Becoming a Catholic or not

jobseeker999

Hi all, I'll try and keep this relatively short! In brief, I am from the UK and have never been christened, I married a Catholic Irish girl over 10 years ago, the only thing the Priest asked of me was that I bring any kids that we may have up as Catholics. I agreed to this and kept my end of the bargain. We now have 2 kids (5 & 8) who we take to Mass every Sunday.
Now my eldest is about to make her Communion and it has me thinking, maybe I should consider doing the same!, however, how should I go about it? I'll be quite honest I do not want to make a big deal about it. My local parish Priest would make a big deal of it and would expect me to come up during Mass every Sunday and out for my 'training' as the kids would do for the Childrens lithurgy!, I'd be absolutely mortified doing this. Is there a way of doing it where it would be a little more 'under the radar' so to speak? Any advice would be appreciated!
Thank you.

_Brian

Could you not just start receiving communion and say nothing ??

Benny_Cake

jobseeker999 wrote: »

Hi all, I'll try and keep this relatively short! In brief, I am from the UK and have never been christened, I married a Catholic Irish girl over 10 years ago, the only thing the Priest asked of me was that I bring any kids that we may have up as Catholics. I agreed to this and kept my end of the bargain. We now have 2 kids (5 & 8) who we take to Mass every Sunday.
Now my eldest is about to make her Communion and it has me thinking, maybe I should consider doing the same!, however, how should I go about it? I'll be quite honest I do not want to make a big deal about it. My local parish Priest would make a big deal of it and would expect me to come up during Mass every Sunday and out for my 'training' as the kids would do for the Childrens lithurgy!, I'd be absolutely mortified doing this. Is there a way of doing it where it would be a little more 'under the radar' so to speak? Any advice would be appreciated!
Thank you.

http://www.catholicireland.net/adult-initiation/

The process for adults is known as RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults). It's a completely different process to that which children go to. Maybe check out the website of your diocese - they should have more information about it there.

Manach

There have been numerous converts to the faith of the year's, I seem to recall the term "Poping" being used to describe it, for Waugh, Newman and Knox. The experience from what I've read can vary depending on how the priest approaches it, so best bet off course get more information, as per Benny Cake's link, but as to ask informally around for one of the more experience priests to guide you along the path to joining the Catholic community.

what a day

What ever you do, go throught with getting christened.


You will never regret it!!

ryan101

jobseeker999 wrote: »

Hi all, I'll try and keep this relatively short! In brief, I am from the UK and have never been christened, I married a Catholic Irish girl over 10 years ago, the only thing the Priest asked of me was that I bring any kids that we may have up as Catholics. I agreed to this and kept my end of the bargain. We now have 2 kids (5 & 8) who we take to Mass every Sunday.
Now my eldest is about to make her Communion and it has me thinking, maybe I should consider doing the same!, however, how should I go about it? I'll be quite honest I do not want to make a big deal about it. My local parish Priest would make a big deal of it and would expect me to come up during Mass every Sunday and out for my 'training' as the kids would do for the Childrens lithurgy!, I'd be absolutely mortified doing this. Is there a way of doing it where it would be a little more 'under the radar' so to speak? Any advice would be appreciated!
Thank you.

It's a wonderful thing when all members of a family can share and celebrate their faith together.

Have a word with your local Priest, or a Priest you feel comfortable with. Tell them exactly how you feel, and make clear your personal wishes to have a low key process. I imagine you'll be offered a course of catechism, most likely RCIA as another poster mentioned. This is for good reason, as it's and important that you actually agree with and believe what Catholicism teaches, particularity regarding the Eucharist.

This process will allow you to find all that out, and ask questions about any aspects you are not sure of, or need more information / clarification on. You can then decide at the end of it if the Catholic faith is for you or not. RCIA courses run from time to time in most dioceses, and the courses themselves are low key, some adult Catholics also take them as excellent refresher courses in the Catholic faith, as there as so many misconceptions and misrepresentation's currently circulating of what the Catholic faith actually contains, and most important of all, why it contains it. You'll have all types of people on a course, from Catholics looking to better understand their faith, to the plain curious of other faiths and none.

You can then decide if Catholicism is for you, or not.
I'm a former lapsed, now returned Catholic, and I find it the most wonderful and deeply spiritual faith there is.
Anyway, whatever you decide, God bless, and best wishes to you on your journey of faith.

katydid

jobseeker999 wrote: »

Hi all, I'll try and keep this relatively short! In brief, I am from the UK and have never been christened, I married a Catholic Irish girl over 10 years ago, the only thing the Priest asked of me was that I bring any kids that we may have up as Catholics. I agreed to this and kept my end of the bargain. We now have 2 kids (5 & 8) who we take to Mass every Sunday.
Now my eldest is about to make her Communion and it has me thinking, maybe I should consider doing the same!, however, how should I go about it? I'll be quite honest I do not want to make a big deal about it. My local parish Priest would make a big deal of it and would expect me to come up during Mass every Sunday and out for my 'training' as the kids would do for the Childrens lithurgy!, I'd be absolutely mortified doing this. Is there a way of doing it where it would be a little more 'under the radar' so to speak? Any advice would be appreciated!
Thank you.

May I ask WHY you want to do this? You don't sound hugely enthusiastic. Is it just for social reasons or have you been looking into the beliefs of the faith?

ryan101

If he said he had looked into the beliefs what would your reaction be ?

katydid

ryan101 wrote: »

If he said he had looked into the beliefs what would your reaction be ?

