Should I go to mass if i’m not joining RCIA until September?

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I didn’t say that they will, I said it COULD happen as it has and does happen when I go. I wouldn’t tell anyone my experiences if they weren’t true…just say’n.

I’m glad that it isn’t true where you go, honestly…I’m just sharing my experiences with the OP. Sorry that you don’t believe it ¯_(ツ)_/¯ .

My wife is on parish #2, debating on moving to parish #3 due to the way I have been viewed, things that have been said, and actions that have been viewed. Sorry, it is what it is.

I just told the OP that I personally would test the waters first, as from what I’ve learned here, some parishes can be welcoming to non-Catholics and some can’t (to say the least).
 
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Yes, sorry…you’re right. I didn’t mean to make it sound like we were in any kind of disagreement there.
 
roseyelephant said:
I’m going to college in the fall so the local catholic church said he would get in contact with the church up by my college and i can start RCIA there. Until then, should i attend mass (without receiving any sacraments, confession, etc.), learn about catholicism on my own a bit, pray to saints, read a catholics bible version until then? or should i just continue to attend my nondenominational church? and should i wait to be baptized with the catholic church?
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You should go to Mass. If you are professing a faith in the CC then that is where you should start attending. Does the college you are attending have a Newman center? Or some type of young adult program? (I am assuming you are young adult). That may make the transition easier.

I don’t think you will find a priest\deacon who will baptize you without RCIA. I don’t recommend it if you do. RCIA is not mandatory. Some people get personal instruction. It is the SOP though.
 
I appriciate the honesty…I will be hesitant at first regardless of if people are actually welcoming or not. Do you think most catholic churches are like that?
 
They do RCIA, not sure what a newman center or SOP is. Anyways, i don’t want to take “shortcuts” or the quick way! I really want to get involved in the church and go through the beautiful RCIA process. 🙂
 
Honestly…It’s hard to say.

I’ve only really been exposed to 5 Catholic Churches across 4 different parishes. Two really don’t count (was only there for weddings, mine included).

IDK, I used to think that’s how they all were since that’s all I’ve really been exposed to…but there’s people on here who say that not all Catholic Churches are that way and are open to non-Catholics and that my experience is either made up (which it’s not) or is completely foreign to them.

I kind of think it depends on the demographic of the church and where it’s geographically located. A younger church in a more metropolitan or college area that are used to individuals of all background are probably more open to others of different Christian backgrounds than a church that is in a more rural area with an “older” member base (IE, did their CCD prior to Vatican II). I think I live in an area that is more the latter than the former, so I’m very hesitant going to new Catholic Churches (when I do) and jumping in the center pews with the rest of the parishioners.

Just my view, you could be somewhere where they don’t really care what Christian/Faith background you are where then it doesn’t matter…
 
Newman center is orgization to support Catholic students at a school. Sort of a “club” so to speak.

By sop I meant standard operating procedure.
 
They are not like that. I understand this poster appears to have a bad experience at the parishes he’s been to. I’ve been a non-Catholic attending Mass at different parishes and have never felt excluded. Since becoming Catholic I’ve never seen non-Catholic spouses treated this way in any parish ever.

Do not fear exclusion. No one will tell you that you don’t belong there.
 
I am a cradle Catholic and therefore do not know how non-Catholics feel while attending mass. However, I cannot believe that they are not welcomed. That would be against everything that we stand for and calling people to the Church of God. Actually, we would be very glad, to being grateful that a non-Catholic spouse would be gracious enough to come to the mass with his Catholic wife. I think it is indeed unusual for Catholics to dislike non-Catholics in the mass.

God bless.
 
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When I decided to join the Catholic Church (60 years ago) the priest said I should go
to mass. And so I did, every Sunday. I found this great advice.
 
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I’d agree with that too. I’m a cradle Catholic and my experience when we learn of a non Catholic in attendance we naturally feel especially welcoming towards the person.
 
I think most Catholics are welcoming to others, even Catholics they don’t know. However, there are a few bad apples in every barrel, and we should pray for them. We don’t hear much nowadays about heaping burning coals…

However, I see one big difference between Protestant and Catholic chirches which makes Protestants think Catholics are not welcoming, and that is that Catholic ways developed over many centuries of being the sole church in a town or neighborhood, so Catholics tend not to see church as a place to “fellowship,” as Protestants put it (at least where I came from). This developed because parishioners saw each other all the time outside of Mass.

Related to that is that most Catholic churches have more than one or two Masses per Sunday, so people don’t keep track of the other attendees the way they do in some Protestant communities. I have a crazy work schedule, so I don’t even attend the same church each week, much less the same Mass (Mass at the same time).

We are used to seeing lots of unknown faces, and after a few times of saying, “Are you new here?” only to be told that the person is a founding member of the parish, one stops asking. (OK, I exaggerated!)

And finally, our focus at Mass is Christ Himself. We are there to visit Him, and the people around us, while indeed very important, are at that particular time secondary to our true purpose in being at the church.

So it is rare to get any special attention when you first show up at a Catholic church, and it’s difficult to fit oneself in to some of the activities sometimes (best way I have found is to start by frequently volunteering to clean up).

But that also means that probably no one will notice that you have no idea what you are doing 😉 If you know someone who is Catholic, ask them to show you how a missal works (if they have them). I will see if I can find a couple of places online that will help you.
 
Here’s an explanation for what happens aduring Mass: http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass/order-of-mass/index.cfm

This is what is said and done at Mass (in Ireland, but should be the same): https://www.catholicbishops.ie/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Order-of-Mass.pdf

Do not be concerned about the length of the document! Not all of it is the Mass, and part of it varies, and it’s very spread out on the page.

The first 13 pages happen the same way each week, pages 14 to 36 are the Eucharistic prayers; there are four options of which only one is said each week. (Read them over, so you will have an idea of what is happening, but I have never been able to figure out which is which at Mass, so this is where I listen without reading.)

And then pages 37 to 43 are what happens next all the way to the end of Mass, again with a few options. The other 32 pages are appendices (probably things like funeral Masses, etc)

And finally, the readings! http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/030718.cfm Each day’s readings are updated onto this page, including Sundays, but if you want to “read ahead,” you can choose any day from the calendar in the upper right corner.

Hope this helps! And honestly, just doing what everyone else does is fine, too!
 
wow, thank you!! it’s definitely intimidating but I’ll get used to it. It’s so different from my nonstructured, casual nondenom!
 
Blessings
You’ll know when you hear the language. It is beautiful but the vernacular is easier to understand. We can enjoy both.
Spiritual communion is done in the same pew, you sat. While others go to communion, you start a prayer. Telling God how much you love Him. Lord, I’m not able to receive communion yet, but please enter my Spirit and touch my soul. Forgive me my sins. Forgive me and have mercy. Any words will do.
In Christ’s Love
Tweedlealice
 
Rosey,

If your heart’s in the Catholic faith and you’re planning on joining then definitely begin acting the part.

I’m a convert to the Catholic faith. Once I made that choice to join RCIA then I immediately stopped attending protestant services and rather attended Catholic mass frequently. Very frequently. Learn all you can. 🙂

Remember that you’ll receive communion at your confirmation and not before.

I’m keeping you in prayer for your journey home to the Catholic Church. God bless you, Rosey.
 
It would be a mortal sin for a Catholic to miss Mass for no good reason.

It would not be a mortal sin for a candidate wanting to convert to Catholicism to miss Mass.
He may go and remain in his seat as others go up to receive the Eucharist.
 
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