RCIA is it fixed in stone?

[Tradman_Pgh]

I have heard it takes about a year and a half for candidates for full communion into the Catholic Church, is this pretty much a fixed period of time, that those seeking Confirmation at Easter 2006 should be in the program by October at the latest?

I had been in Confirmation classes already, although they were in the traditional chapel whose confirmation and confession aren’t recognized by the mainstream Catholic church. Is there any “credit” for that kind of training, or is the year and a half set in stone?

 

[LaSalle]

Tradman_Pgh:

I have heard it takes about a year and a half for candidates for full communion into the Catholic Church, is this pretty much a fixed period of time, that those seeking Confirmation at Easter 2006 should be in the program by October at the latest?

I had been in Confirmation classes already, although they were in the traditional chapel whose confirmation and confession aren’t recognized by the mainstream Catholic church. Is there any “credit” for that kind of training, or is the year and a half set in stone?

Nope. As long as everything is covered.(we’ve been around for 2000 years - there’s lots to cover) It can range from about 9 months to 1.5 years.

 

[Sola]

I don’t know about Pittsburgh, but in the Oregon and Washington dioceses, the RCIA program is basically nine months, usually beginning in September or October and culminating at the Easter vigil.

I don’t know what the second part of your question means (“traditional chapel” not recognized by the Church?) so I can’t address that.

 

[Forgiven]

I don’t believe RCIA takes a year and a half to complete. In the Seattle, WA Archdiocese a candidate enters in September and is Baptized and Confirmed at the following Easter Vigil, so the whole thing lasts 7 or 8 months at most.

I don’t believe that the time you spent in other areas previously will alter the course of any RCIA program, but I would speak with a priest about it nonetheless. RCIA is well worth it. Even though I was already Baptized I still took the RCIA classes because I had never received any previous Catechism, and I had an awesome experience. I learned so much about my faith that I didn’t even know. The priests and the laity were fantastic. I strongly recommend it for anyone, even for ‘reverts’ like me!

 

[asmithc]

I am in Pittsburgh. My wife went through RCIA last year and was received into the church this past easter. We started classes in August 03 and was confirmed and received the Eucharist on Easter Vigil 04. My wife was baptized lutheran as a baby so she did not get baptized on Easter Vigil. We still get together once a month until Easter 05.

 

[dream_wanderer]

My RICA started in September of last year. We were confirmed at Easter and the class ended in May. It followed the school year basically. It was only nine months. I had already been baptized (as a Baptist) but I am SO glad I took this class. I would have been lost without it.

dream wanderer

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Tradman_Pgh:

I have heard it takes about a year and a half for candidates for full communion into the Catholic Church, is this pretty much a fixed period of time, that those seeking Confirmation at Easter 2006 should be in the program by October at the latest?

I had been in Confirmation classes already, although they were in the traditional chapel whose confirmation and confession aren’t recognized by the mainstream Catholic church. Is there any “credit” for that kind of training, or is the year and a half set in stone?

Whoever told you this is wrong. RCIA takes at least One liturgical year for a Catechumen (a non-Baptized adult) and they normally cannot be Baptized except at the Easter Vigil. (with some exceptions)

For a Baptized Candidate seeking full communion the process could take anywhere from a few months (2-4) to a full year. Candidates can be received into full communion at almost any time during the liturgical year.

I should also add that RCIA is the expected “Norm” in all parishes of the US.

 

[IPTgrad]

FYI:

The national statues call for those who have not been baptized (catechumens) to be in the RCIA process for a full year, from the first rite to full initiation, “Ordinarily this period should go from at least the Easter season of one year until the next; preferably it should begin before Lent in one year and extend until Easter of the following year.” (National Statutes for the Catechumenate # 6)

An abbreviated catechumenate may be permitted by a particular bishop, “only in individual and exceptional cases… (and) should always be as limited as possible.” (#20)

Those who have already been baptized & who are living active Christian lives, “should not be asked to undergo a full program parallel to the catechumenate.” (#31) If, however, a person was baptized but not catechized or living his Christian faith, the process will be more similar to that for the catechumen (including the length.)

We have a year-round program & occasionally have people with us for up to two years, but usually a year is about right to accomplish catechesis, developing a life of prayer, a sense and practice of liturgical life, and active apostolic service (as called for in the Rite of Christian Initiation #75.)

 

[bob]

I have been helping out for two years in two RCIA programs and sat in with a Protestant convert on a one-to-one teaching by a priest.