Well, I'd be more convinced that he was doing it for the right reasons. It sounds to me like it's more for family or social reasons than from a deep conviction that Roman Catholicism is the right path for him. I could be wrong - let's wait and see what he says, if he replies, shall we?

A rather strange questions, I have to say.

katydid

ryan101 wrote: »

It's a wonderful thing when all members of a family can share and celebrate their faith together.

Have a word with your local Priest, or a Priest you feel comfortable with. Tell them exactly how you feel, and make clear your personal wishes to have a low key process. I imagine you'll be offered a course of catechism, most likely RCIA as another poster mentioned. This is for good reason, as it's and important that you actually agree with and believe what Catholicism teaches, particularity regarding the Eucharist.

This process will allow you to find all that out, and ask questions about any aspects you are not sure of, or need more information / clarification on. You can then decide at the end of it if the Catholic faith is for you or not. RCIA courses run from time to time in most dioceses, and the courses themselves are low key, some adult Catholics also take them as excellent refresher courses in the Catholic faith, as there as so many misconceptions and misrepresentation's currently circulating of what the Catholic faith actually contains, and most important of all, why it contains it. You'll have all types of people on a course, from Catholics looking to better understand their faith, to the plain curious of other faiths and none.

You can then decide if Catholicism is for you, or not.
I'm a former lapsed, now returned Catholic, and I find it the most wonderful and deeply spiritual faith there is.
Anyway, whatever you decide, God bless, and best wishes to you on your journey of faith.

By the way, Ryan, please be accurate. It's not Catholicism we're talking about here, it's Roman Catholicism. A very different kettle of fish. I can understand this person not realising that all Catholics are not Roman Catholics, but as someone who has returned to the denomination, you'd think you'd be aware of the difference.

ryan101

Can you explain to us the differences between Catholicism and Roman Catholicism ?

katydid

ryan101 wrote: »

Can you explain to us the differences between Catholicism and Roman Catholicism ?

I should have thought it was obvious. Roman Catholicism is the version of Catholicism that is controlled from Rome...

ryan101

Which church are you a member of ?

newmug

katydid wrote: »

I should have thought it was obvious. Roman Catholicism is the version of Catholicism that is controlled from Rome...

Roman Catholicism is what everyone means when they refer to "Catholicism". It is the true Christianity, it just had to be given a label after the reformation because now we had "other Christians". When people refer to Anglican Catholics etc., they are NOT true Catholics / Roman Catholics. Its like the proper brand of crisps called "McCoys" being compared to the Lidl ripoff "McKennedys".

katydid

newmug wrote: »

Roman Catholicism is what everyone means when they refer to "Catholicism". It is the true Christianity, it just had to be given a label after the reformation because now we had "other Christians". When people refer to Anglican Catholics etc., they are NOT true Catholics / Roman Catholics. Its like the proper brand of crisps called "McCoys" being compared to the Lidl ripoff "McKennedys".

No, it's not. I'm Catholic, but I'm not Roman Catholic. If people use a word wrongly, it doesn't make the word right.

It's your OPINION it's "the true Christianity". Do you think that Christ would approve of "true Christians" ghettoising other Christians..

katydid

ryan101 wrote: »

Which church are you a member of ?

The Anglican church, which is also a Catholic church.

We are all Christians at the end of the day.

ryan101

katydid wrote: »

We are all Christians at the end of the day.

That's correct, and yet the vast majority of your contributions to this forum have only been to criticise one denomination, which is a great pity for a Christian.

katydid

ryan101 wrote: »

That's correct, and yet the vast majority of your contributions to this forum have only been to criticise one denomination, which is a great pity for a Christian.

Most of the topics on this forum are about one particular denomination; and there's a lot to criticise about it, unfortunately. Do you think people should not criticise the RC church when there is so much to criticise?

Benny_Cake

Mod: Katydid & Ryan101: I think this thread stopped being about the OP's question a few posts back. If you want to debate Catholicism v Protestantism generally, there is a megathread devoted to that very topic. Please read the OP before posting on that thread - thanks.

katydid

Benny_Cake wrote: »

Mod: Katydid & Ryan101: I think this thread stopped being about the OP's question a few posts back. If you want to debate Catholicism v Protestantism generally, there is a megathread devoted to that very topic. Please read the OP before posting on that thread - thanks.

No problem...but it is important in a forum like this that posts be accurate. Catholicism is NOT the same as Roman Catholicism. It is insulting to other Catholics to use the term "Catholic" when referring to Roman Catholics; I think it's fair enough to object and point out the inaccuracy.

Benny_Cake

katydid wrote: »

No problem...but it is important in a forum like this that posts be accurate. Catholicism is NOT the same as Roman Catholicism. It is insulting to other Catholics to use the term "Catholic" when referring to Roman Catholics; I think it's fair enough to object and point out the inaccuracy.

Getting into semantics here I think. Roman Catholic and Catholic are used interchangeably in Ireland, rightly or wrongly. No offence was intended in the case of the OP, we all knew what he meant.

That's not to deny that Anglicans, Lutherans and many others identify, rightly in my view, as part of the Catholic church, be it with a large or a small-c. That's before we get to Orthodox Christians or eastern Catholics such as members of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

Probably an interesting topic for the megathread actually, but irrelevant to the OP. In any case his question was answered so I'll close - if you want me to reopen the thread let me know OP.