small rcia class

[MotherofMany]

hello
is anyone else in a small class like i am? its me, 2 other people and the priest! well, my husband also since he is my sponsor.

 

[1ke]

I’m in a small, rural parish. I am the RCIA coordinator, when needed.

For the last two years, I have had one candidate each year. Can’t get smaller than 1.

With three inquirers, you should be able to really get quality time with the priest. That’s nice.

 

[yosephdaviyd]

hello
is anyone else in a small class like i am? its me, 2 other people and the priest! well, my husband also since he is my sponsor.

The class I was in started off with two and ended up with just being me. The priest just made my instruction a re-instruction class for the whole parish. I learned a lot. Have fun and congrats!

 

[puzzleannie]

at any given time we have anywhere between 1 and 24
neighboring parish with active catechetical programs in the colonias has up to 90 all told

 

[MotherofMany]

its really nice but we havent really talked about much yet. i guess we will delve into things later on.

 

[asia53]

its really nice but we havent really talked about much yet. i guess we will delve into things later on.

My RCIA class had one member—me. I worked evenings, and was unable to make the evening instruction class.

So–it was Father W and I. I really enjoyed it, and Father W enjoyed it. We talked a lot.

Just ask a question, Motherofmany, the discussion/learning will go from there.

Bless you, and welcome.

 

[nickybr38]

Depends on what you mean by small.

Myself and my cousin are the only ‘students’. We have ‘seven’ teachers (a number that kind of amused me). SEVEN… and yet with nine people the room still lapses into frequent, long, awkward silences when we’re asked to examine how a particular song makes us feel. HAHAHAHAHAH.

 

[PJM]

hello
is anyone else in a small class like i am? its me, 2 other people and the priest! well, my husband also since he is my sponsor.

WELCOME!

God’s looking out for you

Small class meas far for individual atention.

TRY not to worry about what others MIGHT think. ASK EVERY queston that comes to mind. If the teaching is unclear, ask for clairification.

Your also BLESSED to have a Priest Teacher, a great many classes don’t.

May God guide you and grant you knowledge and wisdom. BOTH GIFTS from God. [1 Cor. 12]

Love and prayers,
Pat

 

[Hailz]

There’s 2 of us… and twice as many instructors! A bit of a contrast to the 50 people in my boyfriend’s RCIA class (over the other side of the world, so I can’t join him unfortunately!) I hated it at first because I am *really *shy and the kind of person who wants to sit and listen without having to speak up. But it’s actually been really good for me being in such a small group - I’ve had to get over my fears and share my thoughts, and become comfortable with asking questions. Another good thing about it is that it’s really flexible - they’ve asked us what we most want to learn about, so that’s been really good!

Question: Are people supposed to have a sponsor? My boyfriend was telling me about his sponsor, which sounds like a really great idea… but we don’t have them. Perhaps that’s just an American thing? (I’m in Australia).

 

[asia53]

Question: Are people supposed to have a sponsor? My boyfriend was telling me about his sponsor, which sounds like a really great idea… but we don’t have them. Perhaps that’s just an American thing? (I’m in Australia).

Hi Hailz,

Sponsors guide you through the RCIA process. I was really fortunate, my sponsor was a good friend of mine. She taught me Catholic prayers, and gave me my first rosary. She was unable to attend RCIA classes with me, as some sponsors do. However, she was right there with me with her hand on my right shoulder, when I was welcomed into the Church.

I don’t know if it’s an American thing. I thought, sponsors were a universal tradition. I’m unsure how things are done down under. Seems to me, you have a question for your next RCIA meeting.

Welcome, Hailz!

 

[MotherofMany]

its been so long, but i am wondering something…do rcia classes usually follow a lesson plan of sorts? this class seems to not really have a set curriculum, for lack of a better word. even so, it is utterly fascinating.

