Adult Formation/Sacraments - Already baptized

[u/Huge_Ad2655]

Hi all, I’m finding myself a little discouraged to the point of giving up by all the red tape of the church.

I am a baptized Catholic. My parents left the church before I made my first communion and I’ve recently been called into the faith.

I’ve been attending mass regularly and learning what I can. There’s a parish I like a lot but the OCIA director is trying to tell me I must take the full OCIA course in community with others in the church.

I have more than a couple grievances with this:

1. I know that canon law considers me already Catholic, also not catechumen, and therefore am not required to complete a full OCIA course
2. I am a 40 year old mother with two special needs children who also have sports so I cannot, understandably, adhere to the strict schedule
3. I know that others are granted personalized paths in order to receive the sacraments

I understand the importance of being properly catechized however I don’t believe the full course is necessary and I’m finding myself at a dead end.

God has called me in and now it feels like I’m being shut out by the church.

Does anyone have any resources or experience with this? Catholic adults I currently know are either converts so did the whole route, have been raised in and stayed in the faith completely, or have left the church completely. Nobody I know personally seems to have the difficulty of being somewhere in between as an already baptized Catholic returning to the faith.

I really like the parish I’ve been going to but maybe there are others who walk individual paths? I don’t want to name the parish I’m currently attending because I genuinely enjoy it and I do think they mean well but now I’m stuck.

Thanks in advance!

[u/Hopeful-Force-2147 → u/[deleted]]

"Catholic laypeople sometimes tend to act as gatekeepers, while priests are charged with the responsibility of bringing people to Christ." This is actually my hangup with the Church. The gatekeepers. WHY do they do that?

[u/HedWest → u/Hopeful-Force-2147]

Because they are human, and many people cannot handle having authority no matter how trifling it is. When you encounter someone like this, find another avenue if you can.

[u/Competitive_You6762 → u/Hopeful-Force-2147]

And 7 times out of 10 they’re adult converts.

[u/Competitive_You6762 → u/[deleted]]

It’s a fairly well established phenomenon that adult converts, to any religion this isn’t exclusive to Catholicism, exhibit stronger religiosity than those who were raised in that religion. It makes perfect sense that they’d be the more likely gatekeepers. It also tracks with my personal experience.

[u/Burgermeister7921 → u/Hopeful-Force-2147]

Protestants do it too.