This summer I visited the city of Speyer, primarily because I wanted to see its cathedral. Speyer cathedral is the largest Romanesque church in Germany, one of three great cathedrals of this type (the other two are at Worms and Mainz). It was originally built in 1030, and its long history has included expansion, destruction, […]
A Study of Two Baptismal Fonts
In this post, I’m going to describe a simple, easy-peasy way to dramatically increase the number of people you have in your RCIA process. But first, we have to do a little math. You probably know that the fastest growing religious group in the United States is the “nones.” The Pew research group regularly asks
Evangelizing the “nones”—an easy RCIA challenge
It’s that time of year when catechumenate ministers ask the annual questions: “How many do we have in our RCIA?” and/or “Do we have people for Baptism for the Easter Vigil?” At times, the team can experience pressure to “find” someone as if it is the team’s responsibility to procure candidates for initiation at the
How many do you have in your RCIA?
Diana Macalintal and I recently spent a couple days away to do extensive planning for TeamRCIA for the coming year. Before we left, we had a conference call with the other two team members that make up TeamRCIA—Rita Ferrone and Rita Burns Senseman. Free download: A step-by-step guide to mystagogy Regional RCIA training institutes On
If you want to effectively prepare inquirers for the Rite of Acceptance, you might need to rethink your precatechumenate process. In a previous post, we talked about why it is important to prepare the inquirers for the Rite of Acceptance. We can think of preparation in two ways. One way to prepare them is through
“Destruct” your precatechumenate to prepare RCIA inquirers
After unbaptized inquirers celebrate the Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens, they are changed. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults says they are consecrated (see RCIA 41). What do catechumens do? Consecrate comes from the Latin word consecrare, which means to make sacred (com- + sacrare). To make something sacred means to
Does your RCIA process make catechumens’ hearts burn?
Nick Wagner and I just landed back at TeamRCIA’s home base in San Jose, California, after spending five full days with 70 RCIA leaders from all over North America. We are exhausted yet energized by what we’ve experienced this past week. The Diocese of Saginaw in Michigan sponsors an annual leadership training for its parish
TeamRCIA goes “international” in Saginaw with 70 RCIA leaders and evangelists
Perhaps it is obvious to us why the Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens is important and why careful preparation for its celebration is important. But I’m not sure the “why” is so obvious to everyone else who is involved. If you are struggling because your parish’s experience of the rite has been
Rite of Acceptance…why your role is crucial. And yours. And yours…
Nearly sixty initiation ministers from the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois and the Diocese of Belleville, along with some folks from St. Louis, gathered August 2-3, 2013 for a workshop on children’s RCIA. The workshop, entitled Wading Deeper, is an annual event for RCIA ministers in the two Illinois dioceses and did we ever get
Children’s RCIA a hot topic in Springfield and Belleville
Monica recently asked TeamRCIA if it was appropriate for child catechumens to join their baptized peers for a children’s liturgy of the word during Sunday Mass. And, if so, then what happens when the children’s liturgy of the word has ended? Do the child catechumens “stay put” and continue to reflect upon the word? Or,
Two liturgies of the word and two dismissals? What’s best for child catechumens?
