Turn off at entering the Catholic Church

Pmac77 · #1 May 14, '12, 7:24 pm

Hey all!
Me and my dad were having a conversation today on evangelization and different ways it could be done, ideas and problems and such and such. We stopped upon the subject of becoming a Catholic. For evangelization we think its a little ridiculous, to become a catholic while the steps are necessary you must practically give away a year of your life doing it! We think that going through all the steps, baptism, reconciliation, confirmation are essential but maybe could be cut down to be spread across a couple of weeks rather than an entire year.

Imagine a protestant thinking about becoming a catholic and then looking at what it takes, my assumption is that many would be turned off immediately at the entire entry process.

Any thoughts, comments on this? I thought it was an interesting topic to post.

God Bless All!

CalCatholic · #2 May 14, '12, 7:51 pm

Many of the people that come through our parish RCIA program, whether Baptized or not, know very little about Christ, the Trinity or the Bible. We already have enough people in the Church that know very little about their faith (these are some of the people that are lured away by other churches). I agree that there are some people that don't need to be in RCIA as long as those that I just mentioned, but in my experience they are an exception.

feed me · #3 May 14, '12, 7:57 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by CalCatholic

Many of the people that come through our parish RCIA program, whether Baptized or not, know very little about Christ, the Trinity or the Bible. We already have enough people in the Church that know very little about their faith (these are some of the people that are lured away by other churches). I agree that there are some people that don't need to be in RCIA as long as those that I just mentioned, but in my experience they are an exception.

That is why when they get lured away, those denominations end up teaching them the wrong stuff, and they turn on the Catholic Church. We want the people to learn about there faith first, that is why it takes a year so they are strong in it, or at least have some ground in the faith.

Veronica97 · #4 May 14, '12, 7:59 pm

I went through RCIA and it STILL took me another 20 years to really "get" the Catholic Faith. I was arrogant and thought I knew all there was to know. But I didn't realize I needed to continue to study and learn my Faith and grow even after RCIA. Becoming Catholic isn't as "easy" as becoming Protestant. There is A LOT of doctrine to learn and a lot of "WHYS" to be answered. You'd be surprised at the number of Cradle Catholics who do not know the Bible nor really understand the Church teachings. And those are people who have been Catholic all their LIVES! So just imagine all you need to learn as a convert!! I hunger and thirst for knowledge about the Catholic Faith now and I realize that even if I keep learning all my life, I will never know nor understand all there is!!

Maryann C · #5 May 14, '12, 8:10 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by CalCatholic

Many of the people that come through our parish RCIA program, whether Baptized or not, know very little about Christ, the Trinity or the Bible. We already have enough people in the Church that know very little about their faith (these are some of the people that are lured away by other churches). I agree that there are some people that don't need to be in RCIA as long as those that I just mentioned, but in my experience they are an exception.

I understand where the OP is coming from . For me, because I had 'read my way in' and was already convicted (

) the year was a real sacrifice and at times I felt I was there to make sure the lay instructors were not teaching error sadly. Since then I have either been a sponsor or instructor myself and have realised that in 1 year you only scratch the surface with some people. Besides it is not really 1 whole year. We start around September finishing at Easter and there are several breaks and people miss classes.

It is my understanding that in the early Church some people had to take even longer before they were fully confirmed and had all the mysteries of the faith shared with them hence the mystagoge ( sp?)period .

JonathonofOhio · #6 May 14, '12, 8:23 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pmac77

Hey all!
Me and my dad were having a conversation today on evangelization and different ways it could be done, ideas and problems and such and such. We stopped upon the subject of becoming a Catholic. For evangelization we think its a little ridiculous, to become a catholic while the steps are necessary you must practically give away a year of your life doing it! We think that going through all the steps, baptism, reconciliation, confirmation are essential but maybe could be cut down to be spread across a couple of weeks rather than an entire year.

Imagine a protestant thinking about becoming a catholic and then looking at what it takes, my assumption is that many would be turned off immediately at the entire entry process.

Any thoughts, comments on this? I thought it was an interesting topic to post.

God Bless All!

I just recently was a mentor for our Parish RCIA class. The process lasts only around 6 months (there are breaks as the person above me mentioned) and the classes cover a great deal of information in a short amount of time, and is a great learning experience -- even for someone who is Catholic already. Some people were not there many nights due to work or other obligations and they still joined the church. RCIA is not a strict requirement to become a Catholic, although it might seem difficult to get around because it is important to get educated and it will be highly recommended by the parish. An adult who is baptized validly could come to the church, have Father hear their confession and then just go to communion. There is no one stopping them. However, things might get complicated when trying to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation

.

