I’ve been to RCIA at three different parishes in two different countries… and am now looking for a fourth one.
Sigh The first one I went to (in Australia) was great! I enjoyed it so much that I considered enduring one and a half hours of public transport (each way!) to get there from College each week. However, I decided that would be too costly and time consuming, so I found a parish near my College… which I loved just as much!
Both were very small groups, so the instructors took the time to get to know us personally. The lessons were interesting and relevant, and we were even asked what we would like to learn about. (This was particularly good in the second parish because once they discovered that we were both Christians, they sped through the things that we already knew and we were able to get started on Catholic things). One was taught by a lovely nun, the other by an elderly couple – all who knew their faith very well.
Then I came to America to spend a few month with my boyfriend (now fiancé!). My fiancé told his instructor that I had been attending RCIA in Australia, and asked her if I could join their RCIA program and be confirmed with him at Easter. (I could have been confirmed in Australia if I wanted, but I decided not to, as it was something I really wanted to share with my future husband). He was told that it wouldn’t be a problem. I was hesitant about going because my fiancé had told me about some incorrect things that have been said (like telling him to receive the Eucharist in a state of mortal sin). But I went along anyway, and… gosh, I can’t tell you how disappointed I was!
We learnt about social justice. We learnt about the same thing the next week. And the next. Every single week someone rambles on and on about social justice.
Sigh Now, don’t get me wrong – I’m NOT saying social justice isn’t important… I just don’t want to hear about it every single flippin’ week! The majority of the people there were coming from Protestant denominations into the Church, and so I’m sure they know about social justice… we wanted to hear about CATHOLICISM!! Errghhh. Not once was the Catechism quoted, or theFathers of the Church… heck, we hardly even opened the Bible! :banghead: We just talked about scenarios that I very highly doubt any of us will find ourselves in (“say someone hid a bomb in a crowded city… would you torture them to find out where the bomb is and save what could possibly be hundreds of lives?”) Now there was a basket for people to put questions in which would get answered at the end of every session. Most of these were about Catholic things, and were answered VERY poorly (like saying that people of others faiths can get to heaven if they are “sincere”).
The reflections on Sunday are somewhat interesting, but I dislike going (I still went, though) because of how rude some of the instructors are. I’m a VERY shy person – I thoroughly dislike speaking in large groups like that (there’s about 50 people), so I explained this before the session. I ended up getting completely humiliated by the instructor joking (multiple times) about my shyness. I felt so hurt and disrespected. But that hurt was nothing compared to what was said not long after. The director suggested I wait until Pentecost to be confirmed. I asked her why, and her only response was so I can get “settled” here in this new country. I told her that I would think and pray about what she said. So after much thought and prayer, I came to the conclusion that there’s no reason to wait! I believe with all my heart that God is calling me home to the Catholic Church. A few weeks later I explained to her that I had been thinking and praying about what she said and asked if it would be at all possible for me to be confirmed with my fiancé at the Easter vigil. Without even thinking about it she said “no”. I was absolutely heartbroken. :crying: I asked her why, and she said that she doesn’t know me well enough (how the heck are you supposed to get to know someone when there are 50 people in RCIA?!?), and I don’t have a sponsor who could vouch that I am ready to be confirmed (err… perhaps because the sponsor they chose for me (my fiancé’s sponsor’s wife) doesn’t have the time to meet with me and rarely even comes along to RCIA).
I sat down with my fiancé’ and explained to him that I can’t keep going there. They’re not helping me grow in my relationship with God. In fact, they’re doing the opposite. So we looked for a new parish to attend and, praise God, I think we’ve found one! It’s much smaller, and therefore more personal and welcoming.
We will be meeting again with Father soon to discuss whether or not we can be confirmed at Easter. Prayers would be very much appreciated!
) since the fall. It has been wonderful. I will miss it after Easter, so I’ll have to join some bible study classes. My sponsor is very supportive. I’ve done the rosary a couple of time, but for Lent I’ve been doing it every night in addition to my normal bedtime prayers and I can feel the power of that prayer. Tonight my wife (she’s in RCIA too) and I went to the Stations of the Cross and I almost cried thinking about what Jesus went through and reading aloud how our sins crush on him like the heavy cross he carried. I can’t wait for Easter and my first Holy Communion. If the Stations of the Cross made my almost cry, I might need a box of Kleenex on hand for receiving the Body and Blood.
because of the sponsor situation some of the people and stuff sometimes I say I can’t come and go to mass later on just because I need a break! I just want to attned and not be worried about someone taking my attendance or stalking me lol.
