Becoming a Catechumen

Rilian · Mar 26, 2004

I'm curious to hear from any converts about the catechumen process. Specifically about arriving at the decision to become a catechumen and how long it took before you felt like you were ready to be chrismated.

Just for some background info, I've been attending Orthodox services regularly for about three months, but I'm still what I would guess would be called an inquirer.

Any information would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

Patristic · Mar 26, 2004

I'm still a catachumen slated to be Chrismated in the summertime before I leave for law school. There is really no set procedure or timeline for the process, but each person is brought into the Church on an individual basis depending on the variety of needs or education each person requires. Since you have been attending Liturgy for several months, I am assuming you feel comfortable in the Church and intend to see this process through to the end. Just tell your priest you would like to enter the Church and he will establish time for personal contact so he can see how much assistance you require.

vanshan · Mar 26, 2004

This would be up to the discretion of your priest. I was never formally made a catachumen. I attended services awhile and said, "I would like to be chrismated." I told my priest a week before, then was chrismated on Holy Saturday. It's good to be familiar with Orthodoxy so you know what you're getting into, but all your questions will never be answered. Also, the faith does not depend on an intellectual understanding of everything, just a humble heart that is willing to accept the faith of Christ.

Orthosdoxa · Mar 26, 2004

Welcome Rilian!

Like everything else in Orthodoxy, there is little that is one size fits all. It depends on where you are in the journey and what is best for you. It took me a year and a half, it took my fiance only 6 months. As the others said, talk to the priest.

Christy4Christ · Mar 26, 2004

Oh my goodness, can someone please explain this whole thing to me? It sounds very interesting!

Philip · Mar 26, 2004

Christy4Christ said:
Oh my goodness, can someone please explain this whole thing to me? It sounds very interesting!

A Catechumen is a person preparing to enter the Orthodox Church. It is roughly parallel to be in a CCD class for the Catholic Church.

Christy4Christ · Mar 26, 2004

Oh I see...thank you

Matrona · Mar 26, 2004

Christy4Christ said:
Oh my goodness, can someone please explain this whole thing to me? It sounds very interesting!

A catechumen is someone preparing to be received into the Orthodox Church, whether by baptism and chrismation, or just chrismation. (Someone who has been baptized in the name of the Trinity before, generally doesn't need to be baptized again.) An Orthodox catechumen can't receive communion, of course, but his/her name is added to the Litany of Fervent Supplication. Also, the catechumens are called to the front at a certain point to be prayed over by the priest and the parish.

Becoming a catechumen symbolizes the candidate's resolve to study for being received into the Church, and the parish and the priest's resolve to help the catechumen in any way that is needed. A catechumen isn't forced to enter the Orthodox Church, of course, but it's a way for a candidate to publicly declare his/her intention to join the Church.

I was a catechumen for a grand total of three months. I was received into the catechumenate on Super Bowl Sunday, and baptized the following Pascha. (When the Holy Spirit calls, you gotta accept the charges. )

If I'm not mistaken, a person preparing to be baptized and confirmed in the Catholic Church is also called a catechumen. But a person who only needs to be confirmed is called something else (a candidate?).

Rilian · Mar 26, 2004

Thanks for the welcome and the replies. I have actually talked to the priest at the mission Ive been attending and he told me just to let him know when I would like to go ahead and become a catechumen.

To give a bit more information, I have to admit that I have pretty much read myself into Orthodoxy although most people rightly advise that thats probably not the way to do it. I had a real crisis of faith starting about a year ago regarding most of my core beliefs in things like the fall, the authority and handling of the Bible, justification, reprobation, the atonement, and the sacraments (just to name a few). I also increasingly had the feeling that the worship I was used to was just something I was observing and not participating in. During all of this I started to read a fair amount of patristic writing which I have to admit for the most part I had ignored in the past. It was in reading about the Trinity, particularly as expounded by Saints Athanasius and Gregory of Nyssa, that this doctrine for the first time to me made clear and absolute sense. That was kind of the light that went on in my head and that got the ball rolling as it were.

Anyhow, the second mistake was instead of telling my wife that I was unhappy with our church and easing her in to the idea of changing, I basically just sprang it on her that I felt like I had to leave. Not the best way of doing this I can tell anybody now! After a few days of some heated discussion she was much more open to the idea. She has done some reading, but is still uncomfortable with some things like prayer to saints, the perpetual virginity of Mary and confession. I dont want to become a catechumen until were both ready, so I think were still a little ways away. Right now were trying to do a modified fast for Lent which is going pretty well (aside from the fact that I feel utterly helpless in fasting from sin). My feeling right now is that if/when we become catechumens, we should wait at least a year before Chrismation.

Christy4Christ · Mar 26, 2004

Yeah I think that is right. That would be me, I am supposed to be confirmed on Easter..

Philip · Mar 26, 2004

Rilian said:
To give a bit more information, I have to admit that I have pretty much read myself into Orthodoxy although most people rightly advise that thats probably not the way to do it.

