RCIA Sponsoring

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AngelRose81

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Ok. So last night at the Assumption Vigil, one of the RCIA Team asked me to stay for RCIA and she wanted to know if I would sponsor if they needed me. I said sure, I’d be happy to. Then when she said for me to go tell the rest of the Team so they could get my name, etc. I got mixed feelings from them and the whole time I was there I kept getting mixed responses from everyone and it was almost like I wasn’t “welcome”.:confused:

I would love to sponsor if the do need me (I don’t have a specific person to sponsor as of yet), but the feeling I’m having is that maybe I shouldn’t be there?

Do any of you have any suggestions? Should I keep going to RCIA just so I’m there if they need me and to get to know everyone or should I just contact one of the team members and say here’s my info, if you need me call me?

I’m just kind of torn as to what to do! 🤷 Thanks!
 
AngelRose81 said:
Ok. So last night at the Assumption Vigil, one of the RCIA Team asked me to stay for RCIA and she wanted to know if I would sponsor if they needed me. I said sure, I’d be happy to. Then when she said for me to go tell the rest of the Team so they could get my name, etc. I got mixed feelings from them and the whole time I was there I kept getting mixed responses from everyone and it was almost like I wasn’t “welcome”.:confused:

I would love to sponsor if the do need me (I don’t have a specific person to sponsor as of yet), but the feeling I’m having is that maybe I shouldn’t be there?

Do any of you have any suggestions? Should I keep going to RCIA just so I’m there if they need me and to get to know everyone or should I just contact one of the team members and say here’s my info, if you need me call me?

I’m just kind of torn as to what to do! 🤷 Thanks!
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Hi AngelRose81! First of all, I’d like to say that it is very nice of you to volunteer to sponsor someone for RCIA! I’m currently going through RCIA myself and do not yet have a sponsor. Without people like you, I’m afraid some of us might end up without having a sponsor. So, thank you!

Personally, I have to admit that I do not know that much about sponsorship; it’s something I have yet to talk to my RCIA instructor about. I guess the good thing is that, as I understand it, you do not have to sponsor everyone who’s in RCIA, but only one person with whom you may have a spiritual connection.

Also, I think it is also beneficial to the sponsor in terms of his/her own faith. Some people go through RCIA again even after they’ve been received into Church just to strengthen their own faith.

I’m not sure what you can do in this particular situation. I was thinking maybe getting to know some of the catechumens on a more personal level, so that they feel more comfortable around you. And I would say give it more time, and I’m sure God will reveal your role to you.

Hope this helps! And God bless you!
 
Hello Angel,

Thank you for being a volunteer Sponsor…Your RCIA team should contact you with a date and time for a Sponsor training session. They need to brief you on your duties as a Sponsor and your responsibilities as a representative of your Church Family.

Our RCIA process will not start till the first part of September and will begin with several weeks of Inquiry. It is difficult to know at this point just how many sponsors will be needed.

Contact your RCIA Director and let them know that you are ready, willing and able…after that, the ball is in their corner.

May God Bless your effort,

RCIA Team Member
St. Margaret’s of Scotland
 
AngelRose81 said:
I’m just kind of torn as to what to do! 🤷 Thanks!
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Say, “Yes!” I am in this to the end. Small groups tend to be cliqueish-it’s only human nature. Look beyond that, to the big picture. You have the chance to start a soul on a lifetime journey of discovery and fulfillment, peace and grace.

The person whom you will sponsor needs the guidance of a faithful, ORTHODOX Catholic. We have all heard the horror stories about neo-liberation theology Catholics taking over the RCIA and DRE positions.

If you find that a particular teaching in RCIA is wrong, you can point it out to the candidtate and correct it later in privacy. Our faith is most attractive when presented “full strength”. This is no time for baby steps, hoping to avoid offending someone.

Our Auxiliary Bishop put it wonderfully: “The Catholic Church does not need numbers-it needs Apostles”

The Peace of Christ be with you.
 
Thanks for all your replies! I can always count on the people here at CAF to help!!

What I think I’m going to do is contact the RCIA Team member who is over getting sponsors if they are needed and tell him that I will be more than happy to sponsor so just give me a call or email if they need me. That way I won’t be “in the way” until I’m needed. There is a huge group so far, about 30 or 35, so please keep them in your prayers!!
 
AngelRose81 said:
Thanks for all your replies! I can always count on the people here at CAF to help!!

What I think I’m going to do is contact the RCIA Team member who is over getting sponsors if they are needed and tell him that I will be more than happy to sponsor so just give me a call or email if they need me. That way I won’t be “in the way” until I’m needed. There is a huge group so far, about 30 or 35, so please keep them in your prayers!!
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Sounds about right, I would just add that when I was running the RCIA program at our parish in Flint, I always asked the sponsors to attend the catechetical sessions for RCIA. Not only does it help deepen your own faith, it helps you to see where/if the catechumen you are sponsoring is struggling.

God Bless You, I am sure you will be an excellent sponsor.

PAX

RJ
 
Just a quick question about finding sponsors. Do the candidates have to find their own sponsors, or is one assigned? Thanks in advance!
 
As far as I know:

Candidates may find their own sponsors, but most parish RCIA programs are going to prefer to have a member of the parish which you are joining serve as your sponsor. If you do not know someone at the parish, the RCIA programs usually have volunteers who are willing to serve as sponsors and one will be assigned/chosen for you.

In our RCIA program we had the volunteer sponsors attend all of the inquiry sessions and then told the candidates/catechumens that they would need to choose a sponsor from the parish. This usually led to them choosing one of the volunteers who were in class with them during the inquiry.

Once they had chosen a sponsor, we would hold sponsor training sessions separately from the RCIA catechesis

PAX

RJ
 
Awesome! Thanks, rjmporter, that’s exactly what I wanted to know.
 
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