While I await RCIA?

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Hi all, I hope I’m posting this in the right forum. Thanks to this site and the wonderful insight I have gained from it and from reading the Catechism, I finally made the big decision and proposed to my wife we attend RCIA. I spoke with a very helpful woman at the diocese and she pointed me the closest parish. My only problem, RCIA doesn’t begin until September! What should we do until then? I will be discussing this w/ the RCIA director at the church I would like to attend, as well as maybe spilling it to the Catholic members of my family to get their advice. But in the meantime, since I figured there may be a fair amount of converts on this site…

Since I don’t really attend my protestant church anymore, I don’t want to become a regular member again just to dart off at the end of the summer. But, I guess it’s okay for us to just attend mass and hang out in the back???

Second question, I have 2 young daughters, one about to turn 2 and one an infant (5 weeks!). What will this be like for them? The 2 year old hasn’t been baptized yet since that’s not the tradition of our protestant faith.

Thanks in advance for the help!!!
 
Hey, that is great news. I became Catholic 3 yrs. ago. I have never regretted it.

There is so much to learn about the Church depending on your interest, but at first, for me, I tried to learn what I could about Mass.

It really isn’t the most important thing to learn as far as being able to follow along in Mass, but it may help you to feel more relaxed at Mass.

Do you already know the Nicene Creed? Do you already know the “order of Mass”? Do you have an understanding of the authority of the Church? If you enjoy Bible Study, then you could go to Scott Hahn’s Bible Study site at www.salvationhistory.com

Also, do you watch EWTN? I found this to be helpful in learning the order of Mass as well. I hope you enter the Church with a respect for its authority as being founded by Jesus Christ and being built upon “this rock” (Peter as the first “Pope”). For most of us, it takes time to understand Church Authority. We have a tendency to want to keep the Church out of our “private lives”. That is human nature, I think, but you may want to take some time to do some reading about Church Authority and be sure that you are willing to let God into every aspect of your life including sexuality subjects. Hang on and enjoy the journey. I found RCIA to be a time period which changed my life so much. For the better, I might add, but it wasn’t always easy. Society is sending the wrong messages to us and sometimes you have to fight against it, at least in forming your thoughts. Don’t get discouraged and “Be not afraid”.

I do encourage you to go to Mass and try to learn some of the significance of what is going on in Mass. Have fun learning.
 
Hi! Thanks for the reply and guidence. I do know a good bit about the church already. As I mentioned, I do have Catholic amily members already, including my grandfather. His devotion to the faith for so many years has always been an inspiration in my my life. He married a Baptist, however, and my grandmother is who kind of molded the rest of my family’s church life. I do not regret being raised protestant, as I got a great understanding of the scripture. However, I always wished I could have attended mass w/ my grandfather. And, that is one of my goals. Though not of course my main reason for wanting to convert!

Having moved to the city where many of his side of the family live, it’s odd to have nothing but Catholic relatives. However, it’s also inspiring as outside of my mother, none of my protestant relatives have the same zeal and devotion to Christ as most of my Catholic relatives do. Perhaps this is just the result of their Sicilian roots, but…

But yes, I understand the authority of the Church. I actually yearn for it, as my current Baptist faith seems to promote a “Sunday only” attitude.

But you are correct in telling me to learn more about Mass. I regret to say I still know very little.

Thanks for your help!!!
 
Congratualtions on exploring the Faith. The faith is a wonderful journey that has deserts and pastures. Going to Mass is a great way to learn about the Catholic Church. You may be able to talk to the pastor about waiting until September. Since you live in a city, you may be able to ask if the priest or director knew of any other parishes that you might enter RCIA sooner. No matter when it happens, pray always. As for your children (and congratulations on the baby), you should ask the pastor on the parish you plan on attending about Baptism for both of your children. 🙂 Hope this helps. Thanks and God Bless.
 
Our parish has some Catholic info sessions on various subjects. Kind of like pre-RCIA info sessions. Check your local parishes to see what may be going on during the Summer months to tide you over, and hit RCIA with a running start.

Oh, and Congratulations on taking the next step on your journeys!
 
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Brian_C:
Hi Since I don’t really attend my protestant church anymore, I don’t want to become a regular member again just to dart off at the end of the summer. But, I guess it’s okay for us to just attend mass and hang out in the back???

