In many parishes, initiation runs on a school-year schedule, kicking off in September or October and ending at the Easter Vigil or Pentecost. But seekers come to us throughout the year. So what happens when someone shows up in July and hears, “Come back in the fall”? In this short video, we explain why an
Why is an ongoing initiation process important?
Here we are in September of 2026, and many catechumenate teams still haven’t recovered from the shutdown caused by COVID in 2020. Nobody is getting sick, but everybody is still exhausted. I joined a new parish four years ago and discovered the catechumenate team had disbanded. I volunteered to help rebuild it. It took a
Once September begins, so do lots of school classes and parish activities. And so, it’s a natural time to resume faith formation gatherings after a summertime break. Many catechumenate teams have worked hard to move from a school-year model of faith formation to an ongoing journey of faith and conversion for seekers. But there’s one remnant of
Why we need to get rid of “registration deadlines”
You can reflect questions for every Sunday of the year by clicking here. The 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time Background: Jesus continues his sermon on what life in the Church means. How has Jesus already abundantly forgiven you? When do you find yourself being hardhearted towards others? Where do you see hardheartedness in the Church […]
Reflection questions for seekers: The 24th through the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Yesterday I got an e-mail from someone who said she is interested in becoming Catholic. In many parishes, the inquirer might get a reply that gives the date when catechumenate classes start. But that kind of reply deeply misunderstands the purpose of the first stage of the process — the Period of Evangelization and Precatechumenate.
The next team member you need to recruit: Ambassador of Welcome
Are you feeling overwhelmed, trying to do everything yourself? Are you having trouble recruiting team members to help you share the load of catechumenate ministry? It can be tiring and dispiriting trying to do everything solo. In this video, we address the real-life struggles with recruiting volunteers. Watch and discover three practical, relief-focused strategies designed
What to do when you don’t have a team
While traveling recently, I went to Mass at two different parishes. Both liturgies were celebrated by the book. Both had a few genuinely uplifting moments. And yet, taken as a whole, they both felt flat. I spent some time reflecting on why, if nothing was done wrong, the liturgies were uninspiring. The presiding was competent.
Intentional liturgy: Teaching catechumens to fill in the blanks
Sometimes a busy pastor or pastoral leader wants to skip the catechumenate rites and initiate a seeker quickly with no fuss. The temptation is understandable. But we know that bypassing the rites shortchanges the seeker’s conversion journey. If you’re like me, you want to confront this resistance head on by citing liturgical law and official
What to say when your pastor won’t celebrate the rites
You can reflect questions for every Sunday of the year by clicking here. The 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time Background: Though the setting of this episode is a cosmic miracle, the point is about the relationship between Jesus and Peter. Even in the midst of turmoil, Peter reaches out in faith and trust and takes […]
Reflection questions for seekers: The 19th through the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
We have been exploring the many sources of catechesis, and in this article, I would like to focus on the magisterium. Why is the magisterium important as a source of catechesis? The truth about Jesus and about our faith is always the same and unchanged since the moment of creation. However, our human understanding of
Using the magisterium to form catechumens: five documents every team needs to know
