Diana Macalintal is the cofounder and codirector of Team Initiation.
The following is Part 1 of a brief overview by Diana Macalintal of the initiation process for adults considering becoming Catholic. Based on material originally written for the Diocese of San José website, you are welcomed to use or adapt it for your own parishes. Click here to download a formatted handout (pdf) of this […]
How Do I Become Catholic? – Part 1: God is calling. Now what?
The stories of the man born blind, the woman at the well and the raising of Lazarus from the dead are a set of readings that must always be proclaimed whenever we celebrate the Scrutinies. Why then are today’s readings so important for those who are preparing for initiation? Why are they so important for
"God Glasses" for the Man Born Blind—A Scrutiny Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Lent
Discernment in the RCIA is most intensely done in preparation for the celebration of the rites. (Click here for an article about discernment for the rites.) Yet the vision of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is that discernment is on-going. Furthermore, discernment is not just something only the catechumens do; it is something
RCIA Discernment: What is it and how do you do it?
How do you know if the inquirers or catechumens “know enough”? When are they ready to move to the next stage? Discerning readiness is often a subjective art. Discernment in terms of faith is not a completely rational process in the way that decision-making is often simply weighing the pros and cons and choosing the
RCIA Discernment: How do you know if they "know enough"?
Improve next year’s Triduum by evaluating this year’s celebration with this easy-to-use process. 1. RememberingThe first step in evaluating is to remember what happened. In the catechumenate process, this is called mystagogy. What did you see? What did you hear? What emotion did you feel? What was especially powerful? Negative responses are as valid as
A three-step Triduum evaluation
When you are planning for the scrutinies, be sure to move the Elect out into the midst of the assembly. The goal is to strive for both visibility and intimacy. If you only have one candidate for initiation this year, the action of the scrutiny should take place where it is most visible—usually at the