The best way to join the Catholic Church is to attend RCIA. Certainly the group that joined on Easter at my parish didn't see it as a 'turn off'.

littlenothing · #7 May 14, '12, 8:55 pm

Thank you for broaching the topic. I have a slightly different problem with RICA, and I wonder if I am the only one who thinks this. I have seen several go through it and never rerun after Easter. I wonder if they enjoy and feel safe and holy in classes, but then when its time to just be one of the rest of us, get bored. I know 3 people who did this. One became Nazarene, one Church of Christ, and one Baptist. Why? If they simply fell away, id understand it more. Its like they're church junkies, just wanting to be the new member all the time.

Im a cradle Catholic. I know converts seem to like RICA, but we make such a fuss over them nowadays it almost seems like that might not be the best plan. If you really believe, your visits with the priest surely should be sufficient, right?

And when did the Holy Saturday vigil Mass become the day they all get baptized? It just seems more like an introduction to a club rather than instruction in the faith.

Again, I am a cradle Catholic, and things weren't this way when I was a kid. I don't mean to offend anyone.

**po18guy** · #8 May 14, '12, 9:06 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pmac77

Hey all!
Me and my dad were having a conversation today on evangelization and different ways it could be done, ideas and problems and such and such. We stopped upon the subject of becoming a Catholic. For evangelization we think its a little ridiculous, to become a catholic while the steps are necessary you must practically give away a year of your life doing it! We think that going through all the steps, baptism, reconciliation, confirmation are essential but maybe could be cut down to be spread across a couple of weeks rather than an entire year.

Imagine a protestant thinking about becoming a catholic and then looking at what it takes, my assumption is that many would be turned off immediately at the entire entry process.

Any thoughts, comments on this? I thought it was an interesting topic to post.

God Bless All!

The true Church is one that is hard to join and easy to leave. In almost 2,000 years, there is much to learn of the history and teaching of the faith. As a practical matter, what difference does it make if it takes your entire lifetime to become Catholic as long as you truly receive the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ even at your last breath? Ask someone who has gone through the process. It goes by a lot quicker than you would think.

anp1215 · #9 May 14, '12, 9:14 pm

We don't need anymore poor catechized Catholics, God knows we have too many as it is. It takes much, much longer than two weeks to even begin to understand Catholicism for someone who's never studied it before.

Those who have a deep down, heartfelt desire to become Catholics will wait. Someone who doesn't want to be Catholic because it takes almost a year to complete the classes, probably wouldn't be Catholic for very long anyway.

Sherry G · #10 May 14, '12, 9:16 pm

Learning our faith truly is an ongoing experience that lasts a lifetime. Why, just from reading the Bible, you can clearly see how a passage may mean one thing to you at one time or period in your life and something completely new may be revealed to you at another reading. We all have different capacities for learning and different levels and rates of absorption of the material. The RCIA program is an effort to reach people and teach in depth, the tenets of the faith. Some people may truly be able to read, absorb and understand completely on their own. In such cases, it is possible to request a meeting with the parish priest to explore the possibility of entering the church without the standard teaching program. In my experience, those who are truly inspired to come into the Catholic church usually want to learn all that they can in the process. Very few are turned off by the education process involved. Sacred Tradition handed down for 2,000 years is quite a lot of material to cover, wouldn't you say?

**po18guy** · #11 May 14, '12, 9:19 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by littlenothing

Thank you for broaching the topic. I have a slightly different problem with RICA, and I wonder if I am the only one who thinks this. I have seen several go through it and never rerun after Easter. I wonder if they enjoy and feel safe and holy in classes, but then when its time to just be one of the rest of us, get bored. I know 3 people who did this. One became Nazarene, one Church of Christ, and one Baptist. Why? If they simply fell away, id understand it more. Its like they're church junkies, just wanting to be the new member all the time.

Im a cradle Catholic. I know converts seem to like RICA, but we make such a fuss over them nowadays it almost seems like that might not be the best plan. If you really believe, your visits with the priest surely should be sufficient, right?

And when did the Holy Saturday vigil Mass become the day they all get baptized? It just seems more like an introduction to a club rather than instruction in the faith.

Again, I am a cradle Catholic, and things weren't this way when I was a kid. I don't mean to offend anyone.

