We have all had this happen. We find ourselves challenged to provide a suitable catechesis for an RCIA group that includes a raw beginner—someone who knows nothing about Christianity and has never lived as a disciple. And then in the same group, we have a mainline Protestant who knows more about Scripture than most Catholics […]
What kind of catechesis is suitable for RCIA seekers?
It may seem obvious that it is important to provide a suitable catechesis for seekers, but there is more to it than meets the eye. In order to grasp the importance of a suitable catechesis, we have to first ask who the catechesis is for and what it is for. Who RCIA catechesis is for In
Why is a suitable catechesis important for RCIA seekers?
We recently asked you what you struggle with most in RCIA ministry, and here are some of your replies: We wonder if the catechumens are “getting it all” in a year-round model. How do we keep from boring folks? We have trouble getting catechumens to come to Mass and breaking open the word. Our biggest
What RCIA teams struggle with most
If you want to move to a year-round catechumenate but you think it will be too much work or you don’t know where to start, start with baby steps. You don’t have to do everything all at once. For example, I was at Mass at a parish outside my diocese on a July Sunday. At
Your first small step toward a year-round RCIA process
How many team members do you need for an effective RCIA process? The answer to that depends on what you mean by “RCIA.” If your RCIA starts in September and ends at Easter Vigil or during the Easter season, then you probably need about five to seven highly committed team members (not including sponsors). If,
RCIA: Learn why year-round is easier
Recently, we asked you what your RCIA timeline looks like (click here to contribute your responses). I thought you might like to see some of the responses so far. One question we asked was, “Has your parish moved from a time-limited catechumenate to an ongoing, year-round process?” Honestly, I was surprised by the number of
The benefits and challenges of a year-round RCIA process
Mary Birmingham and I just completed a TeamRCIA Catechist School in Columbus, Ohio. Toward the end of the school, we asked the participants what they learned and why that was important. Many of them said they learned the importance of providing formation for the inquirers and the catechumens all year long. And a lot of
Four easy ways to start a year-round RCIA process
Last week, I was interrupted by a knock on the door while I was working on a module for TeamRCIA’s new Catechist School. I don’t get a lot of casual visitors, so a knock is probably from the UPS guy. I don’t usually answer, and he leaves the box on the step. This knocker was
The courage to evangelize: An RCIA challenge
If you have been reading the training articles on TeamRCIA for very long, you know that the RCIA is the model for all catechesis. But does the rest of the parish know? Who needs to know this stuff? You might consider “evangelizing” other catechetical teams in your parish to begin using the six principles of
Discover a simple way to help the whole parish catechize the RCIA way
I recently read a book about mystagogy that can be helpful for RCIA teams. In Mystagogy of the Eucharist, Gilbert Ostdiek, OFM, makes the point that we have to think of mystagogy as more than just the final period of the initiation process. It is part of the broader ministry of catechesis. His book and
A great RCIA resource for mystagogy
