Perhaps the most frequent question we get here at TeamRCIA is some version of: “How do I convince [INSERT NAME/TITLE] that they should do [INSERT ACTION]? For example: “How do I convince the pastor we should be dismissing the catechumens from Mass?” Other versions of the question involve trying to convince the deacon, the parishioners,
Six ways to convince others that the dismissal of catechumens is a good idea
Q. How do I get buy-in for my RCIA vision from the parish leadership and faith community? A. This question is at the heart of being human and being in relationship. Differences among us are baked into our DNA. The challenge is, in spite of all our differences, how do we join together to proclaim
Q&A: Eight ways to get RCIA buy-in from everyone in the parish—including the pastor
Every January, I resolve to lose weight. And every December, I weigh about what I weighed in January. Sometimes, it is just too difficult to follow through on the commitments we make to ourselves. But more often, we don’t follow through on our resolutions because we don’t have a clear, compelling reason why we should
Five small RCIA upgrades that will have huge impact
Originally from Montreal but now in Alberta for 25 years, Bonnie Kirk is an Oblate Missionary of Mary Immaculate, She completed her Master’s degree in Pastoral Ministry (1980) at St. Paul’s University in Ottawa. Bonnie has been in active ministry since 1977, enjoying the RCIA adventure for close to 30 years. She currently serves as
How RCIA teams can be witnesses even in cyberspace
Like all of you I’ve been hard at work at finding ways to keep our initiation processes going while our churches have been closed and social distancing has become the norm. But even as challenging as that can be, the greater challenge has been working with those elect and candidates who were expecting to be
Is your RCIA open all year-round? Managing expectations in a changing world
My beginnings in initiation ministry had two phases. I went to school to learn about liturgy, and my first parish job included planning and coordinating the rites for the catechumenate. I felt pretty confident about that role. Many years later, I moved to California for a non-parish job. I volunteered for to help out on
How to grow your confidence as a catechumenate team member
Nehemiah, an officer in the 5th century BC Persian Empire, was feeling distressed. The emperor had granted Nehemiah’s request to help the Jewish remnant who still lived among the ruins of Jerusalem to rebuild the city. But, when he arrived, the situation was dire. Samaritans, Ammonites, Arabs, and Philistines had grown powerful in the land
Encouragement is a core value for catechumenate teams
We received another e-mail last week about what we are supposed to teach in the RCIA process. We get that question frequently, and we’ve answered it many times. I understand why RCIA team members, especially new team members, are focused on that question. But it really is the last question we need to ask. Educator
Have you asked all four of these questions about your RCIA teaching process?
Has this ever happened to you? You went to a workshop or read a book or saw something online, and a lightbulb clicked on. Suddenly, everything was so clear about how to structure the catechumenate process. Or maybe just one part of the process. The point is, before you didn’t know and now you did.
What happens when you rock the catechumenate boat?
“Archbishop,” someone in the audience asked, “so many people are leaving the church because of the scandals. What can we do to address that?” Archbishop Wilton Gregory of Atlanta had just opened the floor to questions after his keynote talk at the Cathedral Ministry Conference on January 15, 2019. The archbishop took a deep breath
Give your RCIA seekers a reason to stay
