RCIA problems... Help!

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I really don’t know which forum to post this in, but I’m noticing some serious problems in my RCIA classes, which may possibly be abuses. Some of the teachers there have a very liberal way of looking at theology, and I see some of the things that have been tought as heretical. I’m hoping that I don’t have to switch perishes again, because that caused me much trouble last time. I really want to be confirmed this Spring, but if I switch perishes, it may hinder my journey. What should I do about this? Help!
 
Josh,
Welcome to RCIA from an RCIA Coordinator!!!
  1. Matthew 18:15, “If your brother sins against you, go tell him his fault”…
  • You should approach the RCIA facilitator with your concerns and questions first. Presume that you may have misunderstood them and give them the benefit of the doubt.
  1. Matthew 18:16, “But if he does not listen, take one or two others”…
  • IF you still feel that there has been misrepresentation of authentic Church teaching then you should approach this person’s boss. In my case, I report to the Director of Faith Formation. Who does this person in your parish report to? If you’re not sure, the parish office can direct you.
  1. Matthew 18:17 “…tell it to the church…”
  • If the first two steps do not give you confidence that you are receiving the truth then take it to the parish Priest. If you do not find solace in discussing your concerns with the parish Priest then perhaps you will need to move on.
All of this should be done prayerfully and humbly. Make sure that you have not misunderstood the teaching that you have received before you proceed.

I hope this helps you. May God bless your journey abundantly.
 
deb_in_MI said:
Josh,
Welcome to RCIA from an RCIA Coordinator!!!
  1. Matthew 18:15, “If your brother sins against you, go tell him his fault”…
  • You should approach the RCIA facilitator with your concerns and questions first. Presume that you may have misunderstood them and give them the benefit of the doubt.
  1. Matthew 18:16, “But if he does not listen, take one or two others”…
  • IF you still feel that there has been misrepresentation of authentic Church teaching then you should approach this person’s boss. In my case, I report to the Director of Faith Formation. Who does this person in your parish report to? If you’re not sure, the parish office can direct you.
  1. Matthew 18:17 “…tell it to the church…”
  • If the first two steps do not give you confidence that you are receiving the truth then take it to the parish Priest. If you do not find solace in discussing your concerns with the parish Priest then perhaps you will need to move on.
All of this should be done prayerfully and humbly. Make sure that you have not misunderstood the teaching that you have received before you proceed.

I hope this helps you. May God bless your journey abundantly.
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Hi Deb. It was actually the RCIA coordinator who tought the possible heracy. Because the RCIA coordinator and the perish priest both gave me permission, I’ve been recording my RCIA classes with an audio recorder, for a friend who’s interested in learning about the Catholic Church. Therefore, I recorded exactly what happened, and the RCIA coordinator knew that she was being recorded. If you want, I can send you the part of the recording where it happened. If you want the recording, please send me a PM with your email address, and I’ll send it to you.

Also, we haven’t studied out of the Catechism once since I’ve been in RCIA, and this really bothers me. I’ve been studying the Catholic faith online extensively, because I’ve had a lot of questions. I really don’t believe that our RCIA coordinator is properly representing the Church.

I’m really concerned about switching perishes this late, because it could very well hinder my Confirmation this Spring. I would need to find a more conservative perish, and fast. Because of certain attitudes in my perish, I’m seriously doubtful that anything will be done about this. What should I do?
 
TBolt1000T said:
I really don’t know which forum to post this in, but I’m noticing some serious problems in my RCIA classes, which may possibly be abuses. Some of the teachers there have a very liberal way of looking at theology, and I see some of the things that have been tought as heretical. I’m hoping that I don’t have to switch perishes again, because that caused me much trouble last time. I really want to be confirmed this Spring, but if I switch perishes, it may hinder my journey. What should I do about this? Help!
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I went through just about the same thing, so you have my sympathy. Our team of wranglers would say things like “If women had written the Bible Eve wouldn’t have gotten such a bad rap!” Then they wasted a lot of our class time ranting about global warming.

