As Fall RCIA classes begin in many parishes, we’re posing the following question to members of the CHNetwork Community, and readers of this blog:
Once you began considering Catholicism, how long until you were finally received into the Catholic Church?
Some of our members recount a slow process that took a decade or more, others remember a relatively short period of discernment before they knew in their hearts that Christ was calling them to greater relationship with him through his Church.
Please share your responses with us- and please remember in prayer all those who are currently in the process of following the call of God where he leads, no matter the odds!
If you’re part of RCIA either as a candidate or catechumen, or are perhaps an RCIA team member, please check out CHNetwork’s new RCIA page, and invite others to do the same- we have great FREE materials for those who want to know more about how to grow their faith!
I studied Catholic teaching for a couple of years, but I wasn’t really considering joining the Church. I was intrigued by what I was learning and how it contrasted/compared to what I believed as a Christian and what I had formerly believed about Catholicism. Once I realized the truth of Catholic teaching, then I was ready. This was in the spring of 2013. I remember being so disappointed that RCIA didn’t begin until the fall! But my non-Catholic Christian husband was very uncomfortable with the idea of me joining the Catholic Church, so I didn’t start RCIA until the fall of 2014, and was received into the Church at Easter Vigil 2015. I’m so grateful to be home!
It was for a period of two years that I considered becoming Catholic. Media, books and prayer were the instruments of my conversion.
Funny – I was just thinking about this yesterday b/c I still teach RCIA at my local parish and we had an individual try before but stopped. However, she is back this year. Catholicism was under consideration for the better part of 3 years with one false start at RCIA for us. However, the next year Heather and I went through RCIA and we have enjoying our journey towards Christ and the Catholic Church ever since.
When you know, you know. Back when I met my husband, we became good friends for a whole year before we started dating; but once we started dating, we were engaged three months later! Our journey to Catholicism was much the same. We had read about Catholic theology and investigated the faith in ernest for close to two years; but we knew in Spring 2013 that the Holy Spirit was calling us, and we were confirmed in the Catholic Church about three months later.