Do I have to go through the Easter vigil to be considered Catholic

[hotpink]

So I am still (after many years) considering being Catholic.  I am still nervous about the need to church hop to find one that isn't so-super-traditional that I feel stifled  or one that plays things written by armchair theologians in the 70's who had no concept of Catholic doctrine and do a ton of things that even I know aren't allowed..  I know I can't receive communion and all that until I go to the vigil but I just want to be Catholic.  I don't mind the new popular music but going to youth masses at this point feels kinda skeevy.

[AccountDeleted]

So I am still (after many years) considering being Catholic.  I am still nervous about the need to church hop to find one that isn't so-super-traditional that I feel stifled  or one that plays things written by armchair theologians in the 70's who had no concept of Catholic doctrine and do a ton of things that even I know aren't allowed..  I know I can't receive communion and all that until I go to the vigil but I just want to be Catholic.  I don't mind the new popular music but going to youth masses at this point feels kinda skeevy.

​I am not sure I understand the question but do you really understand what it means to be Catholic? Attending the Easter vigil does not make you Catholic. That is done through baptism. Most adult baptisms do occur during the Easter vigil (on Easter Saturday) these days but to get to that point you need to go through preparation (religious instruction), which is referred to in English speaking churches as RCIA (Rite of Catholic Initiation of Adults). To enrol in RCIA you need to speak with the pastor of your church or the RCIA coordinator. The process of instruction can take several years or less depending on the person involved. This site explains the steps involved in becoming a Catholic (in the US but each country has its own resource sites). 

http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/who-we-teach/rite-of-christian-initiation-of-adults/ 

If you are already involved in RCIA then do you already  have a parish church where you are attending? If you are saying that you don't like this church and want to find another one then I recommend that you complete your RCIA program, go through the rites to become a Catholic (including Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist) and allow yourself a little time as a new Catholic before you start looking for another parish. If you have not started RCIA yet - well, perhaps for now you could just attend your local parish and speak with the pastor there because you will need to establish a relationship with a priest and a community prior to being accepted into the Church.

I hope this answers your question but it might be that I haven't understood it properly.

[beatitude]

Hotpink, in your situation I would just start going to a nearby Catholic church and pray for God to help me feel at home there. Get involved in an activity or two, go to Mass on Sundays (of course), start talking to people, make your intention to become Catholic known to the priest. You must be baptised and for this there are some preparatory 'classes' (I say class, but they're more like informal discussion groups about different aspects of the faith - you won't be getting homework and exams, so don't worry!). I've never come across a program that was as long as Nunsense mentions (all the ones I've seen have been one year at the maximum, and shorter for someone who is coming into the Church from a high Anglican or similar background) but both you and the priest need to be sure that you know the basics of the faith you're professing before you can be received into the Church. This will give you the opportunity to meet other converts, hopefully, and to feel more at home in your parish.

[Lilllabettt]

Are you already baptized?

Whether the answer is yes or no, I've never heard of a course of instruction taking more than a year.

Not every parish is large enough to have a RCIA program ... In a small parish you might get one-on-one instruction from a priest. 

 

[AccountDeleted]

 

"The period of the catechumenate can last for as long as several years or for a shorter time. It depends on how the person is growing in faith, what questions they encounter along the way, and how God leads them on this journey." http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/who-we-teach/rite-of-christian-initiation-of-adults/ 

---------------

For myself, I didn't go through RCIA so I have no personal experience of it. I simply quoted what was on the USCCB info page about RCIA. But according to other posters here, it seems that the time is usually much shorter than the site states, no longer than a year. Since I didn't have to go through RCIA  (I converted in the 70s before it existed), even a year seems like a long time to me. I had private instruction with a priest and then a Monsignor, while working for the Missionaries of Charity and went through Baptism and Confirmation and Holy Communion at a Christmas Midnight Mass. It only took about 6 months.

When my daughter converted at age 8 (she was adopted at 7), she didn't go through anything like this (RCIA is for adults anyway), as she was already attending a Catholic School and the priest said she would get everything she needed there. She had a private Baptism but then went through Holy Communion and Confirmation with her class mates.

When my brother converted, he went through the whole RCIA year long program accompanied by his wife who was already a Catholic and he was received into the Church during the Easter Vigil. So even though there are guidelines, it does seem to be a very individual thing. I just wanted to make sure that you understood that attending the Easter Vigil alone wasn't enough to make you a Catholic. 

Prayers for your conversion.