Diana and I recently led a Making Disciples Institute, and about half of the participants had been involved with catechumenate ministry for five years or less. One of the consistent comments we heard was how overwhelming the process seemed to be. And it’s true. If you look at the whole scope of what the Rite […]
Move your RCIA process just three feet
Diana and I recently returned from Australia where I gave a keynote presentation for the Christian Initiation Australia Network (CIAN) National Conference. The topic was New Tools for a New Age. My goal was to describe how to use the tools of social media to enhance the catechumenate process. As soon as I learned what the
Diana and I have been on an amazing month-long journey through much of Australia. In our time there, we learned (or relearned) several things. We are on a journey that promises life, but we don’t always see it. We are called, as Abraham and Sarah was, to leave our country for a country the Lord
Journey to the source: Five things you need to know about the RCIA
If I asked you what Pope Francis said in his speech to the U.S. Congress last September, I’ll bet most of you couldn’t tell me. But if I asked what kind of car he drove off in after the speech, most of you will remember it was a tiny black Fiat. The Fiat made more
RCIA as a little black Fiat ministry
At almost every TeamRCIA institute Diana and I have led over the last two years, someone will complain that some aspect of the RCIA process they are doing is not working. And we will then ask why they keep doing it. And invariably the reply is, “Because that’s the way we’ve always done it.” I
Reasons to stop doing RCIA the way you’ve always done it
When I first leaned about the RCIA in the 1980s, it was a brand new rite in the church. What caught my attention right away was the dismissal of the catechumens. I didn’t know anything about the theology of the dismissal or even much about catechumens. But I did know about Catholics. Right away, I
How to make parish renewal a byproduct of RCIA
If you want to move to a year-round catechumenate but you think it will be too much work or you don’t know where to start, start with baby steps. You don’t have to do everything all at once. For example, I was at Mass at a parish outside my diocese on a July Sunday. At
Your first small step toward a year-round RCIA process
How many team members do you need for an effective RCIA process? The answer to that depends on what you mean by “RCIA.” If your RCIA starts in September and ends at Easter Vigil or during the Easter season, then you probably need about five to seven highly committed team members (not including sponsors). If,
RCIA: Learn why year-round is easier
Recently, we asked you what your RCIA timeline looks like (click here to contribute your responses). I thought you might like to see some of the responses so far. One question we asked was, “Has your parish moved from a time-limited catechumenate to an ongoing, year-round process?” Honestly, I was surprised by the number of
The benefits and challenges of a year-round RCIA process
Mary Birmingham and I just completed a TeamRCIA Catechist School in Columbus, Ohio. Toward the end of the school, we asked the participants what they learned and why that was important. Many of them said they learned the importance of providing formation for the inquirers and the catechumens all year long. And a lot of
Four easy ways to start a year-round RCIA process
