Nick Wagner is the cofounder and codirector of Team Initiation.
A central element in the Rite of Election is the enrollment of names. This part of the rite is so important it is given equal billing in the title: “The second step in Christian initiation is the liturgical rite called both election and the enrollment of names.” (RCIA 118). Their enrollment is a sign of […]
Make the Book of the Elect worthy of the names it bears
The testimonies during the Rite of Election can be one of the most moving moments in the catechumenate process. Let’s look at how they happen. How does the testimony happen in the election rite? In the Rite of Election, the ritual text gives two ways for the godparents to offer their testimony (paragraph 131). Option
Testify! — Tips for the Rite of Election
Lent comes early in 2008—February 6. That means that you only have a few weeks to decide who among your catechumens will celebrate the rite of election. Unless you have a year-round process, you’ve probably already made the decision. In most parishes, anyone who celebrated the Rite of Acceptance this past fall (or even this
Are your catechumens ready for the next stage?
As you know, there are four pillars of catechesis on which we need to help the catechumens build a life of faith: word, worship, community, and service (see RCIA, 75). January 1 is World Day of Peace, and it is an excellent time to strengthen the catechumens in the area of service. Pope Benedict has
QCan you take RCIA classes online? A“RCIA” is an acronym for “Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.” It is first of all a rite and therefore cannot be done online. Sometimes we think of becoming a Christian as simply a matter of making an intellectual assent to a body of beliefs. This notion leads us
Can you take RCIA classes online?
Benedict XVI released his letter, “Saved by Hope,” to coincide with Advent, the church’s great season of hope. In John Allen’s summary of the letter, he makes the point that a major concern of this pope is reasserting Catholic identity in a world dominated by earthly values. The theme of Benedict’s first letter was love.
Teach the catechumens about Advent hope
Previously, I looked at some of the pitfalls of trying to celebrate a combined Rite of Acceptance and Rite of Welcome. (See Part 1.) In most cases, the celebration fails the “mother test.” That is, the the combined rite itself is not clear enough that the average parishioner—for example, my mother—would be able to clearly
Give your rites the mother test (part 2)
Many parishes have recently celebrated the combined Rite of Acceptance and Rite of Welcome. The full name of this rite tells you right away it is going to be problematic: Celebration of the Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens and of the Rite of Welcoming Baptized but previously Uncatechized Adults Who Are Preparing
Give your rites the mother test (part 1)
Here is an easy way to take the first step toward a year-round catechumenate. Many parishes have recently celebrated their annual Rite of Acceptance. If that is your situation, you now have a brand new group of catechumens, and you will not be ready for more until next fall. So here’s your challenge. If someone
Is this the year to go year-round?
I recently signed up for a new wiki. If you don’t know what a wiki is, click here. But that’s not what I want to tell you about. Almost immediately after I signed up, I got an e-mail from Kristine at PBwiki introducing herself as “the community evangelist” for PBwiki. Her reason for writing was
