RCIA - lead this year or not?

[Bruised_Reed]

I hope y’all can stand another RCIA question. I didn’t want to hijack any of the other threads. So here goes…

Last year I signed up and was one of the leaders for RCIA. We worked in teams of of two. My partner and I were assigned 3 topics on the schedule (see here where I ask the forum for help). The resource that we given was Come and See using Catholic updates (see this thread for my observations on it). We did use it but when my partner and I worked on out presentations we looked at other resourses primarily the Catechism. For the last of our sessions I was told (by Sister) my partner would be doing it by herself to give me a break since I had done so much work with the others. People, I will not lie to you, I was hurt, especially since I had begun gathering resources to share with my co-leader.

I recently got a letter from Sister about RCIA this year thanking me for last year and asking me to prayerfully discern for this year.

I really don’t know if I should. My blood pressure shot up when I had RCIA last year and don’t know if I can keep my cool this year if I do it. On one hand I think there is an responsibility to defend the faith so to speak but what kind of witness am I if I seem to contradict the other facilitators?

Your thoughts, please?

 

[puzzleannie]

ask if the RCIA team, the director (sister I assume) and the pastor can meet. ask point blank if the intent of the pastor is that orthodox Catholic teaching is presented in these sessions. If it is not, state your intention to leave the parish, and to inform the bishop of your reason. I am not kidding. Christ had a word for those who deliberately mislead the innocent, including sincere inquirers who come to the parish for information and teaching on becoming Catholic. His word was pretty dire.

 

[Brian_C]

Amen! While mostly orthodox, I was left questioning some of the comments made at various times during my RCIA. I accumulated a wealth of books and texts (and had good discussion here) and realized when some of our presenters were softening Catholic teaching a bit. What’s sad was those who just took literal and official the words spoken b/c they didn’t know better. Or…those who might have been confused after reading a slightly different take on a topic from a more orthodox source. As I said, this happened rarely, but when it did…

I was more saddened by presenters who gave a rather liberally biased interpretation of Church posistions of topics. Given many of our converts are former southern baptist or other conservative evangelical denoms, it could have been seriously damaging, If they perceive the Church to be way more liberal than their former denom right off the bat…well, that could be one less inquirer/candidate.

So yes, please stay involved and please take a stand for orthodoxy!

 

[Bruised_Reed]

ask if the RCIA team, the director (sister I assume) and the pastor can meet. ask point blank if the intent of the pastor is that orthodox Catholic teaching is presented in these sessions. If it is not, state your intention to leave the parish, and to inform the bishop of your reason. I am not kidding. Christ had a word for those who deliberately mislead the innocent, including sincere inquirers who come to the parish for information and teaching on becoming Catholic. His word was pretty dire.

I wish this was a possibility. First off, I’ve already had runs ins with both Sister and the pastor. A few years ago when the diosesan liturgist (I know) came to our parish I asked her some direct questions about some of the practices and made a comment of the lack of catechesis over the years; when she took it personally the pastor more or less defended for her. And about a year ago I asked Sister about the possibility of having the Lamb of God in Latin (it would be too difficult to learn) or maybe a series on the Theology of the Body (we try to respond to what the parishoners ask for; I asked how can they ask for it if they’ve never heard of it?) The Bishop wrote, in tandem with another bishop (nearby diocese), some letter promoting the ordination of women (last time I tried to find it the letter isn’t there, just a vague reference to it, the local bishop may have backed off form that stance).

I already “left” the parish a few years ago because of less direct problems (sisters giving homilies, appearing to con-celebrate) but the next diocese over is 60 miles away and I can’t afford to drive that far anymore. Sister did helpfully suggest moving when we talked way back.

I think all of them think they are teaching the correct thing from the Bishop on down.

I’m already seen as a freak and a troublemaker even though I haven’t done anything incorrect or hostile, just orthordox and passionate.

Spelling it out like that, I see the excersize in futility that it is.

 

[Brian_C]

How horrible!

 

[Pug]

Given your previous run-ins, maybe it is a positive thing that they have let you work on the RCIA team. I know, sometimes I can be overly positive.

Normally I would say to skip it if you are going to be stressed. The catechumens will pick up on your stress, to name one simple side effect of staying. But someone needs to do what is right, and it could be you who are called. Perhaps there is a reason you have been placed in this isolated community. You need to do lots of praying! If you do it, though, find a way to do it in peace.

If they require you to say anying unorthodox to the catechumens, I’d bail. If you only have to deal with stupid materials that you need to alter before use or to compensate by making your own…eh, I’d stay.

But, you know, I rather agree with puzzleannie. If you know they are teaching stuff like the virgin birth is a myth and that the resurrection is just some spiritual thing in the other sessions when you are not there…I’d run. (after making suitable complaint up through all the channels).