Someone encourage me please!

[Saleen910]

Hi everyone! I am 26 years old and I live in East Texas. Needless to say, the Catholic population is not very large in this part of the world. It also goes without saying that I was born into a VERY Baptist family. (We’re talking, several “hell fire and brimstone” preachers in my blood line, grandfather is a deacon, grandmother plays the organ in church, so on and so forth.) I went to church regularly as a child, fell away in my wild teenage years, and then came back in my early 20s. Well, it so happens that my best friend is a Catholic. I asked her one day if I could accompany her and her family to mass as I have never witnessed a Catholic mass. So I went along and really enjoyed the mass. I had found a church who’s services showed real reverence to God and whose traditions and viewpoints intrigued me. I have since spent the last two years researching and learning all the I could about the faith. Two weeks after that first mass, I met the man who would become my husband, who also happened to be Catholic. Well, it is two years later now. I am happily married and attend mass every Sunday and on every holy day of obligation. I observe lent, pray the rosary, recite Catholic prayers and creeds, and generally consider myself to be a person of Catholic faith. However, I am not Catholic. In order for me to join the Church, I have to have my first marriage annulled by the Vatican and go to RCIA. It is such a large task because of my job. I work until six in the evening after which i have to get my son from the babysitter, help him with homework, get dinner ready, and get my husband, who works nights, off to work. My job is extremely stressful but I cannot afford to take a pay cut to get something less demanding. My husband and I were married in a civil ceremony and after I have to first one annulled and join the Church, I would like to have our marriage blessed by the Church. However, I am having so much trouble getting the whole thing done. And it seems like some of the Catholic I encounter consider me an outsider. For instance, my Catholic co-worker mentioned that he needed to buy some fish for Lent b/c he didn’t have any. When responded that I did as well. He said, “Well you don’t HAVE to because you aren’t really Catholic anyway.” I know I am not “really Catholic” but it still stung because it makes me feel like an outsider everywhere. In the Baptist church, I am now a traitor, and in some cases, a pagan. But in the Catholic church, I feel less of a person the other parishioners. Help me out someone. I feel like a man without a country. Or a woman without a country as the case may be. :banghead: :banghead:

 

[drafdog]

You need to talk to the pastor of the parish where you attend Mass. Call the rectory and ask for an evening appointment. Don’t say that you want to become a Catholic. The secretary will just refer you to the RCIA program director. Discuss your knowledge of the faith with the pastor and get his permission to forgo the RCIA and be conditionally baptized into the Church. The business with the annulment of your first marriage can be done any time after baptism. It generally involves just filling out certain forms which are then sent on to a marriage tribunal which makes a judgment on whether or not the marriage was sacramental according to Church norms. You would do well to get a canon lawyer to help with the forms in order to be as clear as possible for the tribunal. The pastor will be able to help you find a canon lawyer.
God bless, and good luck.
Welcome home, sister mine.

Matthew

 

[Saleen910]

Well, I was baptized in the Baptist church in 2001 and to my knowledge, I won’t be baptized again. I wonder how much I can forgo on just what I have learned on my own and with the help of my friends.

 

[water]

Welcome Saleen to the CAF.

Jesus said “Nothing is impossible to God”. I don’t have a family of my own yet but I know that the vocation of being a parent is such a big and important vocation. There are so many things we have to deal with. One thing that can help us go on strongly is our faith. The more we trust in God, the more joyful we are. Being joyful doesn’t mean being happy because many time we find joy in hardship and suffering.

Going to RCIA is a big step for you but if you know that you are doing this because you love God then you must trust in His care. If the birds in the sky He look after, then how much more He does for us? Many people who know a lot about Christ already still are benefit a lot from the program. In fact, we never stop learning about our faith - it is rich and whole truth.

I believe that your Catholic co-worker did not mean anything in a bad way. I know that he could’ve encouraged you to fast like he does, and that is what you wanted to hear perhaps and that you want to be a part of Catholic faith. – More importantly, if you want to attend RCIA, the most important thing Jesus wants to hear from you is “I trust you.”

God bless.

 

[Rocky]

Have you or your husband joined the parish you have been attending? Even if you have not, talk to the priest there. He will help you. I’ll pray for you and your family tonight.

 

[Gabriel_of_12]

Well, I was baptized in the Baptist church in 2001 and to my knowledge, I won’t be baptized again. I wonder how much I can forgo on just what I have learned on my own and with the help of my friends.

It is recommended to talk to a priest and mentioned your situation, he will be able to direct you.

Any advice you get here needs to get confirmed by your local priest.

One if you are Baptized you need to get your certificate from your past church, or confirm with a priest that you were baptised in the formula Jesus gave the Church. If it was a valid baptism then you are correct you do not need to be baptised.

Secondly, the R.C.I.A program is your best bet to get formal instruction of the Sacraments and be recieved into full communion into the body of Christ.

