Posted on 12/05/2010 3:46:02 PM PST by Salvation
The RCIA Process
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is the process of discerning and ritualizing stages of gradual conversion. Initiation of adults belongs to all the baptized. The process is about a relationship over time with both God and the Catholic community. It is the Church's method of a faith journey of conversion.
The process has no time frame. Conversion occurs on God's time; not our time. The RCIA conversion process consists of four periods. The amount of time spent in each phase is dependent on individual needs and feelings.
The Period of Evangelization or Precatechumenate
The Period of The Catechumenate
At the end of each period, a rite is celebrated to signify the continuation of the process until the sacraments of initiation are celebrated. The rites are:
The Rite of Acceptance (into the Order of the Catechumens) |
The Rite of Election |
Celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation |
You have my prayers. I am giving the person I am sponsoring a Miraculous Medal and a book about Eucharistic Miracles. That should hold him for a time.
As you saw in one of the postings above, a person was lamenting the two year process. I personally think it is a good thing. The gentleman that I am a sponsor for will also be completing his second year.
I’m strongly supportive of a two year wait. There’s so much to learn.
Thank you Thank you! It truly is overwhelming to know that nothing can come between me and God’s love. That joyful thought is empowering because it is true for all....
Thank you again for your good wishes.
The dismissal of candidates for reception into full communion is inappropriate. The dismissal of catechumens is barely justifiable, especially in cases where the catechuman has been attending mass for a time (in the case of the person for whom I am sponsor, 18 years).
I’m not an RCIA minister, however I am part of the ministry at my parish. Right now, I’m helping in the adolescent faith-sharing ministry which, of course, is part of our overall faith-sharing program. We meet after regular mass every Sunday.
I would definitely be available as a counselor or sponsor in future RCIA planning.
I can’t put my finger on it, but he whole RCIA process has become so ... feminized. I feel somewhat sorry for the guys going through it to get married.
One of our candidates also is staying in church rather than going for the dismissal. She has been through the RCIA process once and got a dispensation from the priest to do it again.
Her husband, however, who is coming into the Catholic Church is leaving for the dismissal.
Wow! You’re doing something I don’t think I could do. I could work with high schoolers and middle schoolers in a classroom environment — middle schoolers were better, but I don’t think I would want to do what you are doing. Advent blessings to you.
I suppose my own background makes me less than objective about it, but I don't think catechised, baptized adults should go through the same preparation process that un-catechised, un-baptized adults go through.
I think it de-legitimizes what is purported to be their legitimate entry into the Church at baptism. I'd like to see the Church follow what the RCIA program actually says about those baptized in another "ecclesiastical community" and not make them do any more than is necessary in order to be received into the full communion of the Catholic Church.
God bless you on your journey! I am a convert and went through RCIA two years ago. It was deeply fulfilling - rich with instruction and very welcoming. Holy Week, culminating in receiving the sacraments, was profoundly moving.
I joined our parish RCIA team last year and have been blessed to be allowed to teach several times. Of course, my notes and approach are carefully vetted by my Deacon beforehand, lol. We have an equal mix of men and women on the team, and it has not been feminized to any extent. On the contrary, several of the guys from the parish men’s group are on the team and are very encouraging to our candidates.
YAY!
Wow, not in my parish! Hard core doctrine, a minimum of touchy-feely. Solid teachers, with the possible exception of moi.
I salute you .. still.
Thank you! Advent blessings to you, as well!
Wow! Congratulations to you on your leadership role and the abilities of your RCIA team. You must all be outstanding!
Actually, your attitude is a huge, huge stumbling block to conversion. If you sincerely believe that you have an *advantage* over others because of where you are coming from, then you will stay with your own church because you want to retain that advantage.
Conversely, someone who has the desire to convert will realise that they are *missing out* on true communion with the Catholic church and that it’s a sense of humility to realise that everyone goes through the same process irrespective of their baptism.
This was the change in my attitude from the first year to the second year. Like yourself, I came from an Anglican background but I’d already jumped over to the Mennonites as I was dissatisfied with many of the abuses of the Anglican church.
I hadn’t even realised how much of my opinion of the Catholic church had been shaped by my Anglican background until I went to RCIA.
It really depends on the parish. I had that same experience with my local parish at the time, I ended up going to a different one ran by the current bishop (who wasn’t the bishop at the time).
It was night and day. I never would have come into the church had I not switched. If you aren’t happy with the process you need to start getting involved with the folks who do RCIA. It’s absolutely essential in getting *real* converts.
Of course, one of the things I found absolutely exasperating is the kind and genial boomer who literally said to me before his conversion that he was attracted by the spirit of Vatican II and wanted to change the Church in order to reflect his boomer sacraments of divorce, contraception, abortion, married priests and homosexuality.
This is why it’s so important to have solid RCIA so that these folks are so put off by the process that they rabble rouse elsewhere.
Actually, I'm catholic. I went through RCIA and was received into the full communion of the Catholic Church three years ago.
I don't know much about it (my own knowledge of the nitty-gritty of conversion depending largely on Lucile Hasley's essays written in the 1950s, and in her case -- or "then" --it was apparently strictly individual), but it would seem that the program would have to be to some extent determined by the actual prospective converts who show up.
"Unbaptized" and "uncatechized" don't necessarily mean ignorant -- many prospective converts have put a great deal of study into it before their decision. Conversely, there are many baptized and technically catechized individuals who don't seem to know much.
It does all come down to the actual individuals, and I think it would take an extraordinarily rigid program that doesn't take that into account.
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