If the abuses are truly egregious speak to your Bishop. But hang in there. You’ll soon be one of us! 👍
 
Sailor_Kenshin said:
I went through just about the same thing, so you have my sympathy. Our team of wranglers would say things like “If women had written the Bible Eve wouldn’t have gotten such a bad rap!” Then they wasted a lot of our class time ranting about global warming.

If the abuses are truly egregious speak to your Bishop. But hang in there. You’ll soon be one of us! 👍
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Yeah, I’ve heard similar talk about women in my RCIA class too, but the abuses I’m referring to have nothing to do with women. The abuses seem really bad to me, but they may not be as bad as I think. As I said to Deb, I’ve got the whole thing recorded, so if I have to go to the bishop, I can give him the recordings of my classes. I’ve been studying the Catholic faith online extensively, so I hate the prospect of having to sit through this for six months, when I already know most of what the Church really teaches, especially about matters of faith.
 
I understand where you are coming from; that’s what I ran into last year. We were “taught” from handouts, by the director of the formation of the faith and the parish priest. The conversations that we had were completely amazing to me, clearly there were issues, and it got to the point where my dh- a revert, refused to come with me. We really longed for something more orthodox, believe me.

Well almost a year ago we found a very orthodox parish, we opened dialog with the priest and the Sister who directs formation of the faith, had a meeting with both and were back on track that very week. I joined the church at Easter and have been happy ever since. I also chose to go back through RCIA this year, because I enjoyed it so much last year and I still have so much to learn.

Also, I was not the only one who joined my Parish’s RCIA class ‘late’ due to problems in other parishes in our diocese.

I don’t know if this helps, but rather than jumping into another RCIA blind. Spend your Sunday’s visiting other churches, until you find one that you are very comfortable in, not just the looks, but the priest and the people who are in the church.

Don’t quit this parish until you find one that fits you and your beliefs. Even if you complete RCIA in your current parish and join the church, you are not obligated to stay there by any means and once you find a church that is more compatible and orthodox, you can always sit in on RCIA next year to continue your formation in the faith. Remember RCIA is not just for converts but for Catholics who want a “refresher” in their faith.

Good Luck and Prayers :gopray2:
 
The only orthodox perish I know of for sure here in Louisville is St. Martin’s, but it’s about a 25 minute drive away from where I live. There may be other orthodox perishes around here, but I don’t know where they are. If anyone here knows of any orthodox perishes in the south end of Louisville, please let me know.
 
If you are not limited by gas or transportation, give it a go. I drive 30minutes to our parish, and we have members who drive farther. I always say that it is sad how many Catholic Churches we all pass in order to get to our parish. I have never regretted making the change, and believe me Sister really grilled us about the drive and if we would be committed to it.

What you could do is visit all the churches between you and that church, to see if any one of them are the least bit orthodox. Trust me when I say, the only opinion of what church will work for you, is you. I work with more Catholics than I knew and everyone said “come to my church it’s near you”, but what I saw in those churches really horrified me. Then how do you tell someone that you don’t like their church? Last year was very hard for me around here as I had to tread lightly. Of course people have never understood the lengths and distances that I will go to in order to get what I need (my sanity).
 
You haven’t said what was said in RCIA that was problematic. There’s always the possibility that your instructors are right and you are wrong. Then again, you may be right.

If your catechist says something that you believe to be wrong you can always ask for clarification. Saying something like “my understanding when I read the Catechism was ____ but that doesn’t seem to fit with what you’re saying” allows the teacher to explain further.
 
Here’s what happened in RCIA the other day. The RCIA coordinator gave us a handout with a bunch of questions. She told us that there was no right or wrong answer to the questions. One of the questions was about whether I thought that the Hebrew Scriptures would have meant anything without Jesus. I answered the question with an absolute no, and I explained that the reason I said no was because Jesus is God, and without him, there would not have been any Hebrew Scriptures to write. The RCIA coordinator then said that she didn’t agree with me. This shocked me, because in not agreeing with me, wouldn’t she have denied that Jesus is God, part of the Trinity? I haven’t played back the recording yet, but there may even be more to it than that.

