The Third Sunday of Lent is coming up soon, and if you feel uneasy about it, you aren’t alone. As you know, that Sunday begins the first of a series of three scrutinies that we celebrate with the elect. However, the word “scrutiny” has a negative connotation in most people’s imagination. And when you tell
Why “scrutiny” is actually about light
The Rite of Election is a pivotal moment in the journey of a catechumen, marking a transition from a period of inquiry and formation to a more intense spiritual preparation for the sacraments of initiation. It’s not simply an introduction to the bishop or a public declaration of intent; rather, it’s the church, through the
The weight of “yes”: Three questions godparents must answer
When we think of giving the Creed or the Lord’s Prayer to the elect, we often imagine that we are to give to them a beautiful piece of paper printed with those words. But the ritual has a different idea, one that is grounded in the way God interacts with everyone God calls. In this
How to present the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer to the elect
Joe, a long-time member of the choir in our parish, stood in his pew at the cathedral, facing the bishop along with all the other catechumens of the diocese. His godfather, not sure which of them was more nervous, stood next to Joe with his hand on Joe’s shoulder. The bishop then asked all the
The Rite of Election — a journey into the divine mystery
In a previous post, we looked at Joe’s baptism. Joe, a long-time choir member, had finally reached “the fullness of time” in his heart and moved out of his old life into new life in Christ through the waters of baptism. There are many things that brought Joe to that point in his life, but
What the scrutinies do to the elect in the catechumenate process
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?
Jess Panlener is on the Discipleship Team at St. Charles in Hartland, WI, outside of Milwaukee, where she is the RCIA (Becoming Fully Catholic) director, baptism coordinator, and adult and family minister. She holds a master’s degree in historical theology from Marquette University, but she is a Wisconsin Badger through and through. Jess and her
Jesus’s timing is perfect—one parish’s experience of year-round RCIA
During a recent TeamRCIA Community Chat, several questions came up about celebrating the scrutinies outside the usual times. Let’s take a look at some issues that parishes may be experiencing. First, let’s recall the purpose of the scrutinies. The scrutinies are meant to uncover, then heal, all that is weak, defective, or sinful in the
Celebrating the RCIA scrutinies outside the usual times
Fr. John Farley, a priest in the San Diego diocese, commented on our video, “RCIA, the Triduum, and Coronavirus.” Based on the guidelines in the Ceremonial of Bishops and in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, he proposed a possible schedule for celebrating the rites of initiation at a time later this year. In
An RCIA calendar for celebrating the initiation rites outside the usual times
A prayer when one’s baptism must be delayed in this year of the coronavirus I know it’s not a race or a test of will, Lord. Yet I feel a bit lost now that the Triduum has ended and the baptismal waters remain just out of reach. In this time of waiting, may I receive
A prayer when baptism must be delayed in time of Coronavirus