Second question, I have 2 young daughters, one about to turn 2 and one an infant (5 weeks!). What will this be like for them? The 2 year old hasn’t been baptized yet since that’s not the tradition of our protestant faith.

Thanks in advance for the help!!!
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yes, begin attending Mass as a family (we are kid-friendly, some churches have cry rooms, if the 2 yr old is obstreperous you can walk around with her outside. Personally, we just took turns going to different Masses when the kids were small, but it’s your choice. Don’t worry about not knowing what to do, a lot of Catholics don’t either, it is a big failure in our education. The best way to learn is by going to Mass. There is a magazine called Magnificat which has the daily Mass scripture readings, and the order of the Mass so you can follow along the prayers. Missalettes can be confusing. The daily scriptures are also a good place to start with your scripture study and meditation in prep for RCIA. magnificat.com, I think.

your children are considered infants for the purpose of baptism (up to the age of reason, about 7 or 8) so and the prospective godparents will take pre-baptismal classes and baptize both children in due course. Ask the DRE or RCIA director to advise you, since you are already planning on RCIA and therefore can give assurance the children will be raised Catholic you may not have to wait. Depending on the custom at your church, they can also be baptized at the Easter Vigil the same time you are receivined into the Church, but that is a very long service for tiny ones. I recommend the first option. If you don’t have any Catholic friends or family to be godparents, the parish can find good sponsors for you.

good reading while you are waiting: How To Book of the Mass from our Sunday Visitor osv.com
Welcome Home!
 
Thanks for the insights. You were right about the pre-RCIA sessions. I just got an email back from the RCIA director and she says I just missed the first inquirer session but my wife and I can come in one on one with her for that. She says the next meeting is May 24th and there will be monthly meetings up until September. I do have one relative I am particularly close to, my cousin. She is a pediatrician in an established practice and my wife and I use her (even though my wife is a pediatric resident) as our childrens’ pediatrician. Don’t ask! I really need to get with her and see if she attends the parish I plan on attending, since she only lives a few blocks away! I know my great aunt (her grandmother) did and just assumed really.

Oh, and thankfully, the RCIA classes have daycare, which is a plus!
 
Hey…I am a convert. I was in a diocese that at the time of my conversion, started RCIA in September too…but now they are running it all year long at my Parish for people like you and me…so converts can be learning no matter what point in the year they decide to convert…but since that is not available to you, I suggest meating with the Director of Religious Ed and the RCIA director as much as possible and show your interest and discuss topics of interest or things that you have questions about. THere are other classes often offered through the Diocese that you can attend without any requirement of you being Catholic. Also, I highly recommend attending Mass every chance you get. If you are whole heartedly pursuing Catholicism…then you probably already know that we believe missing Mass on days of obligation such as Sundays and Holy days constitutes a mortal sin…unless you are dispensed by reasons out of your control. I also recommend attending Masses during the week any chance you get. You can also purchase a Missal and get a feel for how the Mass is structured…you will also start understanding the readings…which rotate on a 3 year rotation A,B,C. What we are reading in Baton Rouge on Sunday is the same as what will be read in Seattle or Boston…it is really cool. I recommend a few books to you: “Why be Catholic” by O’Malley, “Rome sweet Home” by Hahn, “Catholicism and Fundamentalism” by Keating, etc…quench your thirst for knowledge by reading. Also, you can find the daily readings for Mass online. I also recommend watching as much EWTN as possible…that is my favorite channel in the world. While I was converting, I bought the “Liturgy of the Hours” and a Rosary…and I prayed them regulary. I bought Holy Water fonts and put them up in my house and got Holy Water from my Parish. I also set up a personal prayer area that has a standing Crucifix, votive candles and statues of the Blessed Virgin, St. Michael, and St. Jude. Any questions…please feel free to ask. Welcome Home!!! It is the best journey you will ever make. Oh yeah…also, you can have your two children baptized in The Catholic Church…just contact your priest for the Baptisms…last time I heard, you don’t have to be Catholic in order to have your children baptized in the Catholic Church…also, if you are planning on raising them CAtholic…and you can afford it…I highly suggest enrolling your Children into a CAtholic School.
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Brian_C:
Hi all, I hope I’m posting this in the right forum. Thanks to this site and the wonderful insight I have gained from it and from reading the Catechism, I finally made the big decision and proposed to my wife we attend RCIA. I spoke with a very helpful woman at the diocese and she pointed me the closest parish. My only problem, RCIA doesn’t begin until September! What should we do until then? I will be discussing this w/ the RCIA director at the church I would like to attend, as well as maybe spilling it to the Catholic members of my family to get their advice. But in the meantime, since I figured there may be a fair amount of converts on this site…

