1. Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
Why is this book important?
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is the authoritative teaching of the church on the purpose and process of initiation. It is the Vatican II vision of the initiation process that answers the mandate of Jesus Christ to go and baptize.
What is in this book?
The RCIA is not a textbook or a how-to book. It is a rite, a sacrament of the church. The pastoral introduction provides the fundamental principles of the initiation process and outlines the four stages and three ritual steps of initiation. Part I of the ritual text is the classic process of initiation for unbaptized seekers. Part II is a collection of adaptations for baptized seekers, children, and those who are already disciples and seek full communion with the Catholic Church.
What’s the big deal?
You cannot do the RCIA without mastering the principles and processes in the rite itself. Doing the RCIA without reading it is like trying to do Hamlet without ever having read the play. Once you understand the principles of the RCIA and begin to implement them as fully as you are able, it will change your life and the life of your parish.
2. The Way of Faith: A Field Guide for the RCIA Process
Why is this book important?
When I started out in RCIA ministry more than 30 years ago, I made a lot of mistakes. I wrote this book to help you avoid some of those mistakes.
What is in this book?
This book is a clear, concrete, easy-to-read guide to the entire initiation process. I walk you through how to do the following tasks and more:
- Plan a Rite of Acceptance
- Plan a Rite of Sending for Election
- Plan a Scrutiny rite
- Lead a dismissal session
- Lead a catechetical session
- Know how to know if they’re ready
- Find sponsors
- Start a team
- Get the parish more involved
- Learn what to do with the baptized folks
- Know what to do with children
- Learn how to start a year-round process
- Figure out how to get started in the first place
What’s the big deal?
If you follow the guidelines I offer in The Way of Faith: A Field Guide for the RCIA Process, you will transform the way your parish does initiation.
3. Discerning Disciples
Why is this book important?
This book integrates the discernment process with the catechumenate process.
What is in this book?
Donna Steffen helps us understand how discernment is a regular, ongoing part of Christian life. She also points out the discernment is different than decision making.
What’s the big deal?
This book will completely change the way you discern if seekers are ready for initiation
Instant review of Discerning Disciples
4. When Other Christians Become Catholic
Why is this book important?
Fr. Paul Turner says that the way we sometimes treat baptized candidates for full communion diminishes and confuses our teaching about baptismal unity.
What is in this book?
This book is a historical and sensitive analysis of rites of reception in the early church and the Second Vatican Council’s call for broader ecumenism. The history portions will require a bit of careful reading. The pastoral applications of the church’s teaching toward the end of the book are golden.
What’s the big deal?
This book will permanently alter the way you and your RCIA team think about baptized candidates who are seeking full communion. You cannot have a completely successful RCIA process without the grounding this book provides.
5. Apprenticed to Christ
Why is this book important?
Jerry Galipeau takes you to the heart of the RCIA formation process, which is a process of apprenticeship—learn by doing.
What is in this book?
Your RCIA team will get ideas and resources for a true apprenticeship process. Jerry gives you hands-on, easy-to-implement activities for every Sunday of the three-year liturgical cycle. He backs up the activities with resources from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, documents from Vatican II, letters from the popes, and liturgical rites.
What’s the big deal?
By using the material in this book, you can finally move your catechumens and candidates out of the classroom and into the life of the parish.