Also, during our lesson about sacred Scriptures, the speaker said that the Church didn’t believe that the story of Adam and Eve was true, but I’ve found several Church documents that prove otherwise. I’m very tempted to tell everyone in the class to look at the Catechism, because if they did, they’d probably be shocked at some of the things that are being tought in class. Thanks be to God, I now have a fire for him again, which I haven’t felt the likes of in over six years, and I want to defend the truth.
 
TBolt1000T said:
Hi Deb. It was actually the RCIA coordinator who tought the possible heracy. Because the RCIA coordinator and the perish priest both gave me permission, I’ve been recording my RCIA classes with an audio recorder, for a friend who’s interested in learning about the Catholic Church. Therefore, I recorded exactly what happened, and the RCIA coordinator knew that she was being recorded.

Can you give a brief summary of what was said?

Also, to reiterate what has been said already: stay with the classes if you can while you look for a better class. Even if you are initiated through this program, you are not obligated to stay at this parish.

You could send the audio tape to your local Bishop with a cover letter explaining your concerns. Ultimately he is responsible for the formation within his jurisdiction.

Hope this helps.
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deb_in_MI said:
TBolt1000T;4332853:
Hi Deb. It was actually the RCIA coordinator who tought the possible heracy. Because the RCIA coordinator and the perish priest both gave me permission, I’ve been recording my RCIA classes with an audio recorder, for a friend who’s interested in learning about the Catholic Church. Therefore, I recorded exactly what happened, and the RCIA coordinator knew that she was being recorded.

Can you give a brief summary of what was said?

Also, to reiterate what has been said already: stay with the classes if you can while you look for a better class. Even if you are initiated through this program, you are not obligated to stay at this parish.

You could send the audio tape to your local Bishop with a cover letter explaining your concerns. Ultimately he is responsible for the formation within his jurisdiction.

Hope this helps.
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Please look at my previous post, which is the one right before yours. I explained what was said.
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Wow this is just shocking! Thank God I’m at the Parish I’m in. I teach RCIA if fact taught a class last night. I always go by the Catechism, after I give a class I ask the RCIA team and Priest or Deacon on how I did because I never want to put out any bad information.

When it comes to RCIA classes we never talk about global warming or anything like that. We teach orthodox Catholicism. We do have speakers come down from Austin which you can call the San Francisco of the west but the instructors we get from the Diocese teach what the Church teaches they’re very good a couple are liberal but they teach good Catholicism.

I’ll pray for you and your RCIA program. One thing is good is you’re on this website and here with all the tracts and CAF you’ll get the right information.

When I went to RCIA one of the things I got upset about was that the class that was given on Mary was not too informative. So after I entered the Church I asked the Deacon if I could give the class on Mary next year. I was given permission to do that and have been giving classes going on four years now.

So maybe next year you may want to give some classes and make the program better. One of the things I learned in the army was if you want to learn about a subject give a class on it.

Good luck and welcome home.
 
If what I’ve read about Our Lady of Akita is right, she was absolutely right when she said that the Devil would infiltrate theChurch. It’s happening right where I live, and it’s shocking! Please pray for the Catholic churches here in Louisville, Kentucky!
 
TBolt1000T said:
Here’s what happened in RCIA the other day. The RCIA coordinator gave us a handout with a bunch of questions. She told us that there was no right or wrong answer to the questions. One of the questions was about whether I thought that the Hebrew Scriptures would have meant anything without Jesus. I answered the question with an absolute no, and I explained that the reason I said no was because Jesus is God, and without him, there would not have been any Hebrew Scriptures to write. The RCIA coordinator then said that she didn’t agree with me. This shocked me, because in not agreeing with me, wouldn’t she have denied that Jesus is God, part of the Trinity? I haven’t played back the recording yet, but there may even be more to it than that.
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Perhaps what she meant was that the Hebrew Scriptures were important and meaningful to people long before they ever knew of Jesus. God had a Covenant with the people and the Scriptures told of the various aspects of their relationship. Your answer isn’t wrong – the whole Trinity is eternal – but hers isn’t wrong either since before the Incarnation the people didn’t know of Jesus but still lived according to the Scriptures.

