Nick Wagner is the cofounder and codirector of Team Initiation.
At our recent Community Chat on moving to a year-round initiation process, it seemed there were two types of comments. On the one hand, lots of folks were excited about moving to a continuous initiation process and couldn’t wait to get started. On the other hand, while also excited, other folks were a bit stumped […]
Rethinking the core Catholic content as we move to ongoing initiation (year-round RCIA)
During a recent TeamRCIA Community Chat, several questions came up about celebrating the scrutinies outside the usual times. Let’s take a look at some issues that parishes may be experiencing. First, let’s recall the purpose of the scrutinies. The scrutinies are meant to uncover, then heal, all that is weak, defective, or sinful in the
Celebrating the RCIA scrutinies outside the usual times
I’ve seen a lot of pictures lately of priests standing in front of homes blessing the members of the household as they gather on the front porch or steps. I think that’s great! But we don’t have to wait for the pastor to come by to celebrate blessings. Blessings come in many, many forms. A
RCIA blessings in the time of coronavirus
Many of us who guide and form spiritual seekers are hoping for a return to normal as soon as the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. But normal probably won’t look like what we are used to. The effects of the pandemic have permanently ruptured “the way we’ve always done it.” For the most part, that is
RCIA will never be the same again
Fr. John Farley, a priest in the San Diego diocese, commented on our video, “RCIA, the Triduum, and Coronavirus.” Based on the guidelines in the Ceremonial of Bishops and in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, he proposed a possible schedule for celebrating the rites of initiation at a time later this year. In
An RCIA calendar for celebrating the initiation rites outside the usual times
Mary Kay Arroyo and the initiation team at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Bradenton, Florida, have responded to the shelter-in-place regulations by connecting with their seekers through video chats. We asked Mary Kay to share with us how it’s going, and she sent us this video. Has your team tried some innovative tech solutions for
Has your RCIA team tried video conferencing?
Many parishes organize their catechumenate ministry on a school-year model. While this is not the vision of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, it is nevertheless a reality in many communities. However, the isolation and distancing requirements of the coronavirus outbreak have disrupted that model. And now, we’re feeling a little panicked. What in
What do RCIA teams do with the elect now that baptisms are postponed?
The suspension of Triduum liturgies, especially the Easter Vigil, have left some RCIA teams foundering and wondering what to do with the elect during the period of mystagogy. If we look at the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults in the section on mystagogy, we will discover or rediscover a few key points. First, the
RCIA mystagogy when there have been no baptisms
I want to tell you a story about delight. This past Christmas and New Year’s, Diana and I went to the Philippines for a family event. Our return trip included a 14-hour layover at Haneda airport in Japan. We arrived at Haneda exhausted. We made our way through security and then customs. We wearily found
How delightful is your RCIA process?
My beginnings in initiation ministry had two phases. I went to school to learn about liturgy, and my first parish job included planning and coordinating the rites for the catechumenate. I felt pretty confident about that role. Many years later, I moved to California for a non-parish job. I volunteered for to help out on
How to grow your confidence as an RCIA team member
