraments, we spend at least one evening on each of the Sacraments, Life issues, preparation for the Rite of Election, Holy Week. We try to spend each meeting in Lent focussing on prayer, we spend one evening in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, one evening we pray the Stations of the Cross, and also during Lent we have a day retreat. We celebrate the birthdays of the Candidates and Catechumens as they occur during the year. After Easter during the period of mystagogy, our new Catholics spend some time preparing a Mass, choosing music, preparing readings, having a crash course in serving, writing intercessory prayers etc and the following week Fr celebrates Mass for the group. We then invite members of the parish groups to come and talk, telling what they do and welcoming our new Catholics to join if they so wish. We also encourage them to think about any areas of service they think might be lacking in the parish and how that lack could be rectified. Finally, on our last official meeting we celebrate at a local restaurant.
 
Fauken said:
The college parish I go to has two classes: one that starts in Janurary and ends in November (small class), and one that starts in September and ends after Easter (large). The Priests, Sisters from the Apostles of Interior Life, Campus Ministers, and the RCIA director herself all give talks on various subjects, starting with basic Christianity, then the Sacraments, and evangelization after the Rite of Initiation. Food is provided once a month, everyone gets one bible (NABRE study) and one catechism, both of which are blessed by one of the priests. In the classes, everyone is divided into groups with RCIA leaders. Each table generally has one new Catholic and one older, more experienced Catholic as RCIA leaders.

And that’s the Fightin’ Texas Aggie RCIA program. Whoop! 😛
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Should have been an Aggie 👍
 
My parish has two cycles of RCIA classes, one that is the more traditional September to Easter Vigil and the one I attended that goes from just after Easter to confirmation at Christ the King. They were 2 hours a week and were taught by a Sister (not sure if she was a nun or a religious) who was in charge of the ministry and 3 lay teachers. We had speakers come in later in the “year” who taught us specifics.

I liked starting the Year of Mercy as a newly confirmed Catholic. 🙂
 
KKM said:
I’m curious how the RCIA program differs from parish to parish. If you care to share, and if you know, how does your parish carry out the RCIA program? Who teaches the classes? Are sponsors assigned to the people interested in joining? Are the classes followed by group discussion and then chapel prayer? How are those who joined welcomed into the community after RCIA is over?
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Every parish; based on the direction of their Bishop and then the Pastors application of those directions result in HUGE differences in the RCIA Programs.

I was involved in my parish for 3 years of co-teaching: *

We issued three books:
A Bible
The Catholic Catechism
& “Unabridged Christianity” bt Fr. Mario P. Romero [AN EXCELLENT RESOURCE]

Each class had a 5 part program

1 Opening & closing prayer
2. A video [testimony usually]
3 A Q & A Time
4. A Lesson by one of the teachers [there were 4 of us] + a priest moderator & there was a full-day retreat in the last week Easter.
5. Sunday’s their was mandatory Mass and a BREAKOUT session Right after the Gospel reading; where one of the teachers would take thew class to a room in the rear of the Church and explain that day’s readings; & time permitting answer questions.

The COMMON problem to most [nearly all] RCIA programs is twofold: the quality of the teachers; and the imposed time limits.

Many smaller parishes do not necessarily have the pastors personal involvement every week,. The teachers are often chosen on the basis of their personal strong-faith-witness example; NOT necessarily there TEACHING skills or ability. And trying to actually teach our Catholic Faith because of imposed time limits: Often August to Easter.; is at best only able to offer an introduction tot eh Faith…

YES sponsors are assigned early on.
The candidates are asked to try to get their own; after being advised of the criteria for same. If they can’t come up with one; One is provided.

While each program is different; MOST are not done in the Church or chapel; and the community most often is not accessible during call-program times.

There are though Rites of Initiation involving the Mass, where the community meets and can socialize with the candidates after Mass.

After retiring & having seen the NEED for further Faith Formation; I developed a TOTALLY FREE OF ALL COST HOME STUDY COURSE as a supplement to RCIA that I make available to anyone interested in it.

No-longer time constricted I offer FAR more topics
ALL in greater depth and detail
& I STRESS proving the evidence of our Catholic Faith beliefs & practices

I also answer all Faith related questions personally. I know some folks are not too keen on asking things in a group.🙂

I’m a trained, experienced and certified Catechist [teacher] of our Catholic Faith & VERY loyal to Church teachings

Lesson are E-mailed 1 Lesson per week & no homework either… Just send me a private message if you’d like more info:)

God Bless you,
Patrick PJM} here on CAF

.*
 
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