Perhaps her answer wasn’t as clear as it could have been, but I think that describing it as an abuse and heresy (as you did in your first post) is going a bit far.
 
SuscipeMeDomine said:
Perhaps what she meant was that the Hebrew Scriptures were important and meaningful to people long before they ever knew of Jesus. God had a Covenant with the people and the Scriptures told of the various aspects of their relationship. Your answer isn’t wrong – the whole Trinity is eternal – but hers isn’t wrong either since before the Incarnation the people didn’t know of Jesus but still lived according to the Scriptures.

Perhaps her answer wasn’t as clear as it could have been, but I think that describing it as an abuse and heresy (as you did in your first post) is going a bit far.
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I’ll ask her exactly what she meant next week.

What do you think about the Adam and Eve thing I discussed earlier?
 
IT strikes me that the RCIA coordinator made it very clear that she was in the realm of opinion and not Church doctrine with these questions; especially since she made it clear that there were no right or wrong answers.

Hopefully more time is spent in discussing clear Church doctrine and teaching than opinion but I agree with a previous post that this isn’t heretical teaching - just poorly structured.
 
deb_in_MI said:
IT strikes me that the RCIA coordinator made it very clear that she was in the realm of opinion and not Church doctrine with these questions; especially since she made it clear that there were no right or wrong answers.

Hopefully more time is spent in discussing clear Church doctrine and teaching than opinion but I agree with a previous post that this isn’t heretical teaching - just poorly structured.
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The Adam and Eve thing wasn’t stated as an oppinion, but it was stated to have been the official teaching of the Church. I know that the other thing may have not been heretical, but the liberal way that the RCIA coordinator there teaches scares me.

I asked my sponsor the other day if we were going to be tought from the Catechism, and he actually admited to me that we wouldn’t be getting into it much. I’ve thought about it, and have done some praying, and I have decided to go on ahead and switch perishes. I’ve found out that there are only two orthodox perishes in the whole city, and they’re both downtown. Today, I called one of them, and fortunately, the RCIA coordinator there told me that it was not too late for me to sign up. I asked her, just to be sure, if her method of teaching was orthodox, and whether they used the Catechism, and she said yes. She even said that she’s heard several stories about other RCIA programs in the city, that were similar to mine. I made a reservation for a ride down there for this Tuesday.
 
TBolt,

Jesus calls us to be Salt and Light. Perhaps you cannot find a more orthodox parish right now. Consider it God’s will. The errors and willful straying from the true faith that the people teaching you are engaging in cannot invalidate the sacraments you will receive at the Easter vigil. You are in RCIA to learn, but the ultimate goal is to receive the sacraments. Don’t allow anything to stand in your way. There is always time to learn and join a more orthodox parish after you are received by the Church.

In the meantime, keep expressing your orthodox beliefs. Perhaps that is why you are called to this class at this moment in time. Maybe there is someone in the class who would be led astray by the director if they did not have you there expressing your view.

EDIT: I missed your above post where you say you can enter a different parish. Good luck.
 
Angels_Unaware said:
TBolt,

Jesus calls us to be Salt and Light. Perhaps you cannot find a more orthodox parish right now. Consider it God’s will. The errors and willful straying from the true faith that the people teaching you are engaging in cannot invalidate the sacraments you will receive at the Easter vigil. You are in RCIA to learn, but the ultimate goal is to receive the sacraments. Don’t allow anything to stand in your way. There is always time to learn and join a more orthodox parish after you are received by the Church.

In the meantime, keep expressing your orthodox beliefs. Perhaps that is why you are called to this class at this moment in time. Maybe there is someone in the class who would be led astray by the director if they did not have you there expressing your view.

EDIT: I missed your above post where you say you can enter a different parish. Good luck.
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What you said before your edit really made me think. Now I’m concerned that if I go to the other perish, some people could be led astray. What are your thoughts on this. If I switch to the other perish, should I tell people there why I’m leaving?
 
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