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. [Click here to read the rest of this entry… » ]

Tags: Staying Catholic
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