5 Reasons People Don’t Stick

Posted on October 1st, 2008

Here, we’ll highlight 5 reasons new Catholics stop practicing the Faith soon after they’re received into the Church through the RCIA process. It’s a sad reality, but it happens more often than we would like to think it does. But have no fear! There are solutions to these 5 reasons and these fixes are given under each reason.

1. People are not brought from their initial motivation to firm conviction.

This pastoral problem is often the result of a rushed catechumenal process wherein participants are moved quickly – without the necessary and proper pastoral discernment – through the rites.  A 9-month RCIA process wherein participants are expected to complete their initiation according to the school year can be a source of this haste.  (See 9-Month vs. Year-Round)

Whatever initial motivation one has for going through the RCIA is a good one because God has used that as a reason to draw this person to himself.  During the process, individuals need to be shepherded in such a way that they come to firmly believe the Faith with firm conviction.  As the profession of faith in RCIA #491 says: “I believe and profess all that the holy Catholic Church believes, teaches, and proclaims to be revealed by God.“  Let’s make sure that this is an absolutely truthful statement when the time comes for it to be said.

2. A lack of pastoral care during the Neophyte Year and beyond.

Often, as unfortunate as it is true, it can be hard to find a Catholic parish that is warm, welcoming, and inviting.  When the newly received and the newly initiated are dumped into the jetstream when RCIA is “over,” they may find themselves miserable.

Ask yourself right now how your RCIA team is caring for those who were received at the past Easter Vigil.  Are you continuing to care for them in a warm, hospitable fashion, helping them as they integrate into parish life?  Is there a “Neophyte Team” that provides something like a weekly Bible study to care for folks for at least one year after they become Catholic?

3. The R.C.I.A. team does not adequately represent the makeup of the parish.

The RCIA team should be comprised of parishioners of different ages and states of life, and the parish priest should be seen frequently – not just by means of an infrequent visit.  The team should be a microcosm of the parish: the parish in miniature.  This will allow for the participants to form relationships with different types of parishioners across the board and feel cared for and loved by their priest.  This time of relationship building is crucial to the pastoral aspect of the R.C.I.A.

Sit down with your parish priest and schedule out frequent visits to the RCIA sessions so that he can administer the minor rites of the catechumenate: blessings, exorcisms, and anointings.  Discover ways of fostering a relationship between the RCIA participants and the priest such as having a meet the priest dinner.  Continually brainstorm of new parishioners who have the gift of hospitality.  At least some of the individuals on the team should be on the team solely to provide welcome, warmth, and fellowship.

4. They do not become liturgical people.

When someone becomes Catholic, they should be able to say to themselves, “I could not imagine living without the Mass and the Eucharist.”  A crucial element within the RCIA process is developing a profound love for the liturgy and its power to transform our lives.  This requires a healthy catechesis that conveys how the Mass is truly heaven on earth!

Introduce the participants gradually to more and more liturgical prayer as they progress through the catechumenate, especially by instructing them in how to pray the Liturgy of the Hours.  Get them “hooked” on the beauty of liturgical prayer.

5. They don’t get the Deposit of Faith delivered to them.

A systematic and organic catechesis is crucial to giving candidates and catechumens a Catholic worldview.  Their catechetical formation should not consist in a pile of many topics.  Rather, it should allow them to see the whole of the faith and how each piece fits together.  In this way, as catechumens progress from session to session, their eyes will be opened, many “aha!” moments will occur, and they will see the “big picture” of the Faith.

They should be taught the faith in all of its “rigor and vigor” to use the words of Pope John Paul II in “On Catechesis in Our Time” (#30).  The reality of sin, the glory of heaven, the uniqueness of the Catholic Church, the necessity of the sacraments, the power of confession, the heavenly motherhood of Mary… our catechumens and candidates have a right to the whole of the Faith in all its integrity.

Tags: Staying Catholic
Filed under Pastoral Considerations |

5 Responses to “5 Reasons People Don’t Stick”

1. Bob Catholic Says:
   October 1st, 2008 at 11:01 pm

   Just a small correction: there are two No 4! Otherwise very insightful.

   Editor’s Note: Thanks Bob – we got it fixed.

2. Joan Seymour Says:
   October 27th, 2008 at 1:29 am

   We’re just starting the RCIA in our parish and I found this article very useful. I love the idea of having a couple of really hospitable people on the team – and it fits so well with the whole idea of loving the Eucharist, the most perfect expression of hospitality!

3. molli vassar Says:
   November 15th, 2008 at 8:32 pm

   All of these reasons are so true, but in our parish, I really think it boils down to #1 becuase you can’t get to #2 if they don’t come back for Mystagogy! We have a Pentacost Mass and picnic, we schedule get togethers for them with representatives of the parish organizations, I call and send cards, but to no avail. So often it is the “catholic” person they live with who really never came to Church much anyway who is the real stumbling block. This is particularly true of those gettting married in the Church who see the RCIA as one more “hoop” to be jumped through despite all our best efforts to counsel them otherwise. Our priest does a great job of making himself seen and available throughout the process and he is very approachable, but sad to say, I think that so often it is “bad Catholicism” that is being caught at home that is the culprit.

4. Catherine Says:
   December 17th, 2008 at 1:33 pm

   It it very true about it boiling down to #1. A person does not have firm conviction if they cannot say, “I believe and profess ALL that the holy Catholic Church believes, teaches, and proclaims to be revealed by God.“ This includes sexual morality which is a huge stumbling block for so many people. It was for me. It wasn’t until 3 years after my baptism that I embraced natural family planning in my marriage after hearing the tape by Janet Smith, “Contraception, Why Not?” The first 3 years after my baptism I was attending Mass only sporadically. I didn’t have a prayer life at all. After stopping contraception, it was like a floodgate was opened for God’s grace to come into my life and marriage. Now 11 years and 5 children later, I have a prayer and sacramental life that is continually growing. I love the Church. I love the Mass. Most of all, I love Christ!!

5. Michael Roger Says:
   July 22nd, 2009 at 12:47 pm

   #3 is prideful vanity and therefore invalid. I would not expect my RCIA team to represent diversity in my church, as in some elected democracy. I only expect truth and firm answers. Give me an answer which is incontrovertible and I have no choice but stay, for I must follow truth.

   Moreover, I think the real reason people might not stick after RCIA is because they are not given Truth in the first place. We’ve got a bunch of deleted theologians doing RCIA who can’t answer tough questions. Of course, it is not true in all cases, but it is true for a lot. We need educated people, and it’s too deleted bad for anyone who says they don’t “represent” their demographic makeup.

   But the other reason people don’t get what they need is because we’ve become too protestant in another area – the megachurch. if people aren’t building relationship it’s more likely because the churches are too deleted big and they make you feel so small. so we need a lot more priests, a lot more. so we can have smaller flocks for those little shepherds.

   the only way to get more priests is to begin with getting more MANLY priests. men are simply not interested in following womanly men. sorry if hurts anyone’s feelings, but it’s true. but if you disagree, then perhaps you’re not being sympathetic enough.

   “It is better to be authentic than relevant” – Pope John Paul II

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