Since I don’t really attend my protestant church anymore, I don’t want to become a regular member again just to dart off at the end of the summer. But, I guess it’s okay for us to just attend mass and hang out in the back???

Second question, I have 2 young daughters, one about to turn 2 and one an infant (5 weeks!). What will this be like for them? The 2 year old hasn’t been baptized yet since that’s not the tradition of our protestant faith.

Thanks in advance for the help!!!
Click to expand...
 
You should talk to a priest. You mentioned that you didn’t attend your Protestant church any longer. Are you in fact a baptized Christian? If so, you really aren’t supposed to go through RCIA, if I’m not mistaken. Someone else could perhaps illuminate you more.
 
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Brian_C:
Hi! Thanks for the reply and guidence. I do know a good bit about the church already. As I mentioned, I do have Catholic amily members already, including my grandfather. His devotion to the faith for so many years has always been an inspiration in my my life. He married a Baptist, however, and my grandmother is who kind of molded the rest of my family’s church life. I do not regret being raised protestant, as I got a great understanding of the scripture. However, I always wished I could have attended mass w/ my grandfather. And, that is one of my goals. Though not of course my main reason for wanting to convert!

Having moved to the city where many of his side of the family live, it’s odd to have nothing but Catholic relatives. However, it’s also inspiring as outside of my mother, none of my protestant relatives have the same zeal and devotion to Christ as most of my Catholic relatives do. Perhaps this is just the result of their Sicilian roots, but…

But yes, I understand the authority of the Church. I actually yearn for it, as my current Baptist faith seems to promote a “Sunday only” attitude.

But you are correct in telling me to learn more about Mass. I regret to say I still know very little.

Thanks for your help!!!
Click to expand...
Hey, that’s great! I have Sicilian roots too! By all means, attend Mass regularly starting right now! Find a local parish that you feel comfortable in. Speak to the Priest and explain your situation. He should be able to provide you with suggestions on how to keep yourself occupied until RCIA begins. I’d suggest reading conversion stories. Also - every Monday night at 8 PM, watch The Journey Home with Marcus Grodi on EWTN. You should also become acquainted with the main Catholic Answers site, www.catholic.com. You will see a number of topics linked on the left. These address many of the common questions people have about Catholicism.

You’re on a great journey! God bless, and I’ll keep you in my prayers.
 
I just went through RCIA and am now Catholic. My husband was Catholic. We have a 2 year old and a 6 month old. Neither of them were baptized (husband never got around to it 😦 )

My 2 year old and 6 month old were just baptized yesterday (Sunday). So if you want they can both be baptized together, shortly after you both are officially Catholic.
 
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JKirkLVNV:
You should talk to a priest. You mentioned that you didn’t attend your Protestant church any longer. Are you in fact a baptized Christian? If so, you really aren’t supposed to go through RCIA, if I’m not mistaken. Someone else could perhaps illuminate you more.
Click to expand...
RCIA is for the baptized and un-baptized. The main difference is the un-baptized are received into the church at the Easter vigil, while the baptized can be received at any time. My RCIA journey began in May and ended with my confirmation in November of the same year. It really depends on where a person is at with church teching. I like what someone said earlier regarding having the children baptized if possible. As far as you and your wife, yes, definately attend mass regularly. Get a subscription to Magnificat and learn the order of the mass and start learning all of the responses as well as the creed. And most of all, welcome!

www.magnificat.net
 
Funny, I’m up in Shreveport! Anyway, yes, we met the RCIA director this afternoon. She was very informative and interviewed us, asking questions on religious and family history. She also encouraged we attend mass as soon as we can. I can’t wait! I wish i could hit a weekday one where the crowd is small to get started but our evenings are a little busy for that. I also received a missalette to study the order of the mass and so on. I can’t wait to get started!!!
 
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