What is the meaning of the symbol of ashes on Ash Wednesday and where do the ashes come from? What are the fasting regulations for Lent? Should we empty the baptismal font for Lent? But aren’t we fasting from water during Lent? Like Jesus did in the desert? Who signs the Book of the Elect? […]
17 frequently asked questions about Lent
There is a great and somewhat ironic convergence happening in our calendars. In the midst of the earthquake that struck Haiti on January 13, 2010, the Church celebrated National Migration Week (January 3-9), starting on the Feast of the Epiphany, a week when it focused on the situation of migrants and refugees. The Church also
A prayer for dreamers amid the nightmare in Haiti
Diana Macalintal and I will be copresenting a workshop in Orlando this weekend at the Fashion Me a People conference. Our topic is the Liturgy of the Word as a source of catechesis. Our goal is to help participants learn techniques for drawing out and extending the catechetical content of the Liturgy of the Word.
Liturgy as source of catechesis
For Christmas, a friend gave me The Complete Robuchon, which is 800 recipes for “French home cooking for the way we live now.” My friend and I both love to cook, although she is much more serious about it than I am. She takes classes from important chefs, stocks her pantry with sea salts from
A French chef’s guide to the RCIA
You might think the week after Christmas Day is a little early to be talking about emptying the baptismal font. Actually, it’s late. I walked into a local church during the fourth week of Advent to see what they had done with their environment. You guessed it. The baptismal font was bone dry and covered
Seven reasons you should never empty the baptismal font
This is a guest post from Father Robert Duggan. It’s one of the longer posts we’ve featured on the site, but it is well worth your time. Father Bob is a presbyter of the Archdiocese of Washington, DC, and a frequent speaker and author on topics related to Christian initiation and liturgical and sacramental renewal.
RCIA: Program or process? And does it matter?
How do you know if the catechumens are ready for the rite of election? Who decides? What is the process for discerning their readiness? Take a look at Sr. Miriam Malone’s invitation to a one-hour, live training workshop to answer these questions and more. Click here here for more information and to register for the
Discernment skills for your team
I have a friend who, for 35 years, successfully resisted all attempts to promote her to a management position in her company. She loves her work, but she did not relish the idea of supervising other people. A couple of years ago, her boss finally convinced her to move up the ladder. And last week,
Should you ever fire a catechumen?
With catechumens, there are two kinds of discernment. There is an ongoing discernment that begins the moment the seekers become catechumens. And there is at least one formal discernment to determine if the catechumen is ready to celebrate the Rite of Election. Ongoing discernment Honestly, I don’t use the word discernment all that much when
Are your catechumens ready for the Rite of Election?
I’m writing a guidebook for catechumens and candidates. My hope is to give them some ideas about how to look at the world through Catholic eyes. The book is not intended to be a “catechism” that gives them an outline of the faith. I figure you’re already doing that in your catechetical sessions with them.
