Without looking it up, can you tell me what your parish mission statement is? If you can, can all the members of the parish council? And what about the RCIA team? And if they can, can the parents whose children are in the school or religious education process tell me? What about the neophytes in […]
6 essential rules for communicating a new RCIA vision
Your parish is about to change. Here’s why. This Sunday, look around at the people in the pews. Then estimate what percentage of those people will be retired in ten years. Now look for the 20- and 30-somethings. Are there enough of them present to fill the shoes of those who will be retiring? Trends
Get an RCIA vision for your parish (angelic visitation optional)
In 1983, I interviewed for my first job as a parish liturgist. The silver-haired pastor sat behind an imposing desk in his wood-paneled office. I sat on the other side of the desk in one of those chairs that you sink into and that makes it impossible for you to sit up straight. At one
Make the shift from “RCIA team” to “coalition for change”
Every year I struggle with whether or not to ask child catechumens to come during their Christmas vacation for dismissal sessions on Sunday morning during Mass. By this time of year, the families usually need a break and my family often goes out of town over Christmas. It’s easier just to not meet during Christmas.
What about Christmas vacation for child catechumens?
In 1968, the best team in the upstart American Football league was led by a brash young quarterback who had thrown most of his passes that year for interceptions. Even so, they were slated to go up against the far superior National Football League champions—the Baltimore Colts—in Super Bowl III. Most people expected a crushing
5 ways RCIA leaders can overcome “the way we’ve always done it”
The number one roadblock for most organizations—including RCIA teams—is complacency. Allowing complacency to grow can be deadly. RCIA teams are supposed to be all about conversion. And complacency kills conversion. Most teams start out with a high level of enthusiasm for the conversion mission. And then one of two things often happens. The complacency level
Can your RCIA team recognize these 6 deadly barriers to conversion?
Last June, a new pastor was assigned to St. Zephinia Parish where Sally Soothewright was the director of the RCIA team. The pastor was an affable guy, and he quickly established himself as the leader of the parish. Sally was happy to have him on board—until it was time to celebrate the Rite of Acceptance.
Start changing your RCIA process now—before it’s too late!
Did you know Christmas carols are a rich source of catechesis for your RCIA groups? A good carol has the power to “teach” the theology of Christ’s birth, death, and resurrection—the paschal mystery. A cosmic dance between Divine and human For example, Charles Wesley’s 1739 text, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” has several verses paschal-preaching
Sing these 6 carols in RCIA for strong holiday catechesis
After you dismiss the catechumens from the liturgy, what happens? I’ve heard lots of folks refer to “dismissal catechesis.” Are you doing catechesis during the dismissal session? Are you doing breaking open of the word? Do you ever “break open” anything besides the word—the opening prayer or the opening song, for example? Click here for
What happens during dismissal?
There are three ingredients in this secret formula. The first two are simple ingredients that you can pull off your shelf anytime. What I mean by “pull off the shelf” is that they are already present and waiting – right there in your parish. It’s the third ingredient that seems to be a secret. Ingredient
The secret formula for involving the parish school in children’s RCIA
