Nick Wagner is the cofounder and codirector of Team Initiation.
For some RCIA teams, the period of postbaptismal catechesis, or mystagogy, seems to be the most difficult part of the catechumenate to implement. I commonly hear complaints that “they don’t come back” for mystagogy, and I get requests for “a good resource” to use during the mystagogy sessions. To me, those kind of comments reflect […]
RCIA teams: 8 ways to make mystagogy work in your parish
To see how you might use one of these points in your catechesis, read “How to lead a 90-minute catechetical session.” The Way of Faith Explain that, despite what is often reinforced in popular culture and even at times in the church, women have a primary role in carrying out the mission of the church.
Breaking Open the News for Third Sunday in Lent—A
St. Augustine saw it as his duty to pass on four essential “sacraments” to the elect. These were the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, the font, and the table. He would teach them about the table after their initiation; he would explore the meaning of the font with them on Holy Saturday, before the Vigil. And
How to celebrate the Presentation of the Creed and Lord’s Prayer
People keep usurping the word evangelization, and therefore make it more difficult for us to accomplish the primary mission of the RCIA—go and baptize. First it was the evangelicals, who used the word to identify a denomination of Christianity quite distinct from Catholicism. On the face of it, there’s nothing wrong with a denomination defining
Evangelization 2.0: Reclaim the mission of the RCIA
In the June 2009 issue of This Sunday’s Scripture, Paul Bernier, SSS, writes in his commentary for the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ that the body is the “what” and the blood is the “how”: It might be pointed out that the now common practice of offering the chalice to the faithful
Communion—is the cup necessary?
These are some of the workshops I’m interested in at the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress this weekend. If you plan to be there, look me up. When I’m not in a workshop, I’ll be at the Bayard / Twenty-Third Publications booth. Forming Adults in the Faith—Bishop Gerald Kincanas The Emerging Church—Richard Rohr Celebrating the
Will you be at the LA Congress?
Seventeen years ago, I left the professional ministry field and started a career in publishing. Ever since then, I’ve been fascinated by the intersection between business values and spiritual values. There can be a tendency among ministry folks to stereotype business people as being completely focused on money. Recent stories about unscrupulous bankers and greedy
Do you run your RCIA like a business? Maybe you should
Here is a list of previous posts having to do with RCIA and Lent. Also, be sure to click on the “Lent” link in the keywords box, below left. Choreographing the Scrutinies Don’t catechize in Lent What are the proper prayers for the scrutinies? 9 Ways to Treat the Elect Like Royalty Reckless Love: A
RCIA in Lent: 6 must-read posts
On Monday of this week (February 9, 2009) the New York Times published an article saying the Catholic Church is bringing back indulgences. The article has caused a storm of comments on the Internet, and most of the comments are of the dumbfounded, mouth-dropping type, wondering why the Catholic Church would return to the practice
Selling indulgences? What RCIA leaders need to know
The Year of Saint Paul Reading II 1 Cor 10:31-11:1 Brothers and sisters, Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God…. The way of faith To proclaim the faith and to plant his reign, Christ sends his apostles and their successors. He gives them a share in
Catechesis for 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time, B