My main grouses with the RCIA program(s) are:

1. When Peter spoke after Pentecost, 3000 people were converted that same day. So why do we really need to make enquirers go through 1.5 years? Why can’t we get them baptise after a short basic course and then “fill in the details” later?

I have heard arguments about the need for good grounding but there are some people who have problems keeping a regular schedule for classes and we tend to loose them.

1. The four different priests seem have different agenda and emphasis on what is needed. I have yet to see a definitive list of the RCIA topic requirements i.e. what must be accomplished.

Every priest in every parish “does his own thing”

My proposal for a unifed teaching programme was rebuffed.

Also teaching skills can inspire or kill the interest of some enquirers. One enquirer, actually a whole family, pulled out of a course before they were bored to tears. Fortunately, they managed to join another RCIA group and were eventually baptised.

Anyone else experienced the same thing?

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I have been involved in seven parish RCIA processes in five different diocese in one way or another. I have spoken with hundreds of people who have participated in one way or another. No parish has it perfectly implemented, some better than other however. What we are doing in RCIA follows what the Church shortly after the Apostles did. however in the early Church it took sometimes 3 or 4 years and one had to prove that they really have converted to Christ, sometimes with their lives. We don’t require that today.Priests can’t do their own thing and Bishops must control the process. The US Bishops published about 15 years ago a document indentfying the content of Catechetical programs and their subjects. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a good starting point.

 

[IPTgrad]

1. When Peter spoke after Pentecost, 3000 people were converted that same day. So why do we really need to make enquirers go through 1.5 years? Why can’t we get them baptise after a short basic course and then “fill in the details” later?

One reason we don’t just baptize after a short time & then fill in the details later is that the act of becoming fully initiated as a Catholic is a huge decision for a person to make. The decision entails many privileges and many responsibilities that are not immediately apparent. It is not prudent or charitable to quickly baptize people who have reached the age of reason without giving them the freedom to fully understand what they are choosing. Parents have the right to choose baptism for their young children, because it is their privilege to make good decisions for the child; they also have the responsibility to raise the child in the faith & to ensure all the other things that RCIA is supposed to ensure: that the person is living a prayerful life, is active in the faith, is worshipping with the community, is actively serving others as Christ served.

The person who has entered into the RCIA process & who has participated in the first rite already has certain rights in the Church (Christian matrimonial & burial… RCIA #47.) If such person were to die, he is protected by their sincere desire to enter the Church, their “baptism of desire.”

I know the RCIA process is not fully implemented in many parishes, but it is a fine program with great stimulation to the entire community, when it is implemented as a gradual faith journey of individuals, supported by the community & not as a minimalistic program to attend.

 

[watergirl]

I also went through RCIA in the Baltimore Archdiocese. IT ran September through Easter. I loved it so much I became a sponsor, and now I am a team member. I learn something new every year.

 

[system]

Should it really take that long (9 months to a year or even more) to get folks into the Church? I can’t imagine most people needing that much time. Shows like EWTN’s “Journey Home” profile minister-converts who talk about a years-long process with lots of detailed analysis. But the typical person shouldn’t need anything like that at all. I would think the fundamentals of the faith could be taught in a handful of class sessions.

 

[newby]

I teach in the RCIA program in the Indianapolis Archdiocies (sp?) and our program runs from late August to the following Easter vigil. We then continue for 6 weeks to continue to build community with the new converts. There are special exceptions for people who have say been married to a Catholic and have gone to mass for several years, raised their children Catholic, etc. They usually know more about the church than other converts and only need to make sure that they agree with all requirements of the faith to be brought in. If fact my wife is going to have such a “RCIA lite” this year. Our pastor expects it to be around a month or so. Hope this helps

God Bless you,

Newby

 

[bob]

Br. Rich SFO & IPTGrad,

Surely Peter & the Apostles continued with their teaching of the first 3000 converts after their baptism?

I know it is a difficult choice between making sure that a person is sincere in conversion versus giving him a short course & quick baptism.

After all we can all baptise a person on point of imminent death on the basis of his desire for conversion. Can we be sure that he is sincere or that he just wants to cover his bases? So I do not see a problem with a quick baptism with follow ups.

Arguably, we may loose more of these express converts but if we diligently follow up with continual classes and allow them the flexibility of timing, it should be good enough.

We probably loose even more cradle Catholics than we would loose these express enquirers.

