RCIA, Right to private instruction?

[Redbaron998]

A question please, does a candidate going through RCIA have the right to demand private instruction instead of a group setting?

Thank you

 

[BigFellaMick]

I wouldn’t recommend it though I suppose it is up to who is available on the RCIA team and if their schedule would be willing to work with someone who wanted private instruction. There is a young man (though he’s older than me) who is unable to make our sunday classes for RCIA due to work, so he meets with one of the RCIA team members on thursday instead. I’ve recently begun going thursdays as well, even though my group is a few weeks ahead based on the schedule we’re trying to keep, so its all technically review, but I go for the spiritual nourishment. And now recently the Parish Deacon, who is a wonderful wonderful person and quickly becoming a good friend of mine, is now attending as well. So I would say that it’s possible to have individual instruction, though I guess you’d get more out of a group setting since you get to share with others than learn from their experiences, they can learn from yours etc etc God calls us all to be united after all, not a group of individuals lol (not harping on you or anything, just saying) God Bless!

 

[Joannm]

A question please, does a candidate going through RCIA have the right to demand private instruction instead of a group setting?

Thank you

I don’t think anyone has a right to demand anything of the Church. You have a right to the sacraments, but you can’t demand that you go about preparing for it your way.

I get so annoyed at people who feel that they can demand that we who work in the Church must do thing their way and not the way that the diocese or parish has put in place. Sacramental preparation in not something that you “buy.” Our consumer society says you can demand what you want. They CHurch does not act that way.

RCIA is not just a “class” or instruction. It is initiation into a community of believers and should be done within a community. While some parishes can offer one on one instruction a lot depends on how busy the pastor is, does he have the staff that can assist or teach a person one on one.

We have a situation now where one of our catechumens cannot come on the day of our sessions due to her work schedule. SHe meets with two of our team members but has been told that on occasions she will have to do things with the whole group and if he schedule adjusts she will be coming to group sessions. A man in another parish was unable to go to his parish’s RCIA sessions and they could not accommodate him one on one so he came to our sessions and was baptized at his parish. But these situations are the exception. We would not do it just because a person did not want to be in a group. We have had shy people who felt uncomfortable at first but after two or three weeks they fit right in. This year we have one man who sat quietly in the corner for over a month. This week he blossomed and was so talkative. I think a lot has to do with the reasons why, but one should never make demands but only make a request, which may or may not be accommodated.

 

[Anathama_Sit]

A question please, does a candidate going through RCIA have the right to demand private instruction instead of a group setting?

Thank you

Greetings Redbaron,

At the time I was coming into the Catholic Church due to school and other things going on in my life I asked if there was any way that I could have private instruction. After some time in trying to meet the requirements of the Church and missing out on three consecutive years becuase of things going on with my family and school, the Church realized that I was trying all that I could to enter. I did get the private instruction, but at times I wished that I had done it in a community setting.

No one as a prior poster has said has the right to demand anything of the Church.

It depends on what is going on in the canidate’s life and also what the priest is going to say.

God Bless.
Anathama Sit

 

[purplesunshine]

sigh

you don’t have a “right” to anything, even to Heaven. Through Jesus God permits us. RCIA is a rite with a small r. Classroom education is something every member of the CC has to do from 7yo in RE to a 27yo in RCIA

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

A question please, does a candidate going through RCIA have the right to demand private instruction instead of a group setting?

Thank you

“Right” and “demand” strike me as starting off with the wrong attitude.

The RCIA team probably consists of volunteers who are willing to give of their time to help people come into the Church. In my parish two catechists work primarily with inquirers and two others work primarily with catechumens and candidates. All four also lead dismissals of the catechumens (which means attending Mass with the catechumens and attending another Mass to actually fulfill our Sunday obligation). And, of course, there’s preparation time for these sessions.

And now you want to demand that we should do more because you want private instruction?

That ranks right up there with the idea that I should demand that my pastor offer an additional Mass on Sunday just for me because I don’t want to have to pray with all those other icky parishioners.

Boy did the OP on this push all my buttons!

 

[1ke]

A question please, does a candidate going through RCIA have the right to demand private instruction instead of a group setting?

Thank you

What makes you think a person has a “right” to “demand” anything?

 

[Redbaron998]

This is not for me, I have been through RCIA and entered the Church (Thanks be to God)

A friend of mine asked me this because we were talking about how it used to be common that RCIA consisted of private instruction with a priest and she asked if you could still request this even if the Parish didnt want to allow it.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

This is not for me, I have been through RCIA and entered the Church (Thanks be to God)

A friend of mine asked me this because we were talking about how it used to be common that RCIA consisted of private instruction with a priest and she asked if you could still request this even if the Parish didnt want to allow it.

Private instruction is primarily how people came into the Church before RCIA existed. Now RCIA is the way that people come into the Church. It’s not a matter of whether the parish “didn’t want to allow it,” it’s a matter of following the rite that the Church (universal) has provided.

 

[puzzleannie]

A question please, does a candidate going through RCIA have the right to demand private instruction instead of a group setting?

Thank you

nobody has a right to “demand” anything, that is just plain rude, but you certainly have the right to ask, but don’t be surprised if parish resources and time of the pastor and his associates is already stretched to the limit and they cannot meet your request. Also bear in mind that the doctrinal instruction is only part of the RCIA process. Some of the essentials by definition take place during Mass and during the time right after the dismissal of the catechumens, so obviously there is not going to be private Mass or private rites arranged for you.

This is not for me, I have been through RCIA and entered the Church (Thanks be to God)

A friend of mine asked me this because we were talking about how it used to be common that RCIA consisted of private instruction with a priest and she asked if you could still request this even if the Parish didnt want to allow it.

not quite
it was the norm for converts to receive private instruction from the priest prior to the promotion of the RCIA in the late 70s, but that was not RCIA. “The Parish” does not allow or disallow anything, the pastor has the sole authority and if anyone else in the parish does not seem to be helpful or receptive, speak with him directly. But remember he may be stretched very thin, sometimes responsible for more than one parish or mission, and may not be able to meet on your demand.

RCIA is normative for reception of adults into the Catholic Church and there needs to be a good reason for some alternative arrangment, and sometimes the permission of the bishop himself is needed. The RCIA itself also has provisions for special cases, exceptions and circumstances.