So far, I have seen only entire communities being accepted into full communion with the Catholic Church. Is there any help for individuals? Specifically, I am Catholic, married to an Episcopalian, (who attends Mass with his Catholic wife and children). He has expressed interest in becoming Catholic, but feels like RCIA is a bit insulting after having gone to religious studies (a lot!) while growing up.
Any google search I do turns up blank. Do any of the Catholic Freepers know any more?
Hi Explorer89,
May I suggest (depending on where in MD you are) that getting with either of these gentlemen’s offices might be a first step to learning more? I’m sure they’ll know where to turn. God bless,
sayuncledave
Diocese of Baltimore MD- Diocesan Parishes
His Eminence William Cardinal Keeler
320 Cathedral St St #1
Baltimore, MD 21201
http://www.archbalt.org/
Diocese of Washington - Diocesan Parishes
His Eminence Theodore E. McCarrick
5001 Eastern Ave
Hyattsville, MD 20782
http://site.adw.org/
Here’s some information that may be useful, if he’d like to be a part of the Ordinariate:
http://www.theanglocatholic.com/moving-forward/
If he’d just like to join the Church without being in the Ordinariate, I’d suggest contacting a local priest whom you trust about private instruction without RCIA. My wife was received in the Church that way. And we managed to avoid Pre-Cana the same way. :)
Has he, has either of you talked about this with your pastor?
Neither my wife nor I had to go through RCIA.
Unless your pastor is, um, less than exemplary, your husband ought to be able to come in and talk it over.
On the other hand, in our RCIA program last year we had a very learned guy who was a cleric in one of the older splinter Anglican groups, I forget which one. He didn’t make the swim, but he found that there was good stuff in the class.
We do not do touch-feely RCIA where I go to Mass. ;-)
Try to have your husband talk to a traditional priest who says the TLM. Many of them will meet with potential converts for private instruction. Some of these people will be determined to have sufficient knowlege and understanding to be accepted into the Church ASAP, without all the RCIA frou-frou.
I’ve seen it happen this way several times. My husband is going this route.
Regards,
PS: Good luck!
Really, RCIA is intended for the never-baptized. See if you can find a priest who can arrange for him to be catechized and received privately.
When my wife and I swam the Tiber 17 years ago our RCIA consisted of a series of breakfasts and lunches with our priest. My impression was that it was his call as to how to structure our transition leading to confirmation. But ours is a fairly small (225 family) parish. In larger churches more structure may be needed due to the time demands on the priest. Whatever it takes, though, it’s sure worth it!