RCIA - making it more palatable?

[Steeevyo]

those with developmental disabilities need only to demonstrate that they know there is a difference between the Eucharist and regular bread. I’ve been Catholic for 20 years and studied it in depth for 15 years before that. I’ve only scratched the surface of “fully understanding” the Eucharist. It is a miracle, there is only so much we can understand, we won’t hit “fully” until Heaven.

Learning our faith is a lifetime process. With 2000 + years and the whole world of great theologians, mystics, teachers, one mere human can never understand.

The Father did not meet us in our parish. So far he offered a brief and friendly hello. Which is fine by me but initially I also believed that a conversation would be the first step. It seems there is a lot of discretion offered to the parishes in how they run the process.

 

[PJM]

I KNOW you’re pain:grin:

I’m a now retired trained and certified Catholic Catechist [teacher] of our beautiful Catholic Faith.

I spent my last 3 years of face to face ministry co-teaching RCIA, and know very well that at BEST, all the normal RCIA programs [Aug to Easter] can do is introduce the faith.

So after I retired I developed a TOTALLY FREE OF ALL COST home study course; with one lesson E-Mailed each week as a supplement to RCIA. … The course; BUILDING BLOCKS OF OUR CATHOLIC FAITH is now in its 8th year, and available to all, for the asking.

I also discuss all faith related questions personally and confidentially.

The Catholic Bible and I are VERY close friends:grinning:

God Bless you, please let me know if I can of help

Patrick [PJM] here on the CAF

 

[LaughingBoy1503]

I did not mean “Fully understand” in the sense that you seem to think I meant. I am well aware some things are mysteries that we will never fully understand until heaven. That is not what I meant.

As to handing someone a pamphlet… have you ever been involved with RCIA at a parish? I would not doubt for one minuet that a lot of the time that pamphlet would go unread. As much as some people want it to be, the process of initiation into The Church is a community thing. Not a “just study on your own” thing. It never has been. Since the beginning it is a church community thing. Not to mention that how would we know whether anyone even understands the pamphlet they are reading? The Church has a way of explaining things… in a way that makes it hard to understand lol. I am a RCIA Catechist. Most the candidates I have had the pleasure of knowing cant even navigate a Bible and do not know the basic Bible stories that any 8 year old protestant child knows. That is the reality of it.

 

[TheLittleLady]

Guess I have to list my bona fides?

Yes, I attended sessions in preparation for the Rites along with the unbaptized folks. My pastor would have done individual instruction, however, I honestly wanted to see what the experience was like.

Since then I have been part of the Faith Formation team that includes the classes for those seeking baptism and those seeking full communion with the Church. I have been an instruction in Faith Formation for every age group from tiny kids to adults. I’ve been on staff with a large parish for a decade and at a small parish before that. So, yeah.

ETA, volunteered for a decade before I went on staff.