Adoration. Once you are convicted that Jesus is truly present in the Holy Eucharist, there is no place else to go. Once you understand what is actually occurring at mass (as opposed to what the eye sees), it is astounding. Amazing. Inspiring. Tear producing.

KFRaymond · #12 May 14, '12, 9:23 pm

One of the most important elements of going through the RCIA process (not classes ... no one gets a degree so their is no hurry) is that the Candidate or Catechumen experiences enough Catholic "culture", the Sacraments and all of the seasons of the Church. Once they have been given exposure to all of this information, they are then able to make an informed decision about what it means to be Catholic. Especially for an unbaptized person, it is essential that it takes a year so they experience the seasons of the Church including Ordinary Time, Advent, Christmas, Lent, the Triduum and Easter. This allows them to go through at least a one year cycle and experience the birth, death and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

The biggest reason that RCIA participants end up not remaining with their Catholic faith is that they rush through on a fast-track and don't really experience enough Catholicism to make an informed decision. The process of RCIA should generate a hunger to experience the Eucharist so they can truly understand that the God of the Universe, Creator of all things visible and invisible humbles himself enough to be in our presence and allows us to share in His holy existence by allowing us to receive Him body, blood, soul and divinity into our own bodies. This is a HUGE thing to grasp ... especially if you have been raised to believe that communion is a symbol and not a Real Presence. Why the rush anyway? Besides choosing a spouse, this is the most important life decision you will ever make.

At my parish, most of our RCIA participants that are unbaptized go through an entire year cycle before being received into the church. Baptized Christians from other faith traditions usually end up going to sessions at least 6 months.

To truly understand the beauty, richness and fullness of our Catholic faith, one cannot be fast-tracked to simply join the Church in a few weeks. Just my two cents but anything this important is worth waiting for and understanding as fully as one can!

**po18guy** · #13 May 14, '12, 9:56 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by KFRaymond

One of the most important elements of going through the RCIA process (not classes ... no one gets a degree so their is no hurry) is that the Candidate or Catechumen experiences enough Catholic "culture", the Sacraments and all of the seasons of the Church. Once they have been given exposure to all of this information, they are then able to make an informed decision about what it means to be Catholic. Especially for an unbaptized person, it is essential that it takes a year so they experience the seasons of the Church including Ordinary Time, Advent, Christmas, Lent, the Triduum and Easter. This allows them to go through at least a one year cycle and experience the birth, death and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

The biggest reason that RCIA participants end up not remaining with their Catholic faith is that they rush through on a fast-track and don't really experience enough Catholicism to make an informed decision. The process of RCIA should generate a hunger to experience the Eucharist so they can truly understand that the God of the Universe, Creator of all things visible and invisible humbles himself enough to be in our presence and allows us to share in His holy existence by allowing us to receive Him body, blood, soul and divinity into our own bodies. This is a HUGE thing to grasp ... especially if you have been raised to believe that communion is a symbol and not a Real Presence. Why the rush anyway? Besides choosing a spouse, this is the most important life decision you will ever make.

At my parish, most of our RCIA participants that are unbaptized go through an entire year cycle before being received into the church. Baptized Christians from other faith traditions usually end up going to sessions at least 6 months.

To truly understand the beauty, richness and fullness of our Catholic faith, one cannot be fast-tracked to simply join the Church in a few weeks. Just my two cents but anything this important is worth waiting for and understanding as fully as one can!

Very good insight and well said. To those coming from non-Apostolic faith traditions, it is a noisier and busier culture that they are leaving. It is a profoundly deeper and potentially quieter culture that they are entering. It is the difference between a babbling mountain stream and a placid, but very deep lake. It is a form of culture shock to those that make a sudden jump - the sensory deprivation of a less-animated pastor, more somber music if there is any, no spontaneous praise and virtually no impromptu response to the pastor from the congregation. To sit in silence is a change that must be examined and experienced to be understood. But, once understood, nothing else satisfies.

However, this applies only to certain converts.

JacarandaPurple · #14 May 14, '12, 11:51 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by littlenothing

And when did the Holy Saturday vigil Mass become the day they all get baptized? It just seems more like an introduction to a club rather than instruction in the faith.

Oh.... That would be about the first century AD. Speaking of poorly catechized cradle Catholics.....

Geist · #15 May 15, '12, 5:34 am

I'll admit, RCIA is exhausting. I work 7 days a week and setting aside that one weeknight was tiring, but I did it and am glad for it.

Its almost over and I'm happy about it just so I can not feel exhausted the next morning anymore.

Interestingly much of the "nitty gritty" I learned on my own, it was a very broad process.