Diana Macalintal is the cofounder and codirector of Team Initiation.
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?
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
We get this question a lot, usually because there’s some misunderstanding about what goes on after the dismissal from the Eucharist. The description in the ritual text itself in paragraph 67A discusses sharing joy and spiritual experiences. But what does that mean? Free webinar: The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults training series
What happens after the dismissal of the catechumens?
We often get questions asking, “Do we really have to do the dismissal? Couldn’t we just do them once in a while, or maybe just during Lent?” If you and your team have ever asked this question, take some time with us during this video to step back and think about what it means to
Why is the dismissal so important?
There is one thing you can do right now to make your Rite of Acceptance come alive! It happens at the beginning of the rite and embodies and summarizes so much of the meaning of this important ritual in the life of a seeker and of the community. That one thing is to make the
The one thing that will make your Rite of Acceptance come alive
Here’s a simple 3-Cs test to help you discern what are the most important primary symbols of a rite and what are secondary symbols or even elements that might be distractions because they’re not symbols of the rite itself. Use this test to help you prepare the rites well and catechize powerfully from them. Free
How can you tell if a symbol is a primary symbol?
There are two moments in the Easter Vigil that aren’t as grand as other elements in this once-a-year liturgy. But these two subtle moments are essential in how your neophytes—and all the baptized—will understand what their baptism means. In this video, Diana looks at these two moments and why you don’t want your neophytes to
Two extraordinary Easter Vigil moments your neophytes don’t want to miss
There are two hidden gems in the Rite of Election that you don’t want to miss. In this quick video, Diana Macalintal breaks them open so that you can help your catechumens and godparents be ready for these turning point “sacramentals” that reveal and remind us of God’s faithful love. Free download: Prayers for the
Two hidden gems in the Rite of Election
Q. We have both child and adult catechumens who are asking if they can just be baptized and then continue on with their formation to celebrate confirmation and eucharist when they are ready. Is that possible? A. For both unbaptized adults and children who have reached the age of reason, when they are ready to
Q&A: Can a catechumen be baptized and then wait on confirmation and eucharist?
Today we’ll examine three places we can adapt from where the norm is given, three places where we can and should make adaptations, three places where you must adapt the text, and three places where you cannot adapt or divert from the norm provided. How does this sound like what happens in your parish? Share
What you can and cannot adapt in the Rite of Acceptance
