The election of Pope Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born pope, marks a significant moment on the world stage. As he embarks upon his ministry, this is an opportune time for catechumenate teams and leaders to begin to understand Pope Leo’s vision for the church and how it impacts our ministry. A central teaching that he […]
How Pope Leo XIV’s vision of synodality shapes the catechumenate
Ascension SundayBackground: Today, with the alternate second reading, we get both Luke’s long description of the ascension of Jesus in Acts and the short version in his gospel. Both end with prayerful expectation, with a portrayal of a community in prayer waiting for the Holy Spirit to empower them for evangelization and ministry.And in the Letter
You’ve likely heard, or perhaps experienced firsthand, the frustration: after the joy of the Easter Vigil, getting the neophytes to attend follow-up sessions during the period of mystagogy can feel like an uphill battle. Many catechumenate leaders struggle with low attendance at these gatherings. I’ve heard suggestions for improving attendance that include providing the dates
The secret to successful mystagogy: It’s about Sunday, not sessions
I discovered we had a new pope while waking up from a nap in my airplane window seat, about thirty minutes after takeoff. Diana, seated across the aisle, was gesturing excitedly at her phone. It took me a while to figure it out, but I soon navigated the American Airlines app to access live news
A new papacy and the catechumenate
Carter is the kind of disciple we dream of every inquirer turning into. During his catechumenate, he was always cheerful, inquisitive, and more and more filled with God’s Spirit. On the night of his baptism, he was absolutely glowing. For the last year, he has been referring to himself as a “baby Catholic.” But the
Pope Francis, mystagogy, and the mission of the neophytes
You did it! You made it through the Easter Triduum, and all your Elect have now been initiated into Christ. Congratulations! But now is not the time to take a break. You still have some work to do during the Period of Mystagogy. In this short video, Diana takes you through some of the ways to keep
Your team’s work during the Period of Mystgogy
Twelve years ago, Diana and I were sitting in a bar in Davenport, California, enjoying a beer after a day of planning for our Team Initiation ministry. We were looking out the window as the sun was beginning to set over the Pacific Ocean when the bartender suddenly turned up the TV volume. CNN was
Three things we learned from Pope Francis
Introduction to EastertimeIn the post-Vatican II reform of the Roman liturgy, Easter became not a day but a season. The Sundays are not named as “after” Easter but rather “of” Easter. We must not subdivide this season into chunks but celebrate its overall flow.Because the different New Testament writers approached their proclamation of the Good
Reflection Questions for RCIA Seekers: Year C – Easter Sunday through the Sixth Sunday of Easter
Well, you did it! You accompanied your seekers on their journey of faith, and now they have been initiated into the Body of Christ or received into full communion. Great job! I bet you’re exhausted. You deserve a ton of thanks and a long rest. Well, I can offer you the thanks. Sincerely, thank you
I am struggling with how to start this article because synodality can be hard to describe. Honestly, the word itself can be a little confusing and maybe off-putting. If we’re familiar with it at all, we tend to think of a “synod” as something reserved for bishops. And that was true for a short time
Why synodality matters for your catechumenate ministry
