One of the most powerful aspects of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults is its emphasis on immersing those seeking Christ into a living, active parish community (see OCIA 75.2). The rite teaches that faith is not merely a set of intellectual beliefs but a way of life that is learned through participation and example. As we accompany seekers on the journey of faith, we need to use an apprenticeship model of faith formation if we are going to form them for missionary discipleship within the Christian community.

Why an apprenticeship model of faith?

People don’t fall in love with Jesus by passively absorbing facts. They encounter Christ and live out their faith in a community of disciples, walking alongside others who are passionate about their relationship with Christ, and seeing how faith transforms lives and inspires action. An apprenticeship model teaches the seekers and the parish community that faith is not merely a set of intellectual beliefs but a way of life learned through participation and example.

What is an apprenticeship model?

In the apprenticeship model:

• The parish becomes a living, breathing curriculum. Seekers learn by actively participating in the life of the parish, in Sunday liturgy and other sacramental celebrations, and by engaging in apostolic witness out in the world.
• Catechumenate leaders transform from lesson planners and lecturers into companions and guides, listening to seekers’ stories, walking with them through their doubts and questions, and helping them discover the presence of Christ in their everyday lives.
• An apprenticeship model respects the gradual nature of conversion, creating space for seekers to encounter Christ at their own pace, to wrestle with their questions, and to gradually deepen their relationship with God (see OCIA 4, 75.2, and 76).

As stated in the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, catechumens grow accustomed to “praying more easily to God, witnessing to the faith, keeping an expectation of Christ in all things, following inspiration from above in their works, and showing charity to their neighbor even to renunciation of themselves” with the help of the entire community and the example and support of sponsors and godparents (75.2).

An apprenticeship model teaches the seekers and the parish community that faith is not merely a set of intellectual beliefs but a way of life learned through participation and example.

How do we implement an apprenticeship process?

The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults envisions the formation of all of our seekers taking place right in the midst of the parish community (see OCIA 9). That means we need to prioritize immersion in the life of the parish over separate classes that are set apart from the parish community.

By respecting the Sunday liturgy as the privileged place of formation and recognizing the liturgical year as the method of revelation, the parish community will gradually reveal the entire mystery of Jesus Christ to the seekers. We also have to become skilled mystagogues, accompanying seekers as they begin to make connections from their own unique encounters with Christ to the universal teaching and dogmas of the church.

All of the activity of the parish flows from and back to the liturgy (see Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 10). That means that the parish bake sale, choir rehearsal, men’s Bible study, youth car wash, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, movie night, and everything else your parish does are all opportunities to encounter the Person of Jesus Christ. And all of it potentially reveals more and more about the Paschal Mystery.

Sponsors are key team members in this immersion process. Sponsors should be people who know the ins and outs of the parish and accompany their seekers to places where they will encounter Jesus Christ. Their job is to facilitate connections with the Mystical Body of Christ in action, allowing seekers to experience the faith through community life.

And we always have to remember that we are forming disciples for mission. Pope Francis tells us we cannot remain closed up within our churches or else will get sick. We have to go out to proclaim the good news to those on the peripheries. Parishioners must model and encourage constant evangelization through their actions and words, giving example through outward witness in their daily lives.

We need to prioritize immersion in the life of the parish over separate classes that are set apart from the parish community.

Transformation through apprenticeship

What would happen if we really focused on making our catechumenates true apprenticeship models for forming seekers into missionary disciples?

Here are some of my thoughts. Please add yours in the comments section below.

• Seekers would experience a deeper sense of community, foster a lifelong connection to the Paschal Mystery, and develop a true missionary spirit.
• Parishes would come alive with renewed purpose as parishioners embrace their role as mentors and guides, and experience the transformative power of genuine spiritual accompaniment.
• Catechumens’ hunger for spiritual community could start rippling outward, reinvigorating lukewarm parishioners and drawing others into deeper engagement.
• There could be revived energy for hospitality, service, and prayer as the newest members remind long-term Catholics of the joy of our faith, shaking the community out of complacency with “the way we’ve always done it.”
• Parishes would become more cohesive and outward-focused, and everyone would become zealous about proclaiming the good news, especially to those on the margins.

Through an apprenticeship model, centered in the life of the parish, the seekers will learn how to live as disciples by rubbing shoulders with the Catholic community that is the Mystical Body of Christ. Walking alongside sisters and brothers in Christ and observing how they pray, stay hopeful, give witness, and share love, fans the spark of faith into a blaze.