RCIA is a joke!

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Learn2bCatholic said:
I am going to be starting RCIA soon and was wondering if anyone could give me a preview of what all I will be learning. I have been waiting since January for the next class and since I went to a spiritual womans retreat with the church in May have gotten even more excited about it. Will it teach me everything I need to know about being a Catholic? I have learned some things in different Bible study groups such as praying the Rosary but know I have so much more to learn.
Feel free to pm or email me anything about it.

Have a blessed day,

Amanda
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First of all congrulations on starting the RCIA process. I am sorry that you have to wait until the next sessions begin, but you sound like you have spent the time wisely in prayer, scripture and in reflection.
At first I was going to quote Paragraph 78 from the Rite book,that “The instruction that the catechumens receive be of a kind that while presenting Catholic teaching in its entirety also enlightens faith, directs the heart toward God, fosters participation in the liturgy, inspires apostolic activity and nutures a lfe completely in accord with the Spirit.”
then I realized that you might want to know about some specfics of things that should be covered ; Scripture,(Old Testamentt, New Testament), Who God is and his relationship to his people, including who is Jesus and the Holy Spirit. You should cover the Trinity, Mary and the Saints, The Creed, commandments, Sacraments, Sin, Prayer,Tradition, the Hierarchyof th Church, Infallibilty, Social Justice and Morality
Ofcourse you can begin to start your reading now. You can read the Early Church Fathers
Lives of the Saints. A book that I like to recommend to someone who is interested in RCIA is Catholicism for Dummies, written by two Priests who are frequently on EWTN and has the Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur whice basically says that the book is free of doctrinal/ moral error. I like to recommend this because it is a good resource and reference book. Of course the Catechism of the Catholic Church is also a great reference book.
I do hope this helps and good luck on your journey into the Catholic faith
 
Thank you guys so much for answering. I am really looking forward to learning all I can and I am one of those that will not be shy about asking what I need to know. LOL I will look into getting the book you mentioned Catholic for Dummys maybe this weekend.
 
jdenzler said:
I am so sad for you that you had a rotten experience. I am a returning Catholic and went through our parish RICA with Christians and those coming in for the first time. It was the most rewarding and uplifting experience of my life.
Perhaps you can help the program by getting involved. Before you do, make a list of the positives - if any and another list of the negatives and how they could be improved. Take your list to the Pastor and team and work to improve.
This could be YOUR calling after chew a mint and get rid of the bad taste.
I wish you luck and remember how much God love you and the Holy Spirit may be trying to motivate you.

God Bless You and Smile ⭕) God is watching and listening.
JoAnn
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JoAnn!! Hello to a Fellow Buckeye! Maybe we know each other???..

y parish RCIA is SUPER! Of course, I am biased since I am one of the Team Leaders…LOL

But seriously — I joined the Church via RCIA when it was a very new concept in 1983. My “class” was my parish’s second group. I learned so much and my experience was so emotional. Six years ago, I decided I wanted to work with adult converts like myself and offerred my services to the Parish Director of Religious Education (who is not a priest or nun). Our Team consists of five dedicated Catholics. We meet monthly to read and educate ourselves on current teachings and letters from the Church, as well as to discuss ways to make our program better. The most recent group of converts had several people who were in tears becasue the Program had ended for them! Our Tuesday meetings often ran over time because the people simply wouldn’t leave!!!

I and two other team member took a week-long course endorsed by our diocese to learn how to create a better RCIA. We use the approved texts to assist our “speakers” so that teachings are true to the Faith. We also have table discussion to allow every attendant have a time of Q & A and simple faith-sharing. And we have retreats…I could go on and on.

To those who have written here about RCIA groups that are …ummmmm…“less than desirable”…should be reported to the Bishop.
 
kabyr8 said:
First of all congrulations on starting the RCIA process. I am sorry that you have to wait until the next sessions begin, but you sound like you have spent the time wisely in prayer, scripture and in reflection.
At first I was going to quote Paragraph 78 from the Rite book,that “The instruction that the catechumens receive be of a kind that while presenting Catholic teaching in its entirety also enlightens faith, directs the heart toward God, fosters participation in the liturgy, inspires apostolic activity and nutures a lfe completely in accord with the Spirit.”
then I realized that you might want to know about some specfics of things that should be covered ; Scripture,(Old Testamentt, New Testament), Who God is and his relationship to his people, including who is Jesus and the Holy Spirit. You should cover the Trinity, Mary and the Saints, The Creed, commandments, Sacraments, Sin, Prayer,Tradition, the Hierarchyof th Church, Infallibilty, Social Justice and Morality
Ofcourse you can begin to start your reading now. You can read the Early Church Fathers
Lives of the Saints. A book that I like to recommend to someone who is interested in RCIA is Catholicism for Dummies, written by two Priests who are frequently on EWTN and has the Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur whice basically says that the book is free of doctrinal/ moral error. I like to recommend this because it is a good resource and reference book. Of course the Catechism of the Catholic Church is also a great reference book.
I do hope this helps and good luck on your journey into the Catholic faith
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Yep - Ditto this and better stated than I could have done. This is the type of program I have part in.
 
