Paying for RCIA?

[WarriorAngel]

Go to another Church and ask.
I wouldnt pay for it - you are not supposed to.

 

[G19shooter]

I'll be going elsewhere. Thank you all for your input.

 

[Dylan Michael]

I would say that charging for books may be reasonable, but charging $150 seems a little high, even for books.

 

[Rhamiel]

I would say that charging for books may be reasonable, but charging $150 seems a little high, even for books.

yeah

I mean, the parish should cover the cost of books
but a lot of parishes are struggling financially so having people in RCIA pay for their own books might be a "necessary evil"
but I have never heard of charging $150, that just seems crazy

 

[Michie]

I am a little surprised, but I can understand that if the parish is having serious financial problems that it might make sense to have people buy their own materials
but even at this, it would not cost $150

I don't know why it's surprising. You get weekly copies of RCIA papers to study. You have an option to buy a Catechism but it is not required. We even got a rosary. To charge for something that should be free, coming into the fullness of faith... is nothing short of shameful. That's like a protestant Church requiring fees for a Bible study. It's horrible. A terrible witness & looks like the dollar is more important than souls. People are going to RCIA to become closer to God. They are not taking ELM courses. If I was asked for money so I could come into the fullness of faith I would had walked out. RCIA is the barest of basics & there is no reason whatsoever no matter how strapped the parish is that they charge fees for RCIA. I cannot tell you how much this disturbs me.

 

[Dylan Michael]

I don't know why it's surprising. You get weekly copies of RCIA papers to study. You have an option to buy a Catechism but it is not required. We even got a rosary. To charge for something that should be free, coming into the fullness of faith... is nothing short of shameful. That's like a protestant Church requiring fees for a Bible study. It's horrible. A terrible witness & looks like the dollar is more important than souls. People are going to RCIA to become closer to God. They are not taking ELM courses. If I was asked for money so I could come into the fullness of faith I would had walked out. RCIA is the barest of basics & there is no reason whatsoever no matter how strapped the parish is that they charge fees for RCIA. I cannot tell you how much this disturbs me.

If I were converting to Catholicism, having to pay $150, I would most likely not go through

 

[Michie]

If I were converting to Catholicism, having to pay $150, I would most likely not go through

Exactly.

What about those that cannot afford 150.00?

I always said I would never write a Bishop but if this was happening in my parish I'd be sending letter after letter.

 

[Dylan Michael]

I don't know why it's surprising. You get weekly copies of RCIA papers to study. You have an option to buy a Catechism but it is not required. We even got a rosary. To charge for something that should be free, coming into the fullness of faith... is nothing short of shameful. That's like a protestant Church requiring fees for a Bible study. It's horrible. A terrible witness & looks like the dollar is more important than souls. People are going to RCIA to become closer to God. They are not taking ELM courses. If I was asked for money so I could come into the fullness of faith I would had walked out. RCIA is the barest of basics & there is no reason whatsoever no matter how strapped the parish is that they charge fees for RCIA. I cannot tell you how much this disturbs me.

If I were converting to Catholicism, having to pay $150, I would most likely not go through

 

[ebia]

Just curious if it is normal to have to pay for RCIA classes? The parish I am interested in taking the classes at wants $150.

Gobsmacked.

Do they think the disciples sold tickets for people to hear the sermon on the mount?

 

[WarriorAngel]

CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Simony

This would be a question for another Church to answer.

Simony is usually defined "a deliberate intention of buying or selling for a temporal price such things as are spiritual of annexed unto spirituals". While this definition only speaks of purchase and sale, any exchange of spiritual for temporal things is simoniacal. Nor is the giving of the temporal as the price of the spiritual required for the existence of simony; according to a proposition condemned by Innocent XI (Denzinger-Bannwart, no. 1195) it suffices that the determining motive of the action of one party be the obtaining of compensation from the other.

