RCIA ranting!!!

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amycorazon

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Hey everybody,
I just need to vent about RCIA. I have been in the class since last January *2006, due to be confirmed in April 2007. My rant is that since I have been reading articles on catholic.com and have read about the teachings of the Catholic Church on other reputable websites, I have come to the realization that much of what is taught in my RCIA class is misleading at best and at worst, pure ERROR. I don’t know what to do since I am always trying to be respectful of our teachers and I genuinely like and admire them for their hours and hours of service, but at times I feel that their judgement is clouded by their clearly left-leaning ideological agenda. I am a former Episcopalian and sometimes I think that these people would be better off if they become Episcopalians themselves rather than trying to destroy what is good and true in the Catholic church. I have many many examples of the errors I have witnessed–regarding priestly blessings, invalid marriage, receiving holy eucharist worthily, why confession is necessary, etc etc. etc.
Ok just wanted to vent a little bit. Please pray for me and my husband.
Amy
 
amycorazon said:
Hey everybody,
I just need to vent about RCIA. I have been in the class since last January *2006, due to be confirmed in April 2007. My rant is that since I have been reading articles on catholic.com and have read about the teachings of the Catholic Church on other reputable websites, I have come to the realization that much of what is taught in my RCIA class is misleading at best and at worst, pure ERROR. I don’t know what to do since I am always trying to be respectful of our teachers and I genuinely like and admire them for their hours and hours of service, but at times I feel that their judgement is clouded by their clearly left-leaning ideological agenda. I am a former Episcopalian and sometimes I think that these people would be better off if they become Episcopalians themselves rather than trying to destroy what is good and true in the Catholic church. I have many many examples of the errors I have witnessed–regarding priestly blessings, invalid marriage, receiving holy eucharist worthily, why confession is necessary, etc etc. etc.
Ok just wanted to vent a little bit. Please pray for me and my husband.
Amy
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Your response to this is very refreshing. Istead of being scandalized by this and associating these RCIA volunteers with what the actual Church teaches, you have a realistic and solid outlook.
We need more recent converts to be taeching RCIA classes.
I say this as a cradle-Catholic. Becuase converts, like St.Paul are enthusiastic believers who are convinced by the truth of the Churches teachings. They can explain why they developed this conviction etc.
You should volunteer-becuase I think you would do a better job.
 
I had the same problem 20 years ago, sadly it hasn’t changed much in many parishes. I definitely felt I was more Catholic than those running RCIA! They even told me I’d make a great woman priest! LOL! I just ignored the things I knew were wrong and forged ahead because I knew and still know that the Church isn’t RCIA nor is it the opinions of “facilitators” or individual priests and nuns. I just went through the program with as little fuss as possible, although I did stand up against the very left leaning attitudes that all rich people are automatically bad, etc. They talked a lot about the poor there, but I saw very little being done by the parish to actually help the poor. Anyway, only you can decide how much nonsense is too much before speaking up. If it really gets unbearable, seek out a more orthodox parish and transfer there. You and your husband have my sympathies and my prayers. 🙂
 
amycorazon said:
Hey everybody,
I just need to vent about RCIA. I have been in the class since last January *2006, due to be confirmed in April 2007. My rant is that since I have been reading articles on catholic.com and have read about the teachings of the Catholic Church on other reputable websites, I have come to the realization that much of what is taught in my RCIA class is misleading at best and at worst, pure ERROR. I don’t know what to do since I am always trying to be respectful of our teachers and I genuinely like and admire them for their hours and hours of service, but at times I feel that their judgement is clouded by their clearly left-leaning ideological agenda. I am a former Episcopalian and sometimes I think that these people would be better off if they become Episcopalians themselves rather than trying to destroy what is good and true in the Catholic church. I have many many examples of the errors I have witnessed–regarding priestly blessings, invalid marriage, receiving holy eucharist worthily, why confession is necessary, etc etc. etc.
Ok just wanted to vent a little bit. Please pray for me and my husband.
Amy
Click to expand...
I’m not really sure how to respond other than to say I wish you were a student in my class. We need candidates like you.

Maybe after you’re confirmed you’ll consider being part of the RCIA and work for change.
 
Hang in there and welcome home.

Tomorrow I am going up to a diocese ‘networking’ day with catechists from my Parish. We are being sent because our Parish is known as ‘one of THOSE kind of places’ - our candidates and catechumates are given Catechisms and Bibles, we teach doctrine and dogma, we pray, you know - all that CATHOLIC stuff. What is making the other parish RCIA teams a little uncomfortable is that when we do the diocese retreat every year before the candidates and catechumates are received into the Church our Parish arrives with anywhere form 20 to 40 adults and the other parishes arrive with 5 or 10…

At some point we became ashamed of being Catholic, or maybe I should say we became worried about being ‘too Catholic’. The priest scandals did not help. The political climate of the 1960’s through the present have not helped. But I know that Jesus promised that His Church will endure - and when I read something like that posted by the OP I know He was not kidding…
 
LSK said:
Hang in there and welcome home.