Razz(name removed by moderator),
My experience was very much like yours. We had 35 in my class, 15 of whom needed baptism and 15 christians most of them converts from a protestant church.

Just want to say thas RCIA is NO joke!! It is the churches method of bringing people into the church. I think it is swonderful!!!

God Bless You.
 
FatBoy said:
First of all, I personally felt more “protestantized” than catechized when going through RCIA. We transferred to 3 different RCIA classes before finally just giving in. I found myself as a protestant, defending the Catholic Church against Catholics. CRAZY! This wasn’t just one time. This was almost at every class. We heard things such as, “you don’t have to believe in purgatory; the Catholic Church is not the kingdom of Christ; all that matters is your personal relationship with Jesus, you can go to any church; Christ’s divinity is not clear in scripture; you don’t have to confess your sins to your priest, you can’t lose your salvation”. At another parish we heard things like, “you don’t have to believe Adam and Eve were real people” and “hopefully someday women will be allowed to be priests”. What a joke!

Those who are coming into full communion who have already been baptized and practicing Christians should never have to go through RCIA. I think Catholics have a bad habit of forgetting what RCIA stands for (Rite of CHRISTIAN Initiation for Adults). That’s right “Christian” not “Catholic”. If the person is already a Christian there is no reason why they should have to go through a Christian initiation.

I’m grateful that I am now in full communion; however, I really feel bad for Christian converts who continue to have to go through that ****. It took my family and I about 5 years to finally make it through simply because of all the nonsense we had to listen to.

If you are having to go through RCIA may the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
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,

This is all too common. Most parishes I have been in do not provide enough supervision/direction for their RCIA & Religious Ed as well. Therefore whoever is in charge is free to do as they please, orthodox or not. At the very minimum, inform your priest w/ a cc to the Bishop. Also volunteer to help re-vamp the program!

Pax,
Jim
 
Learn2bCatholic said:
I am going to be starting RCIA soon and was wondering if anyone could give me a preview of what all I will be learning. I have been waiting since January for the next class and since I went to a spiritual womans retreat with the church in May have gotten even more excited about it. Will it teach me everything I need to know about being a Catholic? I have learned some things in different Bible study groups such as praying the Rosary but know I have so much more to learn.
Feel free to pm or email me anything about it.

Have a blessed day,

Amanda
Click to expand...
Learn2bCatholic,
What is RCIA? It is a wondrous journey of discovery, enlightenment, and faith. RCIA is the abbreviation for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults which is a four stage process for becoming a Catholic which includes Inquiry (Period of Evangelization and Precatechumenate); the Period of the Catechumenate, the Period of Purification and Enlightenment; and, finally, the Period of Mystalogy.

You do not say if your are baptized or not…it doesn’t matter if Your RCIA team is the typical high quality team that knows the faith and follows the guidelines of the published Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. In our parish we believe we have an excellent team.

The first stage of RCIA is the Period of Inquiry and Evangelization. You will have the opportunity to investigate the Catholic Church, ask questions, hear the questions of others, learn the true teachings of the Church, and learn the value of faith. There is no obligation or pressure. You alone decide if you want to continue with the RCIA process. The entire process until the Sacraments of Initiation lasts as long as necessary for you. During that time you will see both your knowledge of the Church and your faith truly develops.

According to the published Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults several areas of the process can be and probably will be adapted for both the previously baptized and the un-baptized. Both usually need what we call catechesis… the Church wants you to know your faith and the church wants you to be sure of your faith. I think you will be when you finish. Remember that conversion never ends. Will you know “everything?” No, you will not, but you will know enough to know that the Church is the truth.
 
BigDave31 said:
Razz(name removed by moderator),
My experience was very much like yours. We had 35 in my class, 15 of whom needed baptism and 15 christians most of them converts from a protestant church.

Just want to say thas RCIA is NO joke!! It is the churches method of bringing people into the church. I think it is swonderful!!!

God Bless You.
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God Bless you, BigDave! Sounds like you really enjoyed the experience and learned a lot from it. When were you brought in?
 
