Help! I am a "never confirmed" Catholic wanting to return to the church

Karen Anne · #1 Apr 27, '05, 11:07 am

Help! I am a baptized Catholic who has had First Communion but was never confirmed. I would now like to return to full communion with the church and want to know how not being confirmed affects my return (if at all).

Karen Anne

elizabeth4truth · #2 Apr 27, '05, 11:27 am

Dear Karen Anne,

WELCOME HOME!!!

I'm a converted cradle Catholic too!!!

I was confirmed at age 32!

We are all led differently to Jesus. I started by talking to a priest and confessing...then came returning to Mass....RCIA class....and Confirmation!

What an awesome gift The Holy Spirit has waiting for you!

Go Girl Go!!!

I'll be praying for you

BIG HUGS!!!

Della · #3 Apr 27, '05, 11:35 am

Not being confirmed will not bar you from returning to the Church. But, as E4T pointed out, you will probably be asked to attend RCIA, which is the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. As a baptized person you would be a candidate for confirmation under that program. Just talk to your local priest or RCIA leader at your local Catholic parish about it.

You may want to go to confession before entering the program just so you can be sure to have any mortal sins confessed so you can return to receiving the Holy Eucharist, which you are entitled to receive as a baptized Catholic.

StephanieC · #4 Apr 27, '05, 11:37 am

Hooray! Welcome HOME! I'll pray for your journey.

That was my situation too. When I finally knew that I wanted to be confirmed, I sat down & talked with my pastor, who told me about the RCIA--Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. I attended those classes and was confirmed at the Easter Vigil of 2000, at age 30. Still makes me emotional, just thinking about it.

My pastor also recommended that I meet with a spiritual director as well, which I did, and found very enriching.

If you don't currently attend Mass at one specific parish, you might call your diocese & ask how to proceed.

God bless your return!

Brendan · #5 Apr 27, '05, 12:24 pm

I would like to clarify a point.

RCIA is probably not the best route for you to take. It is for people entering the Church. You are already a part of the Church.

Technically RCIA isn't even for converts who have already been Baptized

Talk to your pastor and get his advice. Most likely it would be some review, self study and discussion and you would be offered Confirmation the next time your local Bishop comes to Confirm other Confirmation canidates.

godsent · #6 Apr 27, '05, 12:37 pm

I hope you can get confirmed and return to the chuch...god bless

Pug · #7 Apr 27, '05, 1:07 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karen Anne

Help! I am a baptized Catholic who has had First Communion but was never confirmed. I would now like to return to full communion with the church and want to know how not being confirmed affects my return (if at all).

Karen Anne

Hi Karen,

Just go to confession and return to the Church. Presto, you're returned! Start taking the Eucharist, etc. But once you do return, you probably will want to consider getting confirmed. And for that it will vary by parish. They will probably ask you to attend the RCIA classes, but they might not. They could just confirm you next Easter Vigil (along with the RCIA class). You'll just have to talk to your pastor and see.

Pariah Pirana · #8 Apr 27, '05, 1:11 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karen Anne

Help! I am a baptized Catholic who has had First Communion but was never confirmed. I would now like to return to full communion with the church and want to know how not being confirmed affects my return (if at all).

Karen Anne

Welcome Home, thanks be to God.

I was in the exact same situation as you 5 years ago. I would try to find a priest as a spritual advisor who could provide some formation for you. By all means read and study Pillar of Fire Pillar of Truth from http://www.catholic.com/library/Pillar.asp By reading and studying this magnificent little on-line pamphlet, you'll know more than most Catholics about the Church...

Vox Borealis · #9 Apr 27, '05, 8:04 pm

More of the same advice from me. I was in the same boat untl a few years ago: babptized, first communion, Catholic schools through high school, but never confirmed and drifted from the church. I even was married in a civil service.

My wife and I started attending mass in what would become our parish, but we did not receive communion (she was not Catholic). When I decided to come back fully to the Church I went to confession and spoke about my lapse to the priest. After recieving reconciliation I began to receive the Eucharist. I attended RCIA classes (there were a number of similar lapsed Catholics in the class)--not the most rigourous classes but rewarding nonetheless--and I was confirmed.

So, I echo what others have said; you should talk to a priest (if you have been going to a parish, you may want to talk to that priest since the parish may have a specific program they would like you to attend). I have also found that most dioceses have reasonably informative web pages--I'm sure there is a phone number or e-mail you could contact for information regarding RCIA programs in your diocese.

Oh yeah, for whatever it's worth, my wife joined the church a couple of years later, and we had our marriage blessed by the Church.

mexolic · #10 Jun 10, '12, 2:35 pm

Hi Karen...Well if you want full communion with the church,why wouldn't you want to
get confirmed? If confirmed, you'll be sealed with the gift of the holy spirit. Just remember that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the trinity.
Guided and strengthened by the Holy Spirit(third person) and nourished by receiving
Jesus(second person) in holy communion is awesome.

Joe Kelley · #11 Jun 10, '12, 4:42 pm

Some parishes have adult confirmation classes for those who have been catechized and received their First Communion. I developed a 13-week course for our parish which concludes with Confirmation on Pentecost. Our bishop permits the pastors to confirm these.

**jmcrae** · #12 Jun 10, '12, 4:46 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karen Anne

Help! I am a baptized Catholic who has had First Communion but was never confirmed. I would now like to return to full communion with the church and want to know how not being confirmed affects my return (if at all).

Karen Anne

Mention it to your parish priest at your earliest opportunity, and then do whatever he tells you to do (obediently and promptly - some things are time-sensitive). Welcome HOME!!

Cristiano · #13 Jun 10, '12, 5:29 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmcrae

Mention it to your parish priest at your earliest opportunity, and then do whatever he tells you to do (obediently and promptly - some things are time-sensitive). Welcome HOME!!

I truly hope that by now she has been confirmed. The O.P. is dated 2005.

**jmcrae** · #14 Jun 10, '12, 5:40 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cristiano

I truly hope that by now she has been confirmed. The O.P. is dated 2005.

Wow - okay, I don't know how it got popped to the top of my "recent posts" list - but I didn't even think of checking the date on it.

I agree - I hope everything went smoothly!