Nick Wagner is the cofounder and codirector of Team Initiation.
“I don’t want to go to hell,” she said. That stopped me cold. I was talking with an inquirer shortly after Pope Leo XIV was elected. I was trying to learn what brought her to us. Her words made my heart clutch. Fear of going to hell was a worry throughout my childhood. Well-meaning teachers […]
Why we’re here: Evangelization is the mission that cannot wait
We like to think of Christian initiation as a gentle journey. But the truth is a lot of people show up to our parishes deeply wounded. And many times, their pain is not that obvious. On first glance, they may seem perfectly fine. But sometimes, beneath the surface, they are hurting from addiction, loneliness, anger
What if we really believed this was life or death?
In a previous article, I wrote about how we might apply the principles of synodality to conflict in the catechumenate process. In this article, I want to go a little more deeply into how we might accompany one another when conflict arises. Deepening our understanding of synodality To be honest, I don’t deal with conflict
Accompanying one another through conflict
I once had an inquirer who showed up “ready” to be baptized. He had taken an online course on Catholicism and was expecting to be initiated as soon as possible. I think he would have been happy to have been baptized that very day. When catechumenate ministers ask me how we know if the seeker
Discerning readiness for mission
In several recent articles, we’ve explored how synodality—a way of walking together—is foundational to the catechumenate. In this article, I want to highlight a key component of both synodality and the catechumenate: listening for God’s Spirit. Listening is the heart of synodality and the catechumenate Pope Francis has consistently emphasized the importance of listening. He
Walking with seekers: Mystagogical accompaniment as synodal listening
The election of Pope Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born pope, marks a significant moment on the world stage. As he embarks upon his ministry, this is an opportune time for catechumenate teams and leaders to begin to understand Pope Leo’s vision for the church and how it impacts our ministry. A central teaching that he
How Pope Leo XIV’s vision of synodality shapes the catechumenate
You’ve likely heard, or perhaps experienced firsthand, the frustration: after the joy of the Easter Vigil, getting the neophytes to attend follow-up sessions during the period of mystagogy can feel like an uphill battle. Many catechumenate leaders struggle with low attendance at these gatherings. I’ve heard suggestions for improving attendance that include providing the dates
The secret to successful mystagogy: It’s about Sunday, not sessions
I discovered we had a new pope while waking up from a nap in my airplane window seat, about thirty minutes after takeoff. Diana, seated across the aisle, was gesturing excitedly at her phone. It took me a while to figure it out, but I soon navigated the American Airlines app to access live news
A new papacy and the catechumenate
Carter is the kind of disciple we dream of every inquirer turning into. During his catechumenate, he was always cheerful, inquisitive, and more and more filled with God’s Spirit. On the night of his baptism, he was absolutely glowing. For the last year, he has been referring to himself as a “baby Catholic.” But the
Pope Francis, mystagogy, and the mission of the neophytes
Twelve years ago, Diana and I were sitting in a bar in Davenport, California, enjoying a beer after a day of planning for our Team Initiation ministry. We were looking out the window as the sun was beginning to set over the Pacific Ocean when the bartender suddenly turned up the TV volume. CNN was
Three things we learned from Pope Francis
