Should I have a separate Sponsor and Spiritual Director

[DL82]

I am in the process of seeking out a Spiritual Director. I have yet to be confirmed in the Catholic Church, though there are two priests I have been talking to at some length, and a Franciscan friar I have met once.

As an Anglican, I had a Franciscan friar (of the Anglican Society of St Francis) as my SD, and I’d like to keep that connection.

The issue is, there are 3 possible roles the priest/friar could take.

1. Sponsor for RCIA
2. Spiritual Director
3. Instructor for reception into the Church by private instruction.

Can one person be all 3? Most of the people I know who have been through RCIA had a lay friend as their sponsor, someone who was more ‘on their level’. Is this how it’s supposed to be, or can I have a priest as my sponsor? If he is my sponsor, can he also be my SD? Can my SD also give me private instruction if we agree that this would be better for me than RCIA?

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I am in the process of seeking out a Spiritual Director. I have yet to be confirmed in the Catholic Church, though there are two priests I have been talking to at some length, and a Franciscan friar I have met once.

As an Anglican, I had a Franciscan friar (of the Anglican Society of St Francis) as my SD, and I’d like to keep that connection.

The issue is, there are 3 possible roles the priest/friar could take.

1. Sponsor for RCIA
2. Spiritual Director
3. Instructor for reception into the Church by private instruction.

Can one person be all 3? Most of the people I know who have been through RCIA had a lay friend as their sponsor, someone who was more ‘on their level’. Is this how it’s supposed to be, or can I have a priest as my sponsor? If he is my sponsor, can he also be my SD? Can my SD also give me private instruction if we agree that this would be better for me than RCIA?

A Sponsor for RCIA should be a lay member of the parish community. A priest, deacon, or religious could be , but in my opinion except in extreme circumstances should not be.

Generally a SD is not functioning as a teacher or Catechist as the RCIA team members do. RCIA is also a “Small Christian Community” that supports one another. Private instruction does not support this.

 

[puzzleannie]

the sponsor for RCIA accompanies the catechumen each week for the breaking open the Word session, and the various rites that punctuate the process. he also helps involve his candidate in parish life and ministries. A Spiritual Director is someone you meet with periodically, someone advanced in the spiritual life who can guide you in discerning your spiritual growth. You would not ordinarily ask them to do something as demanding as once a week. If there is no RCIA class the pastor will suggest alternatives for your catechetical instruction, although that is not ideal, and is only part of the RCIA process. RCIA involves continuing conversion, integration into the Christian community and parish life, faith and practice, and faith sharing as well as doctrinal instruction.