Nick Wagner is the cofounder and codirector of Team Initiation.
The primary aim of catechesis is huge—communion and intimacy with Christ. Fortunately, there are six doable actions that will guarantee folks in our RCIA groups achieve that intimacy. For each of these actions, it is important to remember the three levels of catechesis (initial proclamation, initiatory catechesis, ongoing catechesis). We’re going to offer these six […]
Six RCIA actions that guarantee intimacy with Christ
This question shapes the entire catechumenate process. Find out why.
What do you ask of God’s church? The first question in the RCIA
In our RCIA groups, we often have people at very different levels of faith. The General Directory for Catechesis identifies three levels. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is really concerned only about the first two levels: initial proclamation and initiatory catechesis. However, we often have very many people in our RCIA groups who
The RCIA challenge of developing intimacy with Jesus—and my billion best friends
How do you know if your inquirers are ready to celebrate the Rite of Acceptance? The RCIA gives us some clear guidelines to help us discern. Discover what they are in this brief video. Free download: The one, most important thing we have to teach in the RCIA
Six signs of readiness for the Rite of Acceptance
I recently saw a docent at the Art Institute in Chicago patiently explaining Georges Seurat’s masterpiece, Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, to a grade school class. She obviously had a firm grasp of the facts about the painting—size, date painted, number of figures in the painting, number of years to complete—but
Can an art docent help RCIA teams learn to catechize better?
Help your RCIA inquires create a plan for their conversion with these five, simple questions. Free download: The one, most important thing we have to teach in the RCIA
Five key questions to ask RCIA inquirers
When we engage in the art of catechesis, we can group people into three broad categories. First, there are those who know little or nothing about Jesus. Then there are those who recognize Jesus as the source of true peace and joy, but they do not know much more than that. Finally, there are those
Six “best practices” for every RCIA catechist
Years ago, an RCIA team I was on encountered a woman who did not know that Jesus was the Son of God. And she had no understanding at all of the Holy Spirit. Not all that unusual, is it? That same year, however, a Methodist man asked us about becoming Catholic. He was a good
Is your RCIA team catechizing at all the levels the church expects?
The period of the precatechumenate is all about evangelization. Don’t send seekers away, asking them to come back later. Use these simple skills to engage them immediately.
Sunday mornings were a whirlwind of drama when I was a kid. My mother, a single parent, was like a hen trying to round up her uncooperative chicks to get us to Mass each week. I think of those days when I read in the RCIA, “The Church, like a mother, helps the catechumens on
Why RCIA sponsors are like poultry
