Diana Macalintal is the cofounder and codirector of Team Initiation.
We always get that question whenever Lent is coming around and it’s Year B or C in the Lectionary cycle. We also hear the concern that people are “missing out” on the Year B and C readings for the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Sundays of Lent when we celebrate the three Scrutinies. If you’re getting […]
Do we really have to use Year A readings for the Scrutinies?
There’s an important difference the Church gives us between the role of sponsor and that of godparent. And when we attend to their differences, we help to model the beauty and importance of being part of the body of Christ. In this short video, learn about those differences and what each of these roles do
Sponsors and godparents: What’s the difference?
Initiation ministers often say that the catechumenate process “takes as long as it takes,” therefore, there’s no specific calendar any seeker has to follow on their journey toward baptism. And that’s true because the Holy Spirit sets the schedule for each person. Yet, there is a calendar that is crucial and necessary for each of our seekers to
The liturgical calendar of the initiation process
Paragraph 75 of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults says that we are to help catechumens “grow accustomed to…following inspiration from above in their works.” The most essential way we do this is by celebrating the rites of the catechumenate powerfully and well, right from start of the seeker’s journey of faith. In this
How liturgy teaches us to follow the Spirit
You’ve been given the date for the next celebration of the Rite of Acceptance (what the new translation calls the Rite for Entrance into the Catechumenate). Now what? So much of the preparation for an effective celebration of a catechumenate rite involves preparing people, liturgically and spiritually, from the seeker to the presider and all
A checklist for preparing to celebrate the Rite of Acceptance (Entrance into the Catechumenate)
Q: If we only have one catechumen, would we still dismiss them? That puts a lot of attention on that one catechumen and on the team. We have to be sure they arrive on time and check in so we know that they are there. We have to alert the musician and presider that we
Q&A: When you have only one catechumen, do you dismiss them?
We often hear people say they feel uncomfortable dismissing catechumens from the Mass because it seems inhospitable. So they choose not to do it. But skipping the dismissal of catechumens is like omitting the end of the Mass for the baptized! It’s the way catechumens are co-missioned with the faithful from the Mass to do
Don’t dismiss the dismissal of catechumens
Easter is the premier time for mystagogical catechesis. But what exactly is it, and how do you do it? Mystagogy, especially for neophytes, might not be what you think it is. First, it’s not another meeting. Mystagogy, according to the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, takes place at the Sunday Masses of the Easter
Mystagogical catechesis for neophytes
When we think of giving the Creed or the Lord’s Prayer to the elect, we often imagine that we are to give to them a beautiful piece of paper printed with those words. But the ritual has a different idea, one that is grounded in the way God interacts with everyone God calls. In this
How to present the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer to the elect
Compared to some of the other rites of the catechumenate, the Scrutinies can seem a bit boring, intimidating, or tedious. When they come across that way, it’s hard to get your assembly engaged in them, much less, your elect! And that can lead to treating the Scrutinies as unnecessary. But the Scrutinies can be some
What does a Scrutiny sound like?
