Is it time to reconsider following cohort model in our formation processes? The Oxford dictionary defines a “cohort” as “a group of people with a shared characteristic.” It’s a model that has been used in education since the beginning—grouping children into a grade level based on age with the understanding that a similar age corelates […]
Is your RCIA open all year-round? Having everyone around the same table
You can reflect questions for every Sunday of the year by clicking here.Pentecost – 2nd Reading alternate, Gospel Selection A.Background: In Luke’s chronology Jesus sends the Spirit on the fiftieth day after the resurrection. In John he sends the Spirit on the evening of Easter Day itself. Whatever the chronology, the crucial point is that
Reflection Questions for RCIA Seekers: Year C – Pentecost through the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time
1. Wait, there’s a new translation? Almost, but not quite yet. The United States bishops have approved a close-to-final translation of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, and we are waiting on confirmation from Rome. So it’s not yet finished, but will be soon. 2. How soon? Well, in church years, “soon” could mean
Q. My parish has historically confirmed candidates for confirmation at the Easter Vigil — those who were baptized and uncatechized and those who were in need of confirmation only. We have been told recently to celebrate the sacrament of confirmation with the already-baptized at a time other than the Easter Vigil. So when should they
Q&A: When should we confirm baptized candidates?
One thing a lot of people may not know about the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is that it includes a rite that is not a rite of initiation. There were two important reform movements that let up to the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s. One was the liturgical movement. The restoration of
What the church teaches about making other Christians Catholic
This past Easter Vigil, I was visiting a parish I had never been to before. I was truly uplifted by the beauty and quality of the entire liturgy. It was one of the best Easter Vigil liturgies I have celebrated. The key factor that made the liturgy so good was the effort the planners and
Should baptized candidates celebrate their sacraments at the Easter Vigil?
You can reflect questions for every Sunday of the year by clicking here.Third Sunday of EasterBackground: Each year this Sunday has as its Gospel selection a description of a meal that the risen Jesus shares with his disciples, reminding us that the repeatable sacrament of initiation is the Eucharist. In this year’s passage Jesus first shows
Reflection Questions for RCIA Seekers: Year C – The Third Sunday of Easter through Ascension Sunday
This is a question we often get from parish teams. They’ve just read a blog post, a book, or participated in a workshop on the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and are excited about the principles they’ve learned. But they wonder why their priests don’t seem to follow them or even know about them.
How do priests learn about the principles of the catechumenate?
The short answer is yes. Perhaps because we are just now emerging from our COVID stay-at-home isolation, parish teams seem to be asking about the rites of initiation and if all of them are mandatory. Some seekers may have a pressing need to forgo the normal sacramental process and be baptized without delay. This pastoral
Is the Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens mandatory?
When the current translation of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults was promulgated in 1988, we might not have been as prepared as we need to be. Because we weren’t quite ready, many misinterpretations and misapplications of the rite began to flourish. The biggest difficulty is that the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
Is your parish ready for the new translation of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults?