The various temporal advantages which may be offered for a spiritual favour are, after Gregory the Great, usually divided in three classes. These are: (1) the munus a manu (material advantage), which comprises money, all movable and immovable property, and all rights appreciable in pecuniary value; (2) the munus a lingua (oral advantage) which includes oral commendation, public expressions of approval, moral support in high places; (3) the munus ab obsequio (homage) which consists in subserviency, the rendering of undue services, etc.
The spiritual object includes whatever is conducive to the eternal welfare of the soul, i.e. all supernatural things: sanctifying grace, the sacraments, sacramentals, etc. While according to the natural and Divine laws the term simony is applicable only to the exchange of supernatural treasures for temporal advantages, its meaning has been further extended through ecclesiastical legislation. In order to preclude all danger of simony the Church has forbidden certain dealings which did not fall under Divine prohibition. It is thus unlawful to exchange ecclesiastical benefices by private authority, to accept any payment whatever for holy oils, to sell blessed rosaries or crucifixes. Such objects lose, if sold, all the indulgences previously attached to them (S. Cong. Of Indulg., 12 July, 1847). Simony of ecclesiastical law is, of course a variable element, since the prohibitions of the Church may be abrogated or fall into disuse. Simony whether it be of ecclesiastical or Divine law, may be divided into mental, conventional, and real (simonia mentalis, conventionalis, et realis). In mental simony there is lacking the outward manifestation, or, according to others, the approval on the part of the person to whom a proposal is made. In conventional simony an expressed or tacit agreement is entered upon. It is subdivided into merely conventional, when neither party has fulfilled any of the terms of the agreement, and mixed conventional, when one of the parties has at least partly complied with the assumed obligations. To the latter subdivision may be referred what has been aptly termed "confidential simony", in which an ecclesiastical benefice is procured for a certain person with the understanding that later he will either resign in favour of the one through whom he obtained the position or divide with him the revenues. Simony is called real when the stipulations of the mutual agreement have been either partly or completely carried out by both parties.

Simony.

 

[AMDG]

I was never asked for donations. We were given materials, rosaries, etc. for free.

Same with CCD, but I have noticed that as prices go up and up--parishes do have a tendency to ask for donations to cover the cost of the materials--books, eats, the get-togethers throughout the year, field trips to the Cathedral or a shrine, etc.--things that the Ladies Groups, parish RosaryMakers, or the Altar Society cannot now afford to donate. Simply say that the requested donation can't be afforded.

 

[MikeK]

Just curious if it is normal to have to pay for RCIA classes? The parish I am interested in taking the classes at wants $150.

Please either post or PM me the name and location of this Church. This is garbage warrants a strongly worded letter, followed by an appeal to the Diocese Bishop if the response is unreasonable.

 

[AvilaSurfer]

Yeah, post it. Don't PM. It would be nice to get the whole story.

 

[MikeK]

Yeah, post it. Don't PM. It would be nice to get the whole story.

I'll follow-up with anything I recieve back.

 

[G19shooter]

The church is:

St. Charles Borromeo
10800 Moorpark St, North Hollywood, CA 91602
(818) 766-3838

scbnh.com

 

[Michie]

Keep us updated.

 

[Michie]

Gobsmacked.

Do they think the disciples sold tickets for people to hear the sermon on the mount?

It's disgusting.

 

[Fantine]

I've never heard of it, but it seems like a fairly reasonable fee, and it wouldn't make me balk personally--as long as no one was turned away because of inability to pay.

And I can't believe that the parish you're referring to wouldn't waive the fee for anyone sincerely interested in the Church who couldn't afford it.

 

[AMDG]

Michie, I agree that if it's just a "bare-bones" program, this does seem questionable. But think again, if the program serves coffee (or soft drinks) and donuts (or other snacks)--who pays for it all? And if the program gives out special folders (the one my husband and I went to did) and Bibles and special inspirational books (as well as the materials for RCIA) SOMEONE has to pay for it. And if the program has a trip planned to a shrine or to the Cathedral (like the one we had) someone must pay to rent the bus. Now my granddaughter recently received a gift from her parish for her completing her First Communion and I noticed that those gifts were donated by The Lady's Group, or RosaryMakers, or the Altar Society. Well nowadays membership in those organizations is REALLY down due to the fact that women are holding down outside jobs rather than donating their time and treasure. And the program my husband and I went through also included a "graduation" celebratory get-together meal afterwards. That free also? Don't know of too many restaurants that would be willing to donate an evening where they could normally be charging folks. Maybe all those "extras" DO cost. I don't know.

I'm beginning to think that we were lucky in that we went through the programs years back when there WERE better donations--and I also think that my own conversion process OUTSIDE of RCIA was at times even better since I wasn't tied to a time-table like those IN RCIA are.

 

[mark46]

There is something wrong with a church that is able to have EIGHT weekend services but unable to provide materials to non-Catholics who want to know more about the faith.

This is not welcoming.

BTW, I find this much different than charging for CCD. CCD is for members.

How can we even make believe that we are interested in evangelization when we charge for RCIA?

Also, I know this is perhaps biased. But we are not discussing a rural Mississippi parish. We are discussing a parish in North Hollywood., CA.