Annulments can take up to a couple of years depending on your case. In the mean time, if you are recieved into full communion of the Catholic Church, and still no anullment yet, talk to your Pastor, and if you and your husband are willing, live as brother and sister until your validly married in the Church, in order to recieve your sacraments. But you have to let your pastor know if this is acceptible.

 

[1234]

Well, I was baptized in the Baptist church in 2001 and to my knowledge, I won’t be baptized again. I wonder how much I can forgo on just what I have learned on my own and with the help of my friends.

Aleen, are there other churches in your area besides the fire-breathing Baptists and the RC?

Would you consider another Christian denomination, one that would accept your baptism?

When I was a teenager, I and another girl gave free baby-sitting to a couple who were being instructed in our church (Episcopal). I think that a lot of churches would go out of their way to help you into their church if you were interested.

 

[Jerusha]

My understanding is that a Baptist baptism is valid in the Catholic Church, what you are looking for is more knowlege and access to the rest of the sacraments. Child care for people attending RCIA should not be a problem. If a weekday schedule doesn’t work for RCIA for you, maybe you can be allowed to attend at another parish, or take small group instruction.

drafdog is right about the annulment issues. Definitely go to the parish priest first, you have too many other issues to deal with, too.

 

[Pax]

Saleen,

I am going to say a prayer for you. Trust in God, have courage, and persevere.

 

[Maritsa]

You are feeling the pain of separation from the Church intensly because you long for unity with the True Faith. It is easy to resolve.

You and your husband need to stop having marital relations if you are doing so. Your husband needs to then go to confession so that he can regularly receive the Eucharist whose grace you will only benefit from. If you aren’t already, it would be good for you to start praying together every day.

As someone said above, you need to go talk to your priest. Since you are already baptized, you do not need to go to RCIA. You can be received at any time after the priest has determined your readiness. Tell him that it is what you desire.

You can then confess and be Confirmed and also receive the Eucharist.

Then you can start filling out annulment paperwork. The Eucharist will sustain you while you go through that process.

Soon enough, you’ll look back on this time and wonder why you waited so long and how you survived without the graces of the sacraments of Confession, Eucharist, or Matrimony. You have nothing to fear as it can only get better from here.

 

[ralphinal]

Your baptism should be valid. Talk to a priest about the marriage. At that time, talk to him about RCIA. You may be able to come up with a shorter way, if you already know a great deal about the faith.

As far as the being without a home, that is not true. If your heart calls you to the church, you have a home. You are welcome here. Yes, you cannot recieve the sacraments yet, but that will come in time. Live as a Catholic would, pray as a Catholic prays, and eat fish whenever you want. The sacraments are like voting. You can live in the country but cannot vote until you are a citizen. You are welcome in the Church even before you become a full member.

I’ll pray for you. God bless you on your faith journey.

 

[Godlovestrength]

You need to talk to the pastor of the parish where you attend Mass. Call the rectory and ask for an evening appointment. Don’t say that you want to become a Catholic. The secretary will just refer you to the RCIA program director. Discuss your knowledge of the faith with the pastor and get his permission to forgo the RCIA and be conditionally baptized into the Church. The business with the annulment of your first marriage can be done any time after baptism. It generally involves just filling out certain forms which are then sent on to a marriage tribunal which makes a judgment on whether or not the marriage was sacramental according to Church norms. You would do well to get a canon lawyer to help with the forms in order to be as clear as possible for the tribunal. The pastor will be able to help you find a canon lawyer.
God bless, and good luck.
Welcome home, sister mine.

Matthew

Hey Matt that’s sond advice I had my former marrage annuled after 15 years of being alone and a lot of trouble from my former wife.
Sarleen910It’s not such a daunting situation and hey! have patients with your self God works very slowley at times ( me for instance), you will always get satin wanting to disuade by using others, don’t worry about it. Give it all up to God, trust Him pray, ask Jesus to be there, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you.
You know Jesus is a going forward person, that’s the reason why our food goes in the front and the past out the back.
I love your request to become a catholic and the love and faith you are building go forward.
Just put together the points for our former marrage falling apart and if he was a catholic or not. The form of marrage youhad and how he treated you. I have a beautifuo feeling here and hope you will be blessed as I have.
Godbless

 

[puzzleannie]

here each Baptist baptism must be looked at because there are some local churches who call themselves some type of Baptist, but do not have actual water baptism with a trinitarian formula, but different types of “dedication” or “covenant” ceremonies. unless we know the church and pastor we have to consult the diocese after ascertaining the circumstances from the candidate. the congregations affiliated with the SBC have baptism recognized as valid.

ignorant is as ignorant does, as Forrest Gump would say, so don’t pay people no never mind who don’t know what they are talking about. hope as you go further with the process of becoming Catholic you find more welcome, and certainly a hearty “welcome home” from down here on the forum. another famous wit called the Catholic church “here comes everybody” and he was not exactly the poster child for a good Catholic boy (James Joyce). Be prepared for a church of sinners, fools, hypocrites and saints all jumpbled in one package. Guess the wheat and tares will be separated when we go for recycling preparatory to the great resurrection.