In your RCIA process, do your catechumens and baptized candidates know the difference between Eucharist and communion? In 2008, Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Center released a pastoral letter in which he ended his diocese’s practice of celebrating communion services in place of weekday or Sunday Mass. His reason for doing so was, partly, because […]
Eucharist and communion—what’s the difference?
The Concord Pastor reminds us on this feast day about the implications of Pentecost. He cites Economic Justice for All, which bears reading for all of us who are trying to be faithful to RCIA 75:4: ((Since the church’s life is apostolic, catechumens should also learn how to work actively with others to spread the
How to catechize about apostolic mission in the RCIA
When do you introduce your introduce your inquirers to Scripture? I think for most folks, it’s pretty early on. I try to at least connect the inquirers’ stories with a story from Scripture, even if I don’t pull out a Bible and read the story exactly. Certainly by the time they are showing signs of
How to read the Bible in the RCIA process
I just got back from Orlando where I was attending the Emerging Models of Pastoral Leadership conference. I was hoping to learn some things about how the catechumenate is handled in clustered parishes, but, regrettably, there wasn’t much discussion about that. Many years ago, I worked in the very rural diocese of New Ulm, Minnesota.
As you know, Pope Benedict XVII is in the midst of his first visit (as pope) to the United States. Realizing that America is one of the most religiously diverse countries in the world, one of the events he participated in was an ecumenical prayer service at Saint Joseph’s Church in Yorkville, New York. During
Questions from Pope Benedict for RCIA Teams
Rita Ferrone, one of the team members here at TeamRCIA, recently published Liturgy: Sacrosanctum Concilium (Rediscovering Vatican II). It’s an excellent resource for catechumenate ministers who would like more background about the meaning and purpose of the liturgy. I wrote a review of the book on Amazon, which begins: Rita Ferrone’s brief examination of the
Learn more about liturgy with this new resource
If you have inquirers who are ready to become catechumens now, you need to celebrate the Rite of Acceptance with them before Pentecost in order for them to be eligible for initiation at the next Easter Vigil. Flip open your RCIA to the very back. Look for the section that is titled “Appendix III: National
Author and scholar Karen Armstrong spoke at the annual TED conference in Monterey, California, in February 2008. She spoke about how the Abrahamic religions — Islam, Judaism, Christianity — have been diverted from the moral purpose they share to foster compassion. Note especially her distinction between intellectual assent and faithful practice (about three and a
The catechumenate and world peace
One of the questions that is often posed about the catechumenate is “What about the summer?” Then follow a number of reasons why it simply isn’t realistic to expect ongoing catechesis throughout the summer months. After all, it’s vacation time, the Team needs a break, people don’t show up, etc. Perhaps a reflection on the
15 ways RCIA teams can catechize this summer
There is a fine post on Walking the Rite Way that gives some insight about why moving toward a mystagogical process and away from an information delivery process is so difficult. This passage in particular names the fear that keeps many of us from taking the leap: It’s quite challenging, is this. It leaves the