I know of a case where an enquirer was making a difficult decision on whether to be a Catholic or Protestant. After some months of attending both churches, she chose to be a Protestant saying that it took too long to be a Catholic. Flimsy excuse, one might say, but she had the desire not the time…

I can safely say that all of us Catholics on this forum are still learning about the Catholic faith.

How many Catholics have read the Bible or Catholic Cathechism from cover to cover?

Can/should we expect enquirers to know everything before they get baptised?

God Bless

 

[mlouise007]

Is there a web site where the text of the U.S. Conference of Bishops, National Statues for the Catechumenate is available? I haven’t been able to find it anywhere, including on usccb.org
Paz- Marylouise

 

[puzzleannie]

I have heard it takes about a year and a half for candidates for full communion into the Catholic Church, is this pretty much a fixed period of time, that those seeking Confirmation at Easter 2006 should be in the program by October at the latest?

I had been in Confirmation classes already, although they were in the traditional chapel whose confirmation and confession aren’t recognized by the mainstream Catholic church. Is there any “credit” for that kind of training, or is the year and a half set in stone?

what is fixed in stone, or in other words, what the RCIA provides for in the ritual book, is that after a period of inquiry called the pre-catechumate, of no fixed time period, the Rite of Acceptance into the Catechumenate begins the formal preparation for initiation of the unbaptized and must take not less than one full year from Easter, or even Lent of the first year, to Lent of the following year, when the catechumens are called in the Rite of Election at the beginning of Lent, which is the period of Purification and Enlightenment, immediate preparation for the Easter sacraments. If the parish is on a school year model and takes a 3-5 month break, that should be even longer. The model is supposed to cover an entire liturgical year cycle. It can take much longer, depending on the individual, and what drives the length is the progress of the conversion process, not necessarily the doctrinal formation.

the preparation for the baptized to be received into full communion should include catechesis enough to enable them to make an informed profession of faith and to prepare for the sacraments, to know what they promise and undertake in the practice of Catholic life. The time depends on the person, their previous catechesis, their spiritual condition and other personal factors. They may be received into the Church whenever the pastor and those preparing them judge they are ready.

your 2nd paragraph I don’t understand. what are you asking? if you mean you are a baptized Catholic who has already received some catechesis for confirmation, you need merely complete whatever preparation is prescribed by your bishop, for confirmation when he designates.

 

[jmcrae]

Should it really take that long (9 months to a year or even more) to get folks into the Church? I can’t imagine most people needing that much time. Shows like EWTN’s “Journey Home” profile minister-converts who talk about a years-long process with lots of detailed analysis. But the typical person shouldn’t need anything like that at all. I would think the fundamentals of the faith could be taught in a handful of class sessions.

It’s not just the learning of a set of facts. The person has to change over his or her whole lifestyle and learn to live as a Catholic, after having spent most of their lives living as something else.

Developing the Sunday Mass habit takes a while; so does learning to live without one’s live-in lover.

 

[puzzleannie]

Should it really take that long (9 months to a year or even more) to get folks into the Church? I can’t imagine most people needing that much time. Shows like EWTN’s “Journey Home” profile minister-converts who talk about a years-long process with lots of detailed analysis. But the typical person shouldn’t need anything like that at all. I would think the fundamentals of the faith could be taught in a handful of class sessions.

yes it should for the unbaptized, because that is what the Church in her wisdom and 2000 years of experience has ordained.

the ministers on Journey Home are already baptized. not the same thing. apples and oranges.

no conversion of life does not happen in a handful of classes. if that were the case, RCIA could be done on-line and the sacraments phoned in.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I have heard it takes about a year and a half for candidates for full communion into the Catholic Church, is this pretty much a fixed period of time, that those seeking Confirmation at Easter 2006 should be in the program by October at the latest?

I had been in Confirmation classes already, although they were in the traditional chapel whose confirmation and confession aren’t recognized by the mainstream Catholic church. Is there any “credit” for that kind of training, or is the year and a half set in stone?

**CANDIDATES, **meaning those who’s Baptism has already been verified as valid, will spend usually from 4 to 8 weeks in Inquiry. (usually while their Baptism and Marriage situations is looked into). Then they go through the Rite of Welcome. Then they spend anywhere between 4 to 12 months, depending on their individual background, their understanding of Christianity in general and their understanding of Catholic faith and practice. They may be received at any time during the year when they, their Sponsor and the Pastor determines that they are ready. The Pastor will obtain permission from the Bishop to receive them into the Catholic Church and Confirm them. NO, they do not have to wait for the entire group, or for the Easter Vigil.