Tomorrow I am going up to a diocese ‘networking’ day with catechists from my Parish. We are being sent because our Parish is known as ‘one of THOSE kind of places’ - our candidates and catechumates are given Catechisms and Bibles, we teach doctrine and dogma, we pray, you know - all that CATHOLIC stuff. What is making the other parish RCIA teams a little uncomfortable is that when we do the diocese retreat every year before the candidates and catechumates are received into the Church our Parish arrives with anywhere form 20 to 40 adults and the other parishes arrive with 5 or 10…

At some point we became ashamed of being Catholic, or maybe I should say we became worried about being ‘too Catholic’. The priest scandals did not help. The political climate of the 1960’s through the present have not helped. But I know that Jesus promised that His Church will endure - and when I read something like that posted by the OP I know He was not kidding…
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You should really freak them out by taking holy water and blessing the grounds before you begin.
 
I also was one of those converts who felt more Catholic than the R.C.I.A. team and my sponsor.
I just kept my mouth shut, took in the correct stuff and researched A LOT on my own.
I was (and still am - does it ever ease up? 😃 ) an extremely enthusiastic Catholic person.
After I was confirmed in 2002, I was asked by the R.C.I.A. leader to help out. I was so glad to be asked and thought, “Ok, here’s my chance to steer the seekers in the correct direction.”
WRONG.
I was contradicted and argued with by the others on the team, often in front of the R.C.I.A. group. In the beginning, I attempted to talk to the other team members after group to show them my sources. No one wanted to listen. Their attitude was that I was a ‘newbie’ and should just listen in on what was going on let them do the teaching.
I quit.
Afterwards, I did a couple mysgogia (sp?) presentations but was argued with again, though I brought The Catholic Encyclopedia references with me to those.
I finally left the parish.
I no longer offer my learned services and just go to and participate in The Mass. I still have my joy. It’s just that most people don’t know it. (BUT, God does! 🙂 )
 
OP I know exactly how you feel. My RCIA class is run by our priest. He’s a great guy, willing to help everyone, but sometimes I just want to shake him during class. He has some problems with our Archbishop who happens to be more traditional (thank God) and our priest wants to make some drastic changes in the church. He’s always complaining about what the Archbishop has told him he needs to do. On Wednesday we were talking about the sacrament of marriage and he was telling us about how we need married priest and that birth control should be allowed in the church. He also was saying it should be easier to get annulments, cause it would help people out. And the week before we were talking about the sacrament of penance and he said we really shouldn’t worry about it because we really don’t ever commit mortal sins. I just wanted to ask were he gets these ideas but I didn’t. I think maybe I’m in this class cause God wants me to learn humility and to bite my tongue. Who knows but I keep going because I really want to be baptized and join the church. I’d recommend doing a lot of reading on your own about the topics covered so that you have a better understand of what the church really believes.
 
amycorazon said:
Hey everybody,
I just need to vent about RCIA. I have been in the class since last January *2006, due to be confirmed in April 2007. My rant is that since I have been reading articles on catholic.com and have read about the teachings of the Catholic Church on other reputable websites, I have come to the realization that much of what is taught in my RCIA class is misleading at best and at worst, pure ERROR. I don’t know what to do since I am always trying to be respectful of our teachers and I genuinely like and admire them for their hours and hours of service, but at times I feel that their judgement is clouded by their clearly left-leaning ideological agenda. I am a former Episcopalian and sometimes I think that these people would be better off if they become Episcopalians themselves rather than trying to destroy what is good and true in the Catholic church. I have many many examples of the errors I have witnessed–regarding priestly blessings, invalid marriage, receiving holy eucharist worthily, why confession is necessary, etc etc. etc.
Ok just wanted to vent a little bit. Please pray for me and my husband.
Amy
Click to expand...
Sigh…been there, doing that. Keeping my mouth shut so I can get confirmed at the easter Vigil:crying:

Until then, for authentic RCIA / Adult Education, may I suggest you try www/catechismclass.com/ which gives you 5 lessons a week, 50 weeks a year, and a sks that you read the actual Catechism, as well as other official Church writings. 👍
 
Hang in there 👍
You are the new wave of enthusiastic Catholics who love the Word of God and willing to learn more.
Please stick it out and learn the virtue of humility.
If you will, you can be the next RCIA leader.😃

God bless

Tak
 
tptram said:
Hang in there 👍
You are the new wave of enthusiastic Catholics who love the Word of God and willing to learn more.
Please stick it out and learn the virtue of humility.
If you will, you can be the next RCIA leader.😃

God bless

Tak
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Humility? When I complain about RCIA, I am told that I am supposed to use this experience to learn patience and obediance.
 
