Some of the RCIA rituals can be complicated. The Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens, for example, takes place in several locations, requires at least one procession, includes multiple gestures, and has many different moments of ritual dialogue. Our first inclination might be to write out a script for the seekers so they […]
Should we provide ritual scripts for RCIA seekers?
For a few weeks now, we have been exploring the ministry of catechist and specifically what the Directory for Catechesis calls for in the formation of catechists. If you have read the entire series—and especially if you read the sections of the Directory upon which I based the articles in the series—you may wonder who
The journey toward becoming an RCIA catechist
More of our parishes would implement an ongoing (year-round) catechumenate process if they could imagine how to do so without adding to the stress of the team and needing to recruit more team members. The good news is that your parish already has an ongoing process. And some of the burdens the catechumenate team has
How to start a year-round initiation process
One thing we learned during the pandemic is that the movement of the Holy Spirit in people’s hearts cannot be limited to a predetermined calendar. We have always known this, of course. But the pandemic forced us to be more flexible in our formation processes and find new, more responsive ways to accompany seekers on
Why is an ongoing (year-round) catechumenate important?
Someone recently asked on Facebook, “What is the Easter Vigil for?” The person asking is from a Christian tradition that does not usually celebrate baptisms at the Vigil. If you’re old enough, you will remember when that was true for Roman Catholics. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults was issued shortly after Vatican II,
What does baptism do? A mystagogy on the sacramental act of washing
Q: What would you do with someone coming from a tradition that baptizes adults and older teens and so was catechized but never baptized? We don’t have an unbaptized, catechized, category. A:This is a great question, and it is actually a fairly common one. In the United States and in some parts of Canada and
Q&A: Does the RCIA have a category for unbaptized, catechized seekers?
Mollie Muntefering is the coordinator of liturgy and music at St. Mary Catholic Church in Waverly, Iowa. Does your parish have a year-round RCIA process? Do you have a story you’d like to share? If so, please send about 1,000 words to Nick Wagner, nick@teaminitiation.com. On the first Sunday of Advent this year, St. Mary
Q: When is the appropriate time for an inquirer or catechumen to begin using the Sign of the Cross? A: You have probably heard the saying, lex orandi, lex credendi (the law of praying establishes the law of belief). The Sign of the Cross perfectly illustrates that maxim. However, there do not seem to be any canonical or juridical
Q&A: When should we introduce seekers to the Sign of the Cross?
The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has forced us all to rethink how we deliver our adult formation and RCIA processes. With so many variables on how we can or can’t meet in person with our candidates, we’ve had to become very flexible in order to meet the needs of our seekers. But even when this crisis
Is your RCIA open all year-round? Being flexible
Q: During the pandemic, how should we handle the signing the senses in the Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens? Is it permissible to sign without touching the person? In other words, to make the sign of the cross in front of the eyes, the mouth, etc. rather than actually on them? A:
