Nick Wagner is the cofounder and codirector of Team Initiation.
“Why do I have to go to church?” I was feeling cranky, and my six-year-old self wasn’t having it. “Because I’m your mother, and I say so.” My mother wasn’t having it either. End of discussion. Sometime later, we had a similar dispute about my need to finish the now-cold lima beans on my dinner […]
Is it really necessary to dismiss the catechumens?
There is a story about an old fish that swims near a couple of teenage fish. As he passes by, he says, “Hey guys, how’s the water?” And then, as the older fish swims away, one of the young fish says to the other, “What’s water?” Trying to describe water to a fish is a
What is a catechumenal culture?
Shortly after I moved to California in 1992, there was a story in the local paper about a woman who landed at the airport thinking she was in San Jose, Costa Rica. She took a taxi to her hotel, went to bed, and only realized the next morning at breakfast that she was in San
How do you know if your seekers are ready for the next step in the catechumenate process?
The new translation of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (which is not yet published), will make an interesting change to the ritual text in English. The current translation says that before inquirers can celebrate the Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens, “sponsors, catechists, and deacons, parish priests (pastors) have the responsibility
Are we supposed to judge the seekers’ intentions in the catechumenate process?
Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions. (Mt 19:21-22) The gospel story about the
Why discernment—from the very beginning—is so important in catechumenate ministry
“How can we grow in our capacity to live in full the liturgical action?” asks Pope Francis in his June 29 apostolic letter on liturgical formation. “How do we continue to let ourselves be amazed at what happens in the celebration under our very eyes?” (31). I think this may be the most important question
The first step in catechumenate formation is to recover our “capacity for symbol”
As we approach the beginning of Lent, it is a good time to think about how we teach the catechumens to pray. The best way, of course, is by example. So here is a list of suggestions for deepening our prayer lives this Lent. Pray at a set time Make an appointment with yourself to
17 best prayer practices for RCIA team members
When I was a kid, we didn’t talk about “rites.” We didn’t really even talk about “liturgy.” The only thing in our world was “the Mass.” I was in high school before I realized the church has a whole constellation of rites. But even then, we didn’t use the term “rites.” We talked about “prayer
What is a rite and why does it matter for catechumenate teams?
Tired of being cooped up and quarantined for more than a year, Diana and I went on a road trip across the United States just after we got our COVID vaccines. We saw state capitals where tour guides would explain to us about the different kinds of marble, how the dome was constructed, and what
Are we geeky enough about the catechumenate?
In both the current translation of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and in the proposed new translation, the phrase “a priori” is left in its original Latin state. Nothing, therefore, can be settled a priori. (RCIA 76)So nothing can be laid down a priori. (OCIA 76) I suspect it was not translated because
One Latin phrase that was not translated in the initiation rites
