Q. One of our catechumens informed us that her godparent will not be able to be present for the three lenten scrutinies, and now she needs to look for a “proxy.” I have three questions: A. Canon Law regulates the requirements for godparents. However, as far as I know, it says nothing about proxies. So
Q&A: Proxies for the scrutinies
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
Because I was just a baby when I was baptized, I am more than ever intrigued by the experience of being present at the celebration of baptism now. And with ministry in Christian Initiation there is so much more! A few years ago our parish celebrated an Easter Vigil that became truly memorable, not because
Reconnecting with the experience of baptism: the neophytes and the community
Isn’t it inhospitable to dismiss catechumens from Mass? Everyone is dismissed from Mass. When we are dismissed depends upon which order of the church we belong to.In the early church, there were several orders of participants in the liturgy who were dismissed, all at different times: catechumens, energoumens (those possessed by demons), penitents, and the
Frequently asked questions about the RCIA dismissal of catechumens
One of the most misunderstood elements of the catechumenate process is the ritual dismissal of the catechumens from the Mass after the homily. Many catechumenate team members resist dismissing the catechumens because, to the team, it seems inhospitable. In other parishes, there is a tendency to go overboard, dismissing everyone including baptized candidates and even
Why is the dismissal of the RCIA catechumens important?
I was once in a parish in which we baptized a choir member. Let’s call him Joe. Joe had been part of the Sunday music ministry for many years, and yet he was unbaptized. Then one year he decided it was time. I still remember his baptism. His godfather helped him kneel in our makeshift
How the rites move seekers from the old to the new
Will the Rite of Election be celebrated in your parish worship space this year? Many dioceses are shifting the rite out of the cathedral and into the parish because of the COVID-19 pandemic. And in dioceses where the celebration will still be held at the cathedral, the number of people present will be dramatically smaller
Will your Rite of Election be a true decision point this year?
One thing I’ve learned in this ministry is that everyone comes to it with certain expectations. This is one of the biggest challenges when working with your initiation team in moving to a year-round process. But your team and your parish leadership are not the only ones with certain expectations. Your seekers also come to
Is your initiation ministry open all year-round? Managing seekers’ expectations
Q: What is the history of the Easter Vigil being the moment for the elect celebrating initiation? A. This is a great question! I wish there were an equally great answer. The truth is, it’s complicated. There are really two questions here. When did the church start celebrating the Easter Vigil, and when did the Easter
Q&A: Why does the RCIA say that Easter Vigil is when we should baptize?
Rosie Rundell has been a Pastoral Associate for Seven Dolors Catholic Church in Manhattan, Kansas, for 21 years. She has been involved with RCIA ministry for over 30 years in four different parishes. She received her undergraduate degree from Benedictine University, Atchison, Kansas; a Masters degree in Pastoral Ministry and a certificate in Spiritual Direction
A year-round, apprenticeship model for RCIA gives me confidence that we are forming disciples
