H
holdencaulfield
Guest
Yes good point.
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B
bilop
Guest
I would go to Mass, preferably the last one of the day, and wait for the priest afterwards. Ask him to help you get the ball rolling.
God Bless!
H
holdencaulfield
Guest
Yes, that is a good idea. Besides then you will see if you even like that particular parish.
B
Br.Rich_SFO
Guest
RCIA is not optional in the US. It is the process that every diocese and parish is to follow. That is not to say that there might not be exceptions due to special individual circumstances, but the NORM is the RCIA fo Catechumens and a process like RCIA for Candidates.It could be either or both. It seems common in my area too.
RCIA is optional.
You can enter the Church via private meetings/lessons with a priest also.
H
holdencaulfield
Guest
Yes, however the RCIA is doesn’t always have to be the same.
M
Marsha_Adams
Guest
I was baptized and confirmed on 1/1/81 after being personally instructed by a priest. If I had been sent to RCIA I would probably never have become Catholic because the RCIA classes that ran across shortly after my conversion were barely Catholic, all fluff - no dogma.
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holdencaulfield
Guest
I think however that what you did is considered RCIA. I have a strong dislike for the RCIA as well, mostly from hearing stories.
L
living_water
Guest
As others have said, there’s probably a very good reason why you were not immediately contacted. Try not to take it personally even though I am sure it is frustrating and feels very un-welcoming.
RCIA just ended and doesn’t start again until August, so the director may be on hiatus. In the meantime, just go to Mass on your own. When it comes time for communion, either stay seated when others go through the line or ask someone at the parish if it is acceptable to go through the line for a blessing. If it is, go to the priest and cross your arms over your chest as if you are a child who has not taken first communion. SOME parishes encourage this from catechumates, candidates, and lapsed Catholics who cannot receive the sacraments for some reason or other. The priest will give you a blessing if your parish allows.
The Devil will attempt to discourage you for the next year! Have not doubt about it! Remain vigilant and endure until the end.
RCIA just ended and doesn’t start again until August, so the director may be on hiatus. In the meantime, just go to Mass on your own. When it comes time for communion, either stay seated when others go through the line or ask someone at the parish if it is acceptable to go through the line for a blessing. If it is, go to the priest and cross your arms over your chest as if you are a child who has not taken first communion. SOME parishes encourage this from catechumates, candidates, and lapsed Catholics who cannot receive the sacraments for some reason or other. The priest will give you a blessing if your parish allows.
The Devil will attempt to discourage you for the next year! Have not doubt about it! Remain vigilant and endure until the end.
B
Br.Rich_SFO
Guest
No, it does not have to be a cookie cutter process but must follow the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.
B
Br.Rich_SFO
Guest
I would agree that not all are perfected yet.
C
CalifMomma
Guest
I don’t think there is really any right answer. But if you have called multiple times with no response I would seriously look into other options.
I was in RCIA for a few months at our local parish when I started having concerns about why we weren’t being taught anything. It was all very strange. When I made many attempts to contact the priest by phone and email about it and never got any response I started feeling very frustrated and let down.
I knew he got my messages because the RCIA instructor told me the Father received my email. He also ran into me at a church event and stammered about trying to make an excuse why he never called me back. It was very uncomfortable for him and for me.
I know priests are extremely busy and I never expected a prompt call back. But after four weeks of calling and a few emails I gave up. My attitude became if they don’t care about me why should I care about them. Horrible I know. I have no bad feelings about it anymore and keep the parish in my praryers.
I have since joined an RCIA program at a larger church and have been loving it ever since. The new class is year-round, and I have been learning so many wonderful things. I’m basically not leaving class wondering what was going on like I did at the other church. I also have felt so much more welcome in the class as well as during Mass. It’s been a very positive experience.
Do what you feel is right in your heart. Maybe another church will be a better fit for you.
Best of luck to you!!
I was in RCIA for a few months at our local parish when I started having concerns about why we weren’t being taught anything. It was all very strange. When I made many attempts to contact the priest by phone and email about it and never got any response I started feeling very frustrated and let down.
I knew he got my messages because the RCIA instructor told me the Father received my email. He also ran into me at a church event and stammered about trying to make an excuse why he never called me back. It was very uncomfortable for him and for me.
I know priests are extremely busy and I never expected a prompt call back. But after four weeks of calling and a few emails I gave up. My attitude became if they don’t care about me why should I care about them. Horrible I know. I have no bad feelings about it anymore and keep the parish in my praryers.
I have since joined an RCIA program at a larger church and have been loving it ever since. The new class is year-round, and I have been learning so many wonderful things. I’m basically not leaving class wondering what was going on like I did at the other church. I also have felt so much more welcome in the class as well as during Mass. It’s been a very positive experience.
Do what you feel is right in your heart. Maybe another church will be a better fit for you.
Best of luck to you!!
L
Leslee68
Guest
I do sympathise that you may be feeling hurt or upset because you have not been contacted. I am the Co-ordinator for RCIA in my Parish and I know that my parish priest has several names to pass on to me for RCIA starting in September. However, we are still meeting weekly with our new Catholics, and will continue to meet with them weekly until the Neophytes Mass near the end of May. We then will have a day retreat for Catechists where we will spend some time in prayer and review our programme to see where we feel it should be changed and improved. We will then have a break where we are under strict instructions from our Parish Priest to “forget about RCIA” for a few weeks.
I will then contact those people who have expressed an interest in joining RCIA next September.
It could be that you are not being ignored but people coming to the end of a long haul just need some R&R. I know that we have had a very long haul this year, among our new catholics we had a lady who lost her child at six months and somebody who had terminal cancer who died shortly after Easter. It all takes a toll on us you know.
I will then contact those people who have expressed an interest in joining RCIA next September.
It could be that you are not being ignored but people coming to the end of a long haul just need some R&R. I know that we have had a very long haul this year, among our new catholics we had a lady who lost her child at six months and somebody who had terminal cancer who died shortly after Easter. It all takes a toll on us you know.
J
jmcrae
Guest
Since the people on your list have no way of knowing this, wouldn’t it be a kindness to make a quick call to each of them to let them know that they are, in fact, on your list, and that you will contact them again when you have more information about the starting date in September for their RCIA program?
That just seems like common courtesy, to my way of thinking.
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Leslee68
Guest
They have been told by the Parish Priest they will be contacted before the RCIA starts up in September. I don’t have any details until the Parish Priest lets me have them. I will contact them within 24 hours of being given the information.
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Br.Rich_SFO
Guest
I don’t see how your pastor or team can allow these Inquirers to just hang there for 4 months? Inquiry should start for them NOW! Even if it is just informal and every other week during the summer months.
J
jmcrae
Guest
I agree, and in fact I think there should be a separate team dedicated specifically to Inquiry, where people are welcome to “drop in” any time of the year and get their initial questions answered.
Even if all you can do is a six-month RCIA that starts in September and finishes at Easter, you can have a gathering place for the Inquirers year-round, where they can hang out, or not, as they please, get information about their particular situations and get going on things like applying for a Declaration of Nullity, or finding out that they need to move out from their boyfriend or girlfriend, when where and how to start going to Mass, other events in the Church that may be of interest to them such as Bible studies, Life in the Spirit, or Inn from the Cold that they might like to get started with.
Of course, the “danger” with it is that by the time they actually get to RCIA, they might be better informed and more active than the RCIA catechist - I may be crazy (people have said that they think so), but I actually consider that to be a “good” problem to have.
L
Leslee68
Guest
In an ideal world yes, I agree. However we have three catechists, we have made many pleas in the Parish for people to help and no one has volunteered. There is only so much that three people can do. It has been explained to the Inquirers that they will be contacted in a few weeks - not four months. As soon as I am given their names I will contact them. Please be aware that I spend many hours working on RCIA,I also have a full time job and a family. We are only human here.
J
JimR-OCDS
Guest
The OP needs to talk with the pastor about his desire to become Catholic. For all we know, the current director of RCIA, just retired, and the priest is in the process of getting a new person or team to take over.
On thing the OP must learn, in joining the Catholic Church, be patient. Things in the Church, don’t move as fast as in the secular world.
Jim
On thing the OP must learn, in joining the Catholic Church, be patient. Things in the Church, don’t move as fast as in the secular world.
Jim
A
anamchara
Guest
Many parishes including ours has year around inquirers and RICA classes in our diocese. I’ve never heard of a person not being contacted for that long. It does sound like they are in some sort of transition, possibly the person who used to the calling isn’t doing it anymore etc. The message the OP left might have been erased due to clerical error. The priest doesn’t check his email or gets so much spam that he might have deleted the emails. There could be lots of different reasons.
If it were me, I’d call again durning thier office hours and ask to make appointment with the priest to get the ball rolling. Don’t give up with just a phone call and an email.
Honestly, I think it’s awful someone didn’t get back to the OP. There’s really no excuse unless you didn’t get the messages as I suggested. I can understand a week or after 2 weeks, I’d start calling again.
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anamchara
Guest
I didn’t see this post
if you are only trying to contact the RICA person then that might be your problem. You need to call the parish office.- Status