Scrutinies for RCIA kids

[KarenElissa]

Question for anyone who has and RCIA kids group, do the kids participate in the Scrutinies with the adults? Do they do the children’s Penitential Rite? Or skip them entirely?

The first couple of years, we didn’t include them at all in the Scrutinies. Last year we made it optional. This year, I had planned on more or less requiring them.

We got a new RCIA director and apparently she went to some training and they told her that the Scrutinies aren’t appropriate for children. I was under the impression that the children’s Penitential Rite was for parishes with only a children’s RCIA or where they mix baptized and unbaptized children together, but if we already had adults doing the Scrutinies, then we should include the children with them.

So what do other parishes do? Any other comments? I’ll admit I’m a bit frustrated as the director has had my schedule, but sprung this on me while we were waiting for all the parents to show up for our parent meeting yesterday, but I’d like to have some more info before I talk to her again.

 

[mcrow]

Having children involved in RCIA is totally new concept to me and seems like a bad idea. Some very inappropriate subjects can come up depending on the subject for the night. Not only that, most kids simply wouldn’t understand unless we’re talking much older kids.

Also, kids have religious education and confirmation/catechism class to fulfill their part of it, I thought?

 

[KarenElissa]

Having children involved in RCIA is totally new concept to me and seems like a bad idea. Some very inappropriate subjects can come up depending on the subject for the night. Not only that, most kids simply wouldn’t understand unless we’re talking much older kids.

Also, kids have religious education and confirmation/catechism class to fulfill their part of it, I thought?

Unbaptized children over the age of 7 properly belong in RCIA. This does not mean that the instructional classes happen together, we have a kids class, a teens class, and an adult class that all meet separately. They all cover essentially the same topics, go through the same process and participate in the various Rites and the Easter Vigil. They are all part of RCIA.

The regular religious ed and confirmation classes are for the already baptized children.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

We are very new to having RCIA for children. Next Lent will be the first time we will have children as the Elect. In reading through the ritual text it looks like one option is to have the children do only one Scrutiny and that’s what we are planning to do.

See paragraph 294: …At least one penitential rite is to be celebrated, and, if this can be arranged conveniently, a second should follow after an appropriate interval.

 

[novelista]

I was under the impression that only unbaptized people underwent the Scrutinies.

 

[KarenElissa]

We are very new to having RCIA for children. Next Lent will be the first time we will have children as the Elect. In reading through the ritual text it looks like one option is to have the children do only one Scrutiny and that’s what we are planning to do.

See paragraph 294: …At least one penitential rite is to be celebrated, and, if this can be arranged conveniently, a second should follow after an appropriate interval.

Thanks for the info. Are the children participating in all the other Rites with the adults or are the separate for everything? And do you know when/how you will be doing it? Reading through the Rite, it pretty much assumes that it is happening at the same time as First Reconciliation for the already baptized. I don’t think that is going to happen at my parish, First Reconciliation is already too big already.

I found this from the Diocese of Newark and it says that kids and adults should be together, but the reference numbers in the footnotes don’t seem to match my book.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

Thanks for the info. Are the children participating in all the other Rites with the adults or are the separate for everything? And do you know when/how you will be doing it? Reading through the Rite, it pretty much assumes that it is happening at the same time as First Reconciliation for the already baptized. I don’t think that is going to happen at my parish, First Reconciliation is already too big already.

I found this from the Diocese of Newark and it says that kids and adults should be together, but the reference numbers in the footnotes don’t seem to match my book.

We are having the children and adults participate together. The Rite of Acceptance was adorable – two little girls and one adult man. The girls were so excited about everything in general, but especially about being part of the same rite as a real live adult.

So much with the children is optional, but I want to see them participate in the rites as fully as possible. We’re planning to have the girls go to the bishop for the Rite of Election.

We don’t do scrutinies for those who are already baptized though I think there’s an option for it.

 

[KarenElissa]

We are having the children and adults participate together. The Rite of Acceptance was adorable – two little girls and one adult man. The girls were so excited about everything in general, but especially about being part of the same rite as a real live adult.

So much with the children is optional, but I want to see them participate in the rites as fully as possible. We’re planning to have the girls go to the bishop for the Rite of Election.

We don’t do scrutinies for those who are already baptized though I think there’s an option for it.

When I’m explaining about RCIA I always tell the kids this means they get to be counted as adults and they always get a kick out of that.

And I agree about the kids participating in everything as fully as possible. I’ve already had to advocate for them going to the Rite of Election with the Bishop in past years, but I think things like that are so important, they get to see that the Church they are joining is SOO much bigger than our individual parish.

 

[1ke]

I was under the impression that only unbaptized people underwent the Scrutinies.

Karen is talking about unbpatized people-- children over 7.

 

[mcrow]

Unbaptized children over the age of 7 properly belong in RCIA. This does not mean that the instructional classes happen together, we have a kids class, a teens class, and an adult class that all meet separately. They all cover essentially the same topics, go through the same process and participate in the various Rites and the Easter Vigil. They are all part of RCIA.

The regular religious ed and confirmation classes are for the already baptized children.

Sorry, never heard of that before. As far as I know, there has not been any kids in RCIA at our Church since I converted.

 

[puzzleannie]

Having children involved in RCIA is totally new concept to me and seems like a bad idea. Some very inappropriate subjects can come up depending on the subject for the night. Not only that, most kids simply wouldn’t understand unless we’re talking much older kids.

Also, kids have religious education and confirmation/catechism class to fulfill their part of it, I thought?

children of catechetical age participate with those of their own age in RCIA as well as in other RE programs, not with adults especially not while discussing topics such as moral issues. But that has nothing to do with whether or not the celebrate the rites proper to RCIA at the appropriate time. They do. There is nothing in the rites themselves that touch on “inappropriate topics”. All children’s RCIA resources have material to prepare them for the rites. There is an option to celebrate those rites in an assembly of their peers, ie during RE sessions for instance with a deacon leading, if it is thought they might be uncomfortable in the larger Sunday Mass setting.

the back of the RCIA ritual book has an entire section devoted to rites adapted for children, if the RCIA director is not familiar with it she needs to become so now.