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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
RCIA for Christian Protestant	Catelynn	Tuesday, April 25, 2017
Question: I'm a Pentecostal Christian from a non-denominational background exploring the possibility of joining the Catholic church. I spoke with a priest the other day and he said he's going to place me into RCIA and I respect that decision; however, it seems like it's a class set built for those who have no previous experience with Christianity or Jesus at all. I already have the love for Jesus in my heart- I grew up knowing Him, studying scripture, and living a Christian life to the best of my ability. Is RCIA truly something for me, or should I ask my priest about the possibility of entering the church through different means? I'm already baptized (using the trinitarian formula).
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), LTh, DD Dear Catelynn: Welcome to the Church. RCIA is to introduce you to Catholic teaching. You must know what you are getting into with your joining the Catholic Church. We ask that candidates have their eyes wide open before making the commitment. There can be elements that are very elemenatary for those who are not Chrisitian, but those already Christian need to know the things that make Catholicism different than the denominations they came from. A secondary purpose of RCIA is social. It provides a social opportunity, a sense of group or family. When I came into the Church I had been a Baptist minister for 15 years. There was very little that I did not already know that was being taught in RCIA. Those aspect that are particularly Catholic I absorbed very quickly because of my background in theology. I could have been instructed privately for a few sessions and been ready for confirmation, but I have placed in RCIA. That experience was good nd valuable. Settle in, and seek to get out of RCIA that which you may not thought about, or have thought about in a Catholic way. Enjoy the comradery of the group. I know that I "could not wait" to receive my Lord in the Eucharist for the first time, but their is great value in waiting. We all need to learn the virtue of patience. Believe me, the wait in wroth it. Again, welcome to Christ's Church. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

RCIA for Christian Protestant

Catelynn

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Question:

I'm a Pentecostal Christian from a non-denominational background exploring the possibility of joining the Catholic church. I spoke with a priest the other day and he said he's going to place me into RCIA and I respect that decision; however, it seems like it's a class set built for those who have no previous experience with Christianity or Jesus at all. I already have the love for Jesus in my heart- I grew up knowing Him, studying scripture, and living a Christian life to the best of my ability. Is RCIA truly something for me, or should I ask my priest about the possibility of entering the church through different means? I'm already baptized (using the trinitarian formula).

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), LTh, DD

Dear Catelynn:

Welcome to the Church.

RCIA is to introduce you to Catholic teaching. You must know what you are getting into with your joining the Catholic Church. We ask that candidates have their eyes wide open before making the commitment.

There can be elements that are very elemenatary for those who are not Chrisitian, but those already Christian need to know the things that make Catholicism different than the denominations they came from.

A secondary purpose of RCIA is social. It provides a social opportunity, a sense of group or family.

When I came into the Church I had been a Baptist minister for 15 years. There was very little that I did not already know that was being taught in RCIA. Those aspect that are particularly Catholic I absorbed very quickly because of my background in theology.

I could have been instructed privately for a few sessions and been ready for confirmation, but I have placed in RCIA. That experience was good nd valuable.

Settle in, and seek to get out of RCIA that which you may not thought about, or have thought about in a Catholic way. Enjoy the comradery of the group.

I know that I "could not wait" to receive my Lord in the Eucharist for the first time, but their is great value in waiting. We all need to learn the virtue of patience.

Believe me, the wait in wroth it.

Again, welcome to Christ's Church.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum