I celebrated my first Communion when I was in first grade, as did my entire class. And I celebrated confirmation in third grade, as did all the children in my school. That’s because that was the year the bishop came to our parish to administer the sacrament. Our sacraments were scheduled on the school calendar […]
The slow work of God: Why initiation is a gradual process
In a previous article, we explored the importance of contemplative prayer for personal spiritual growth and how to introduce it to seekers and catechumens. In this article, we will explore how to involve the entire parish in the practice of contemplative prayer as a means of seeking and discerning God’s will for the catechumens and
Discerning God’s will through contemplative prayer within the parish community
A young man in his junior year of high school phoned the parish office, inquiring about becoming Catholic. He had been baptized Methodist. Several of his friends from high school were Catholic, and he would soon be with them at the university. These friends talked about their faith, Mass, and sacraments, sparking his curiosity. However,
The evolution of faith: one family’s journey
You can reflect questions for every Sunday of the year by clicking here.The 26th Sunday in Ordinary TimeBackground: God is always generous, but Jesus tells us this week about how our choices and subsequent actions matter as well. Words of faith are important; deeds of love are crucial.What is your biggest regret about your choices
Reflection questions for RCIA seekers: Year A – the 26th to 30th Sundays in Ordinary Time
We sometimes think that the beginning of the liturgical year in Advent or the beginning of a school year would be good times to celebrate the Rite of Acceptance since that ritual begins the catechumenate process for a seeker. But the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults has a different vision for how we think
When is the right time to celebrate the Rite of Acceptance?
As catechumenate ministers, our role is not only to guide others on their faith journey but also to nurture our own spiritual growth. In the midst of this busy ministry, finding moments of stillness, silence, and deep connection with God through contemplative prayer can be a transformative practice. In this article, I’m going to describe
Nurturing contemplative prayer: A guide for catechumenate ministers
Q. Can you give me a reference, resource, or rubric where it states sponsors or godparents should never be dismissed with the catechumens? A. The basic teaching of the church is that those who are members of the order of the faithful (all the baptized) have an obligation to pray all the prayers that belong
Q&A: Can sponsors be dismissed?
A mother and her teen-age daughter came to our information session about adult Christian initiation. Maureen was interested in becoming Catholic, and her daughter Maggie, recently graduated from 8th grade, was also interested. Now, as a family of two, they had taken a step they had talked about for several months and were eager to
Preparing children for confirmation and Eucharist can sometimes feel like piecing together a jigsaw puzzle. Age-based guidelines don’t always fit perfectly, especially when you’ve got kids who missed out on either some catechesis or one of the sacraments along the way. Let’s see if we can figure out the best approach. Free download: Five ways
Sacramental pathways: Navigating initiation for children
You can find reflection questions for every Sunday of the year by clicking here.The 22nd Sunday in Ordinary TimeBackground: Two weeks ago we saw Jesus having to abandon a stereotype and reward the faith of the Gentile woman, so this week we see Peter having to abandon his stereotype of how the Messiah who was
Reflection questions for RCIA seekers: Year A – the 22nd to 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
