As our dioceses and parishes implement more fully the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults for all those who have reached the age of discretion (aka the age of reason), parents sometimes have difficulty understanding why their child would be confirmed at age seven or eight. It is important for all of us to understand […]
How to think about Confirmation in the initiation of children
Is it time to reconsider following cohort model in our formation processes? The Oxford dictionary defines a “cohort” as “a group of people with a shared characteristic.” It’s a model that has been used in education since the beginning—grouping children into a grade level based on age with the understanding that a similar age corelates
Is your RCIA open all year-round? Having everyone around the same table
The first time I traveled to a foreign country (France and Italy) was in the 1990s. This was, of course, before cell phones were ubiquitous and before Google Translate and Google Maps were a thing. I had my Lonely Planet tour books and French and Italian phrase books to get me through. The “foreignness” of
Catechumenate ministry on the digital continent
In previous posts, we looked at what the Rite (Order) of Christian Initiation of Adults says about why conversion is important and what the church means by conversion. In this post, we want to look at how, according to the rite, we can foster conversion in seekers. When we are talking about the initial conversion
I once had to call an online shoe company about a problem with my order, and I was dreading it. These days, you don’t get to talk to a human. You have to “press or say” numbers in response to robotic questions. But I had no choice. I took a deep breath and dialed the
You get what you measure: What the new translation means by “conversion”
We all know the saying about not being able to fit square pegs into round holes. When we accompany others on the journey of faith, we are almost always in the business of getting squares to fit into rounds. In some sense, that is what we mean be conversion. People are living “square” lives and
How to fit in square pegs when our formation process is a round hole
When I was in college in the late 1970s, I read the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy for the first time. I remember highlighting and underlining so many phrases from that document. It was like someone had given me the key to a treasure chest. Some key passages include the teaching that Christ is present
What are celebrations of the word? How to give your RCIA seekers a foretaste of heaven
I discovered how to be a catechist for seekers almost by accident. When I was in my 20s, I learned all about liturgy, and I worked in a parish that had a vibrant catechumenate ministry. My role in that ministry was to plan and facilitate the rites for the seekers. When I was in my
Uncover the hidden gem of RCIA formation—celebrations of the word
It seems like only last month because the memories are so keen when I met Fr. Jim Dunning for the first time. He and Christiane Brusselmans were giving short courses and workshops on the new Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. In his 1978 book New Wine: New Wineskins, he set the tone for this
Preparing for the new translation of the Order (Rite) of Christian Initiation of Adults
Antonia is the catechumenate coordinator in her parish. She recently went to a diocesan workshop that encouraged parishes to accompany seekers all year long — not just October to April. She got very excited about implementing some of what she learned. But the pastor likes the current school model and refuses to change. Theo had
46 ways to accompany seekers even if you’re not in charge of the RCIA process