Hang on! The official journey will end soon and you’ll be qualified soon. 😃

I know sometimes it’s hard to argue with people who’ve been catholic for a long time. Once I had a ‘discussion’ about holy days of obligation. He insisted that in there are only four Holy Days of Obligation; Christmas, Ascension, Assumption and All Saints’ Day and it’s the same in every country in the world. The reasons why I didn’t argue and decided to let him won the ‘argument’ was:
  1. We were discussing it in a wake of a parishioner.
  2. His wife is assistant director for my Legion of Mary praesidium.
  3. And all of my friends admire him as someone who is very in line with the church teaching and know everything compared to me a 21 yo student. 😛 So I will lose eventually.
Yes, I learnt about humility, patience and Christ’s love.
 
amycorazon said:
Hey everybody,
I just need to vent about RCIA. I have been in the class since last January *2006, due to be confirmed in April 2007. My rant is that since I have been reading articles on catholic.com and have read about the teachings of the Catholic Church on other reputable websites, I have come to the realization that much of what is taught in my RCIA class is misleading at best and at worst, pure ERROR. I don’t know what to do since I am always trying to be respectful of our teachers and I genuinely like and admire them for their hours and hours of service, but at times I feel that their judgement is clouded by their clearly left-leaning ideological agenda. I am a former Episcopalian and sometimes I think that these people would be better off if they become Episcopalians themselves rather than trying to destroy what is good and true in the Catholic church. I have many many examples of the errors I have witnessed–regarding priestly blessings, invalid marriage, receiving holy eucharist worthily, why confession is necessary, etc etc. etc.
Ok just wanted to vent a little bit. Please pray for me and my husband.
Amy
Click to expand...
This is why the Church needs you (us). I have been accused on this forum of being arrogant about theology and liturgy because I came out of a High Church Anglican tradition that was “more” Catholic than much of the Catholic Church – as witnessed by your experience.

Welcome to the cadre of Converts called to re-call Catholicism to its better self.

God bless Catholic Answers, the *Catechism, *EWTN, the Register . . .

God love you, Amy. Hang in. When you’re done, maybe volunteer to work with RCIA (if they’ll have you; mine won’t let me in, although I was educated as a Priest in the Episcopal Church). Our gang doesn’t want lay people reading the Catechism.
 
mercygate said:
This is why the Church needs you (us). I have been accused on this forum of being arrogant about theology and liturgy because I came out of a High Church Anglican tradition that was “more” Catholic than much of the Catholic Church – as witnessed by your experience.

Welcome to the cadre of Converts called to re-call Catholicism to its better self.

God bless Catholic Answers, the *Catechism, *EWTN, the Register . . .

God love you, Amy. Hang in. When you’re done, maybe volunteer to work with RCIA (if they’ll have you; mine won’t let me in, although I was educated as a Priest in the Episcopal Church). Our gang doesn’t want lay people reading the Catechism.
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This is a ‘dictatorship of dissent’ that is persecuting the Church from within. But we will win because we not only have the truth but we recognize the reality of truth.They are motivated by the desire to change the Church- you converts are repulsed by that agenda because you have sought a different type of change a change within. Simply stated It’s about conversion but one group wants to convert the Church rather than individuals.
BTW as cradle Catholics we too are called to convert to a deeper appreciation of whatt God so geneerously granted to us at birth.-The Catholic Faith.
 
Amy,
As a former Episcopalian and current RCIA student myself, I think I understand where you are coming from. Seeing in the Catholic church the very things for which you are leaving ECUSA is very disconcerting! I have not seen this in my class (in which I am the lone student!) but I know its out there. It helps when I listen via podcast (no EWTN in my area) to Journey Home, Catholic Answers, etc. I am also contributing mightily to the bottom line of our local Catholic bookstore!
I also have a question for you “experienced” Catholics. (It may belong on another thread) In the short time I have been a member of this forum, I have been surprised by the number of posters who are here with an obvious agenda to criticize the Church and argue. Is this common here?
Amy, I will be praying for you.
Nancy
 
crosstimbers said:
Amy,
As a former Episcopalian and current RCIA student myself, I think I understand where you are coming from. Seeing in the Catholic church the very things for which you are leaving ECUSA is very disconcerting! I have not seen this in my class (in which I am the lone student!) but I know its out there. It helps when I listen via podcast (no EWTN in my area) to Journey Home, Catholic Answers, etc. I am also contributing mightily to the bottom line of our local Catholic bookstore!
I also have a question for you “experienced” Catholics. (It may belong on another thread) In the short time I have been a member of this forum, I have been surprised by the number of posters who are here with an obvious agenda to criticize the Church and argue. Is this common here?
Amy, I will be praying for you.
Nancy
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Amy and CT, think of the good company we’re in: Newman, GM Hopkins, Chesterton, Knox, George Rutler . . . actually the list is too ridiculously long even to get started.
 
tptram said:
YMMV 😉

I was thinking of humility 😃

Tak
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Yup: patience, obedience, humlity. It really is an exercise in all of those. Teaches you how far you have to go.

On the other hand, truth his truth. It would be great if loving and learned people got into to the process and brought it up to what it could be.
 
The consistant call for humility is exactly why I post on CA forums. When I get twisted I turn here for advice and don’t come away dissappointed.

For all of you that push humility…thank you.
 
WOW!! After reading all of these post I am so thankful to be in my RCIA class. I am a life long evangelical and started RCIA this summer before it really got started in Sept. We have 16 people in our class. A few of them also evangelical converts. My church has a very dedicated staff with our leader being a full time employee. We are encourged to read our Bibles and the Catachism for answers. I love RCIA and looking toward Easter Vigil in April!!!

Good Bless
 
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