Graphic designer Alan Fletcher once wrote: Space is substance. Cézanne painted and modeled space. Giacometti sculpted by “taking the fat off space.” Mallarmé conceived poems with absences as well as words. Ralph Richardson asserted that acting lay in pauses… Isaac Stern described music as “that little bit between each note—silences which give the form”… The […]
RCIA’s crucial three-step communication system
“Lead with the beautiful.” That’s what theologian Robert Barron told a roomful of catechists at the Los Angeles Religious Education Conference earlier this year. He insisted that our Catholic tradition is imbued with breathtaking beauty from our art, our music, our devotional practices, our care for the poor, and most of all our love for
Conversion and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
I submitted an article about the future of the RCIA to America, the Jesuit weekly news magazine, and they were kind enough to print it. In the article, I try to make the case that we are at a turning point in our use of the adult initiation rites. Here is the opening of the
Can the RCIA meet the needs of modern-day spiritual seekers?
We didn’t have to travel far for our latest RCIA institute. We drove a little over an hour to the scenic Monterey diocese, our neighbors to the south here in California. We met with over 160 excited RCIA team members from around the diocese, along with a few participants from San José. RCIA and RICA
Monterey digs deep into RCIA…in two languages!
In his book, 31 Days to Becoming a Better Religious Educator, Jared Dees asks catechists to define their calling. In Catholic-speak, “calling” is a big word. When I think of “calling,” I think of Noah or Jonah or Peter. I think about those big, important Bible heroes who actually heard God’s voice. In current times,
Are you called to RCIA ministry? How do you know?
Why is mystagogical catechesis—the kind of catechesis envisioned by the RCIA—so important? Why not just give seekers a catechism, tell them to memorize it, come back when they have, and zap them into the church, no muss, no fuss? The reason lies in the deepest wish Jesus has for those who earnestly search for God:
Why is mystagogical catechesis important in the RCIA?
Constructing an RCIA process is similar to building a house. An architect does not worry about the color of paint in the living room. She focuses instead on how many rooms to build and where the walls will go. After the walls are up and the roof is on, then we can focus on some
Build these six “rooms” into your RCIA process
“Life-changing.” That’s how almost everyone describes their favorite Southern dish in Atlanta. Sometimes we had multiple life changing experiences in one day. It started the night we landed in Atlanta for our most recent Making Disciples RCIA Institute. Our friend, Kathy Kuczka, waited patiently for our hour-late flight, and then rushed us to Muss and
Atlanta RCIA institute discovers life-changing aspects of the RCIA
Last Sunday, the pastor of the church I was visiting stood up during the announcements and asked everyone to exchange name tags after we finished the closing song. The point, he said, was to find someone we did not know, introduce ourselves, and share one thing we would like the other person to pray for
Use the liturgy to teach RCIA catechumens how to live
Has this ever happened to you? You’re watching a movie or a TV show. Somewhere close to the end of the show, your spouse walks into the living room. He or she gets drawn into the show and asks, “What’s this story about?” When the show breaks for a commercial, you have two minutes to
Six amazing things every RCIA inquirer has to learn
