Nick Wagner is the cofounder and codirector of Team Initiation.
“How do we explain the scrutinies to the catechumens without scaring them?” That was a question we received recently at a Rites of the RCIA institute. The question stumps me a little. As I look at the structure and prayers of the rite, I don’t see anything particularly frightening. I think that if there is […]
How to Celebrate the Scrutinies without Scaring the Catechumens
Recently, I met with about 120 RCIA leaders from the dioceses of Belleville, IL, Springfield, IL, Springfield-Cape Girardeau, MO, and the archdiocese of St. Louis. Our agenda was to discuss the vision of the restored catechumenate and how that vision unfolds all year round; it cannot be confined to a few months of the liturgical
How to Rekindle Your “Desire for the Infinite” in Ministry
Ruth turned over for maybe the twentieth time, fluffed her pillow, rearranged her blanket, and tried some deep breathing exercises. She had already tried thinking of multiplication tables and counting sheep. But she just couldn’t fall asleep. Tomorrow, she had to turn in to the diocesan office the names of those catechumens who would become
Are you worried that your RCIA seekers aren’t ready?
In all my years in RCIA ministry, one of the easiest things to do was to match inquirers with sponsors — in my head. One of the hardest things to do was to get those perfect sponsors-in-my-head to become real, live, actual sponsors for someone. I think other RCIA team members must have struggled with
Who else wants to have all the RCIA sponsors they need?
“Greetings. I coordinate the RCIA process for our parish, and I am kind of new to this. Our pastor asked me to take on this role, and I’m learning as I go. Can you give me some direction on what I should be doing?” We get some version of that question about once or twice
The Secret to Leading RCIA Catechesis
This year, you will be confronted with a challenge. I know this because it happens all the time in catechumenate ministry. You will encounter a new person — someone who is searching or hurting. Someone who is in need of God’s love. But this won’t be the “usual” seeker who shows up ready to begin
The RCIA Team Member You Need to Recruit This Year
The RCIA makes no mention of an RCIA director or even a team. However, RCIA 13 and 14 talk about the priest and his responsibilities, and RCIA 15 mentions how permanent deacons assist in whatever way is needed. In most parishes, the pastor would typically delegate many of these responsibilities to others on staff or
The job of the RCIA coordinator or director
In this post, I’m going to share with you the secret to a powerful period of mystagogy. If you’ve been struggling with what to do during this final period of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, keep reading. However, I have to warn you that, while the solution is simple, implementing it in your
The secret to a powerful period of mystagogy in the RCIA
Many RCIA teams know that the time for formal catechesis for the elect ends on Ash Wednesday. (If you don’t know that, see “Don’t catechize in Lent.”) But if you don’t catechize, what do we do? Of all the moments in the RCIA process in which we rely on the involvement of the parishioners, Lent
Do your parishioners dread or love the Lenten RCIA rites?
A common struggle for RCIA teams is how to handle discernment issues. How do we know for sure that a person is ready for initiation? We have written other posts that focus on discernment, and I am not going to go too deeply into the “how” in this article. However, I do want to point
What Everybody Ought to Know About Discernment