 

[PJM]

=Hailz;7087877]There’s 2 of us… and twice as many instructors! A bit of a contrast to the 50 people in my boyfriend’s RCIA class (over the other side of the world, so I can’t join him unfortunately!) I hated it at first because I am *really *shy and the kind of person who wants to sit and listen without having to speak up. But it’s actually been really good for me being in such a small group - I’ve had to get over my fears and share my thoughts, and become comfortable with asking questions. Another good thing about it is that it’s really flexible - they’ve asked us what we most want to learn about, so that’s been really good!

Question: Are people supposed to have a sponsor? My boyfriend was telling me about his sponsor, which sounds like a really great idea… but we don’t have them. Perhaps that’s just an American thing? (I’m in Australia).

In the Roman Rite a Sponcer is absolutely necesary. You may wish to ask more about this in class. Perhaps it just has not yet been fully covered.

I copied the following from www. newadvent.org/catholicencyclopedia

" Sponsors
The Church prescribes under pain of grievous sin that a sponsor, or godparent, shall stand for the person confirmed. The sponsor should be at least fourteen years of age, of the same sex as the candidate, should have already received the Sacrament of Confirmation, and be well instructed in the Catholic Faith. From this office are excluded the father and mother of the candidate, members of a religious order (unless the candidate be a religious), public sinners, and those who are under public ban of interdict or excommunication. Except in case of necessity the baptismal godparent cannot serve as sponsor for the same person in confirmation. Where the opposite practice obtains, it should, according to a decree of the Sacred Congregation of the Council, 16 Feb., 1884, be gradually done away with. The Second Plenary Council of Baltimore (1866) declared that each candidate should have a sponsor, or that at least two godfathers should stand for the boys and two godmothers for the girls (n. 253). See also prescriptions of the First Council of Westminster. Formerly it was customary for the sponsor to place his or her right foot upon the foot of the candidate during the administration of the sacrament; the present usage is that the sponsor’s right hand should be placed upon the right shoulder of the candidate. The Holy Office decreed, 16 June, 1884, that no sponsor could stand for more than two candidates except in case of necessity. The custom of giving a new name to the candidate is not obligatory; but it has the sanction of several synodal decrees during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The Fifth Council of Milan, under St. Charles Borromeo, insisted that a candidate whose name was “vile, ridiculous, or quite unbecoming for a Christian” should receive another at Confirmation" (cf. Martène). "

We are delighted to hear of your progress!

Love and prayers,
Pat

 

[KarenElissa]

its been so long, but i am wondering something…do rcia classes usually follow a lesson plan of sorts? this class seems to not really have a set curriculum, for lack of a better word. even so, it is utterly fascinating.

A lot of this is going to depend on the teacher and the class. Everyone has a different teaching style, some more formal than others. Some teachers will have a detailed lesson plan with everything organized. Others will have a general idea of where they are going, but not have a ton of details. Obviously the basics of the faith should be covered over the course of the year, but there is no set curriculum that you HAVE to use. It will also depend a lot on the make up of the class, how much catechisis everyone has had.

The first “part” of RCIA is the Inquiry period. It is aimed at the first steps of developing faith and a relationship with God. It will also involve a bit of getting to know where everyone is in their own faith journey. You never know who exactly you will have in your class each year, so planning for the first few weeks is VERY difficult. Some years there are lots of people who know their faith fairly well, other years people may not have a clue, so you never know exactly what to plan for the first few meetings.

Give it a few more weeks. If at that point you are curious about something in particular, ask! And remember, a large part of RCIA is NOT learning all the right answers, but is growing closer to God. So while the “book learning” type stuff is important, it isn’t everything.

 

[Jez1519]

No RCIA for me-just me and me priest. He leaves me to study my faith then i go round and we drink coffee and chain-smoke while discussing what i’ve been studying and the questions these studies have prompted. He’s not going to allow me to be received into the Church unless he’s certain that i’m ready. Unfortunately, converts are very thin on the ground in my neck of the woods. I would’ve liked the companionship of others during this journey but the Lord knows best.

 

[MotherofMany]

my husband is my sponsor…which makes the class harder because we have the baby and the little ones with us…luckily they opened the nursery for us at night and we just have another child watch them during the class. it is really nice and it breaks up the monotony of the week, definitely.