The Easter Vigil is coming—that most amazing liturgical celebration at the center of our faith that Christ has died, Christ is risen, and Christ will come again. We who have been working, praying, planning, collaborating, and sacrificing for the good of our catechumens and candidates are now focused on how to plan for the great […]
The Easter Vigil—should you rehearse the catechumens?
The adaptation of the scrutiny rites for child catechumens is confusing (RCIA 291). Instead of clearly labeling the rites as scrutinies, they are called “Penitential Rites (Scutinies).” And even though the title is plural, only one text is given with an instruction to write your own for a second, using the given text as a
We all know that we always use the readings from the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Sundays of Lent, Year A, for the scrutinies, right? But do you know which Mass prayers to use? They are not the Mass prayers from those Sundays. Instead, whenever the scrutinies are celebrated, we use the Mass prayers for “Christian
What are the proper prayers for the scrutinies?
I need your help. I’m currently writing a comprehensive guide to the catechumenate for parish RCIA teams. And I’m stuck trying to think of a name for it. Here’s what I’ve come up with so far. Do any of the titles strike you? Or do you have another suggestion? I’d love to know what you
A new RCIA resource for your parish
There is a fine post on Walking the Rite Way that gives some insight about why moving toward a mystagogical process and away from an information delivery process is so difficult. This passage in particular names the fear that keeps many of us from taking the leap: It’s quite challenging, is this. It leaves the
Was your liturgy memorable today? Chances are, there was someone in the assembly who was visiting your parish for the first time. If not this week, then next week or the week after, for sure. When they get home, will they remember your parish? Will they return? It’s not difficult to create a lasting memory
Is your RCIA team creating a memorable first impression?
John Allen Jr., over at NCR Café, makes the point that, while local newspapers cover things as routine as city council meetings and high school sports events, they seldom report the powerful faith stories that take place in our churches every week. Using the Lexis-Nexis database, which indexes virtually all major print and broadcast media
Whether it’s business or church, first impressions count. According to this post from “Fast Company,” a business magazine, big-time law firms and other major companies have figured out that their best strategies for success start right at the front door with the receptionist. We in the church business can learn tons from the business world in
Do you have a Director of First Impressions?
The vision and purpose of sacramental initiation are summarized in the first paragraph of Christian Initiation, General Introduction (you can find this right at the very beginning of your RCIA book). It is a vision that is profound and challenging, inspirational and life-changing. It is radical in its description of who we, the baptized, are
Do you know the three Rs of RCIA discernment?
A number of years ago, I wrote a little book about election (On the Rite of Election, LTP, 1994) for the Forum Essays series. I felt that divine election was an important concept to grapple with, and that—for a variety of reasons—our liturgical celebrations of election were missing the boat. The main problem at that
Rite of Election: How Are We Doing?
