RCIA received at the same church?

[Inbetweener]

My friend is about to begin a RCIA course in view to be received at Easter next year. As I have done part of the course at a different church but within the same diocese - in Easter will we be able to be received at the same church in Easter as I don’t want to be separate.

 

[Xanthippe_Voorhees]

My friend is about to begin a RCIA course in view to be received at Easter next year. As I have done part of the course at a different church but within the same diocese - in Easter will we be able to be received at the same church in Easter as I don’t want to be separate.

Maybe? That’s up to those who run the RCIA program. Your best bet would be to approach those the priest and facilitator of the program to ask if an allowance may be allowed. Typically, RCIA is run so candidates form a support system with one another, so there may be ramifications outside of your scope.

That said, most churches would be fine if the RCIA leaders from one program “handed” your file off to another, so to speak.

 

[Usige]

It really shouldn’t matter in that RCIA isn’t like a degree program where there are transcripts to be passed around.

That being said it will likely depend on the parish and diocese how they handle it. Some are more rigidly structured and others are less so. I know some the refuse to allow anyone to even start after October as it is “too late in the process”… whatever that means. Just ask the person running RCIA at the parish where you want to “transfer” to.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

My friend is about to begin a RCIA course in view to be received at Easter next year. As I have done part of the course at a different church but within the same diocese - in Easter will we be able to be received at the same church in Easter as I don’t want to be separate.

RCIA is typically done in a parish rather than a region or diocese. Part of the RCIA process is the process of becoming part of a parish community, not just the Church as a whole.

In my experience as an RCIA director, I’ve only had one time that someone went through RCIA in one parish but received the sacraments of initiation in another, and it was a very exceptional circumstance. A woman started RCIA in our parish. Her example then prompted her brother, who lived in another city, to also start RCIA. The brother and sister wanted to be at each other’s baptisms, and their parents wanted to be at both as well. His RCIA director and pastor worked with my pastor and me to make sure everything worked smoothly to have him go through the final preparations on Holy Saturday and receive the sacraments at the Easter Vigil. And, of course, even though he hadn’t gone through the other rites with us and didn’t know any of us except for his sister, we wanted him to feel welcome and be able to celebrate this major day in his life. At the same time, I felt sorry for his RCIA team, fellow catechumens, and parish community who couldn’t celebrate this joyous occasion with him.

With all of that said, I can’t help but think your question sounds a bit misdirected. Which parish community will you be part of? If your friend will be part of one parish and you’ll be part of another, what difference does it make if you receive your sacraments together? Wouldn’t you want to receive them with your parish community, your RCIA team, and your fellow candidates? If the most important thing is for both of you to be together, then why not go through RCIA together?

 

[Roseeurekacross]

In my Diocese, people engage in their local RCIA program. Then a rural district is gathered into the main church/ Cathedral and do their Sacraments together at Easter.

 

[Inbetweener]

Thanks for your information - we all met through a mid week weekly charismatic Catholic prayer group where people are from different parishes and other denominations. We met a charismatic priest who offered to do the RCIA with us at his church but we don’t attend his church.