FatBoy said:
First of all, I personally felt more “protestantized” than catechized when going through RCIA. We transferred to 3 different RCIA classes before finally just giving in. I found myself as a protestant, defending the Catholic Church against Catholics. CRAZY! This wasn’t just one time. This was almost at every class. We heard things such as, “you don’t have to believe in purgatory; the Catholic Church is not the kingdom of Christ; all that matters is your personal relationship with Jesus, you can go to any church; Christ’s divinity is not clear in scripture; you don’t have to confess your sins to your priest, you can’t lose your salvation”. At another parish we heard things like, “you don’t have to believe Adam and Eve were real people” and “hopefully someday women will be allowed to be priests”. What a joke!

Those who are coming into full communion who have already been baptized and practicing Christians should never have to go through RCIA. I think Catholics have a bad habit of forgetting what RCIA stands for (Rite of CHRISTIAN Initiation for Adults). That’s right “Christian” not “Catholic”. If the person is already a Christian there is no reason why they should have to go through a Christian initiation.

I’m grateful that I am now in full communion; however, I really feel bad for Christian converts who continue to have to go through that ****. It took my family and I about 5 years to finally make it through simply because of all the nonsense we had to listen to.

If you are having to go through RCIA may the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
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i AGREE TO A POINT I WENT TO ONE AS A REFRESHER COURSE AND ( opps sorry about caps) thought it was just a mess

The people might know what they are talking about but they don’t convey it to others…Not everyone is cut out to be a teacher…It depends on who is teaching it and how prepared they are and the book we had was really not very good

You are better off seeking out church approved reading on the net and listening to priests homilies

However don’t judge them all by those you have encountered there are always exceptions
 
Since this is year of the priest. & Lord knows most are overworked, let’s be mindful to pray for their needs & ability to mind their flocks & oversee all that they can so that programs like RCIA & CCD (religious ed) are conducted in line w/ Church teaching & orthodoxy… :highprayer:
 
LianneRenee said:
I respectfully disagree with your analogy. The Catholic Church is supposed to be unified in what it teaches. It would not be that difficult for one of those 1000 different committees in Rome to create an acceptable RCIA program that all bishops/priests would be told to use for the purpose of RCIA…If this were implemented properly, we wouldn’t be having this discussion—one person saying what a great experience they had and then another saying they had a horrible experience. I would also like to make clear that I am not speaking about how “creative” one church may be versus another—I am speaking solely about teachnig what in fact the Catholic Church teaches and believes.
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Yes the Catholic church is suppose to be unified but unfortunately I feel the Church has been attacked from within by the Devil. The 60, 70, and 80’s had allot of clergy and bishops try to modernize the Church to their believes (I grewup during this time so I have seen some of it) and I feel this has hurt the Church some. I also feel that the Holy Spirit is winning the battle and the church is slowly weeding out the priest and Bishops that do not support the true Catholic teachings but it will take time to correct all the misconceptions as many lay people have been taught these things and so they continue to teach them also. Look at Pelosi, Kerry, Biden and others claim to be Catholic but have very little of the true teachings in their vocabulary. Those of us who supoort the teaching of the Holy Father need to get involved and let these others know (Kindly but firmly) that we will not allow these false teachings. I would keep writing letter until I got high enough that some one would listen and check it out. You write enough letters they will check it out esp if you can get others to write also. God Bless and good luck and I am sorry you had such a bad experience. I may go to our RCIA get to see what we teach in our parish to make sure.
 
The RCIA is far too slow.

Jesus lover of souls, wants a big harvest. It takes good nets.

If a man obeys Jesus and the Father and is led by the Spirit, and as the Pope prayed experiences a “new Pentecost” and like Peter goes to speak and harvest, convert thousands a day, then must they spend a year in the RCIA before they are called Christians? And what happens to the speaker’s conscience, and being led by the Spirit? When the tradition and philosophy requires not an afternoon of baptisms as in Acts with Peter, but one year?

Led by the mind and philosopher or led by the Spirit?

Receiving in the heart, the hope of glory, Christ, in a night, or learning the philosophy for self effort?

Jesus passion and bottom line, souls, numbers, receiving Him and being sanctified, how can you serve God, be led by the Spirit, keep a clear conscience and practice the RCIA?

Peter, Paul, and Apollos did it a different Way. The old Way.

There are seriously five billion people out there who need Christ. Jesus died for any one of them, and He wants them to know Him and needs us as His feet, hands and tongues. Later for the same the fresh harvest are His servants.
 
Seems like you incredibly unlucky and found yourself in some pretty terrible RCIA classes. I was blessed to have a very wonderful RCIA class that pretty much settled the remaining doubts I had.

My suggestion is you talk to the priest about it, and if he won’t do anything, then call your Archbishop and inform him that people are being taught bad theology. Perhaps he can do something about it (though I know Archbishops are incredibly busy so you would probably have to leave a message or something).
 
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