Jane (not her real name) was initiated at the Easter Vigil. She had some doubts about going through with it. During Lent, her RCIA leader told her she had to take a test to see if she knew enough about Catholic teaching to get baptized. Jane had never been very good at tests, so she […]
Rejoice and be glad: An RCIA story of mystagogy
Does your RCIA team struggle with the period of mystagogy? If so, you are not alone. Most teams report that this is the most difficult period of the catechumentate process for them. If that’s true for you, I have good news. The period of mystagogy is probably a lot easier than you think. The reason
Mystagogy in the RCIA is easier than you think — and more challenging
Blessed Easter to you from all of us here at TeamRCIA! May God who dispels our darkness bring you new life and light this season and all year long.
There’s something different about this year’s Triduum. Early in the morning before the sun comes up this Saturday, March 31, 2018, if you look up in the still-dark sky, you will see what I call the “Easter-is-coming-soon-moon”–the first full moon after the spring equinox. This is the moon that each year determines the date of
After team formation, the next step to moving to a year round process is simple: Throw out your syllabus. Hear me out on this one… Have you noticed there’s not much out there when it comes to an “off the shelf” program for the RCIA? There’s a reason for that… but more on that in
Is your RCIA open all year-round? Throw out your syllabus!
What is your RCIA team’s goal for the catechumenate? If a Martian were to land in a random parish on Easter Monday, he might draw a false conclusion based on what he observes during the Period of Postbaptismal Catechesis or Mystagogy. Baptism forgives sins In a given parish, the Martian might conclude that the purpose
Four Martians walk into an RCIA…
Someone e-mailed recently to tell us about a high-school-age catechumen who had been denied baptism at a previous parish. The reason she could not be baptized, she was told, is because she failed the RCIA test. The test was a written exam, presumably about Catholic doctrine, that was more difficult than a college entrance exam,
Are you having trouble getting your parish involved in your catechumenate process? Do you sometimes feel like you and your team are working off in a corner somewhere, unnoticed by the larger community? When you celebrate catechumenate rites at Sunday Mass, do you sense the assembly is disgruntled because the liturgy might go longer than
10 ways to involve parishioners in the catechumenate process
“What do you wan to be when you grow up?” It’s a pretty common question we face when we’re kids, and typically our answers are based on what we’re familiar with (or what we’ve seen on TV). And even as we get older our educational and career choices are still based on our own experience.
Moving to a year-round RCIA process: It starts with team formation
Should baptized candidates celebrate their sacraments at the Easter Vigil? Probably not, but there are exceptions. The National Statues for the Catechumenate tell us that baptized candidates should not celebrate their sacraments at the Easter Vigil so there won’t be any confusion between them and those who are being baptized (see no. 33). Within the
Six common RCIA questions about Easter Vigil
