This post was written by Jan Petroni Brown. She has led the RCIA Ministry at Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Houston, Texas, for the past three years. She is an author and college English instructor. In the small, ethnically diverse inner-city parish in one of the nation’s largest cities, the RCIA ministry my husband […]
The RCIA Journey: Looking back paves the way for moving forward
Do you have a list of texts, catechetical resources, or other material you recommend to teach catechumens in the RCIA?
Q&A: Do you have a list of resources for teaching catechumens?
One article that has received a lot of comments here on TeamRCIA is “Why dismiss the catechumens before Jesus becomes present?” (Scroll down to the end of the article at the link to see all the comments so far!) Dismissal is such an integral part of the formation of catechumens that the rite lists it as one of
Looking again at why the dismissal is important
I’ve asked a lot of cradle Catholics about their image of God as they were growing up, and I get different answers. But there is one answer I get a lot, which resonates with my own experience: God was a judgmental father. My father died when I was four, so I had no living image
Teach your catechumens to gush with mercy
Recently someone asked me if we had a program for RCIA. I told them the parish is the program. That might sound evasive or nonresponsive, but I really believe that. Let’s look at how this might work. In the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, we are told that before an inquirer can celebrate the
What is the program for conversion in the RCIA?
After unbaptized inquirers celebrate the Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens, they are changed. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults says they are consecrated (see RCIA 41). What do catechumens do? Consecrate comes from the Latin word consecrare, which means to make sacred (com- + sacrare). To make something sacred means to
Does your RCIA process make catechumens’ hearts burn?
A Catechumen’s Prayer Before the Rite of Election Creator God, even before I was born, you called me and named me. Even before I understood, you sought and summoned me. All this time, you have been choosing me, Lord, in secret and intimate ways. Now, you call me to stand before you, before your people,
Prayers for Catechumens around the time of the Rite of Election
Every year I struggle with whether or not to ask child catechumens to come during their Christmas vacation for dismissal sessions on Sunday morning during Mass. By this time of year, the families usually need a break and my family often goes out of town over Christmas. It’s easier just to not meet during Christmas.
What about Christmas vacation for child catechumens?
After you dismiss the catechumens from the liturgy, what happens? I’ve heard lots of folks refer to “dismissal catechesis.” Are you doing catechesis during the dismissal session? Are you doing breaking open of the word? Do you ever “break open” anything besides the word—the opening prayer or the opening song, for example? Click here for
What happens during dismissal?
