When the bishops of the Second Vatican Council called for a restoration of the catechumenate, they were actually asking us to shift our paradigm of conversion. Conversion would no longer mean “becoming Catholic” (as in, “I used to be Lutheran, but I am a convert to Catholicism.”). Conversion has a much more profound meaning. The […]
The RCIA is our definitive statement on conversion
Parishes have a tendency to shift into low gear during the summer. Schools are closed. Most school-aged formation programs shift to summer camp mode or shut down all together. The choir takes the summer off. The same was also true for initiation ministry. The catechumens have been initiated and the candidates have been received; what’s
Is your RCIA open all year-round? Much ado about summer
Previously, I wrote about the big paradigm shift caused by the Second Vatican Council. To understand the impact of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, we have to first of all realize the overall goal of the Second Vatican Council was to turn the pyramid upside down. Flowing from the upside-down-pyramid model, we received
RCIA requires big paradigm shifts, starting with these two
Do you remember when you first heard about the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults? If you are a lifelong Catholic in your 40s or younger, you probably grew up experiencing the rites. Older Catholics, on the other hand, remember growing up without the catechumenate. I learned about the RCIA in the 1980s when I
RCIA: A radical, ground-breaking, world-shaking, world-transforming way of being church
When a person asks about becoming Catholic, our reflex kicks in to refer them to the RCIA process in a parish. What happens when an inquirer happens to be incarcerated? It is likely that the typical response has been to use the rite of baptism intended for infants. The thinking is probably that RCIA is
RCIA with incarcerated seekers
The other day I took my car into the dealer’s service shop for some regular maintenance and they provided me with a loaner car for the day. This loaner was their top-of-the-line mid-sized sedan with all the new technology. The rearview mirror had a digital compass built into the corner, and the sideview mirrors had
Is your RCIA open all year-round? Maintaining Focus
Do you ever find yourself getting frustrated with your whole RCIA process? Sometimes I sure do. Dealing with team members with different ideas, catechumens and candidates who don’t show up, or pastors who want things a particular way that might go contrary to the way you would like. There’s any number of frustrations that go
Is your RCIA open all year-round? Do we even need catechetical sessions?
One of the common misconceptions of our role as catechists is that we are “teachers” of the faith. That it is our job to give seekers (often mistakenly referred to as “students”) knowledge about our faith’s doctrine and traditions. But this view, especially for the RCIA catechist, is, if I may say, a little too
Is your RCIA open all year-round? The Pyramid of Acceptance/Belief
Like most people, I am terrible at keeping New Year’s resolutions. But several years ago, I found a way to become better. Now, I make 90-day resolutions. At the end of 90 days, I check in with myself to see how I’m doing. Then I either recommit to my resolutions, or I trade them in
13 New Year’s resolutions for RCIA leaders and teams
I know a lot of catechists who approach their ministry with all the zeal of a foreign missionary, especially when it comes to the RCIA. That was the feeling we all had in our RCIA team when I first joined them 21 years ago. Here was our chance to bring Christ to those who had
Is your RCIA open all year-round? Are we catechizing for knowledge or understanding?