I would agree with this. I too start towards Orthodoxy through reading. However, it was not until I began trying to live Orthodoxy that I truly began to understand.

Right now were trying to do a modified fast for Lent which is going pretty well (aside from the fact that I feel utterly helpless in fasting from sin).

Do not worry -- this is the (or at least a) point of the fast. It is spiritual exercise. As you fast, you increase your ability to control your desires for food. As this strength grows, you can extend it to controling other desires.

Rilian · Mar 26, 2004

On your first point Philip, I definitely agree. I came up with a year as the time to wait so we could go through the whole cycle of services and life of the church. I want to take things in measured steps and not try to be SuperConvert. Our priest, also a convert, has been a big help and his advice all along has been to take things slowly. I really view this not as just changing churches, but something more. In some ways it seems like as big and profound a commitment as getting married. Going through Lent so far has been very instructive. I can say that after attending my first liturgy of the presanctified gifts I felt like there was no going back. I've never felt such an overpowering expression of reverence and repentance as in that service. I'm really impatient to see what Holy Week and Pascha are like.

Matrona, I got a kick out of your story. Thanks for sharing it.

Patristic · Mar 26, 2004

I was just a little curious about the distinction between these two terms. My priest has never referred to me before as a catachumen, but calls me a neophyte. I was wondering if there is a difference between the two terms. Is catachumen reserved for someone who has never formally been a Christian in another denomination and has not received baptism? Or are the two terms interchangeable and synonomous? I never thought of this distinction until now.

Michael G · Mar 26, 2004

Rilian said:
I'm curious to hear from any converts about the catechumen process. Specifically about arriving at the decision to become a catechumen and how long it took before you felt like you were ready to be chrismated.

Just for some background info, I've been attending Orthodox services regularly for about three months, but I'm still what I would guess would be called an inquirer.

Any information would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

From the time that I attended my first Divine Liturgy until the day I was Chrismated was 3 years. From the time that I began attending Byzantine Divine Liturgy (while still Roman Catholic) until the day I was Chrismated was about 2 1/2 years. Once I met with an Orthodox priest and told him I wanted to be Chrismated it was about 6 months. But, by that point, much of the learning about what Orthodoxy taught and did had already been done, and I just needed to get over my hang up with the Pope and then wait until Palm Sunday to be Chrismated. I am working on my conversion story which will explain all of this, but please be patient, because there is alot to explain.

Rilian · Mar 29, 2004

Thanks Iconographer, I read the first part of you conversion story and found it very interesting.

I e-mailed the pastor of our former church and told him as nicely as I could that we wouldn't be coming back. I'll wait for my wife to catch up, but I'm ready to become a catechumen now.

Eusebios · Mar 29, 2004

Rilian said:
I e-mailed the pastor of our former church and told him as nicely as I could that we wouldn't be coming back. I'll wait for my wife to catch up, but I'm ready to become a catechumen now.

Excellent news, you will be in our prayers.
His unworthy servant,
Eusebios.

Michael G · Apr 3, 2004

Rilian said:
Thanks Iconographer, I read the first part of you conversion story and found it very interesting.

I e-mailed the pastor of our former church and told him as nicely as I could that we wouldn't be coming back. I'll wait for my wife to catch up, but I'm ready to become a catechumen now.

I will keep you in my prayers. Today is the 5th anniversary of my Chrismation. May God guide you on your journey.

Photini · Apr 3, 2004

Rilian said:
To give a bit more information, I have to admit that I have pretty much read myself into Orthodoxy although most people rightly advise that thats probably not the way to do it.

I believe you will find that many Americans "read" themselves into Orthodoxy. This is what I also did. Part of the reason for this was that my church is nearly an hour away. Furthermore, our priest lives two hours away from the parish, so we don't have many services that other parishes have. Ours is very small and there's not a catechism class or inquirers class yet. I was baptised almost a year ago...and am only just now realizing the vows I made in Baptism. I'm only just scratching the surface of what it is to live Orthodoxy...which is very very difficult. The statement in the book I have that "to be Orthodox is to be crucified" is in a small way becoming a realization for me.

ThereseTheLittleFlower · Apr 4, 2004

That's cool that people who are converting to Orthodox is also called a Catechumen, are people who are baptized in another faith, and converting to Orthodox called Canidates like in Catholicism?

God Bless!

Renee

<---- That's the Pope! Not a priest!

Confirmation and First Communion Countdown: 1 Week Left

MariaRegina · Apr 4, 2004

ThereseTheLittleFlower said:
That's cool that people who are converting to Orthodox is also called a Catechumen, are people who are baptized in another faith, and converting to Orthodox called Canidates like in Catholicism?

God Bless!

Renee

<---- That's the Pope! Not a priest!

Confirmation and First Communion Countdown: 1 Week Left

Within Orthodoxy, all candidates for Holy Baptism and Holy Chrismation (Confirmation) are usually called catechumens.

Even within Catholicism, if you check the CCC, you will find that baptized Catholic youth undergo a study of the catechism which is what the catechumens study. Just semantics!

Becoming a Catechumen

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