The journey of faith is a transformative experience for both unbaptized seekers and the Christian community. Along the way, seekers learn how to be disciples and missionaries of the gospel. The primary way that they learn this is through the rituals of the church. The rites for the unbaptized are not just add-ons to the […]
Embracing ritual: Why the rites for the unbaptized are essential
You’ve been given the date for the next celebration of the Rite of Acceptance (what the new translation calls the Rite for Entrance into the Catechumenate). Now what? So much of the preparation for an effective celebration of a catechumenate rite involves preparing people, liturgically and spiritually, from the seeker to the presider and all
A checklist for preparing to celebrate the Rite of Acceptance (Entrance into the Catechumenate)
There’s an optional part of the Rite of Acceptance that we often automatically include without much thought. But there are some good reasons to think more deeply about this simple Presentation of a Bible that will help shape and catechize both your catechumen and your entire assembly. Can you help me out? I’d love to
Should you do a presentation of a Bible in the Rite of Acceptance?
There is one thing you can do right now to make your Rite of Acceptance come alive! It happens at the beginning of the rite and embodies and summarizes so much of the meaning of this important ritual in the life of a seeker and of the community. That one thing is to make the
The one thing that will make your Rite of Acceptance come alive
Embarking on a journey of faith and seeking a deeper relationship with Christ is a profound and life-changing experience. The Rite of Acceptance plays a vital role in this conversion process. When we celebrate this rite with inquirers, they are changed from outsiders to insiders as the community embraces them as their own. But this
From seekers to disciples: Unpacking the conversion journey within the Rite of Acceptance
Today we’ll examine three places we can adapt from where the norm is given, three places where we can and should make adaptations, three places where you must adapt the text, and three places where you cannot adapt or divert from the norm provided. How does this sound like what happens in your parish? Share
What you can and cannot adapt in the Rite of Acceptance
Even if you’re not the music coordinator or liturgist for your community, you can still engage your parish community in this significant and important first ritual for your seekers on their journey of faith. The role of the assembly is what will bring this ritual alive! Free download: The parish is the RCIA catechetical plan
Music for the Rite of Acceptance
 The Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens instructs that a group of the faithful go outside to gather with those who will become catechumens. How do you convince your entire assembly to move and go out?
Rite of Acceptance: Get the assembly to go out
Have you ever wondered about how to help your parishioners and new catechumens understand better the meaning of the Rite of Acceptance? Then just take a look at your church doors. In this short video, Diana walks you through three moments in the Rite of Acceptance where the church doors play a significant role
The Ins and Outs of the Rite of Acceptance
The short answer is yes. Perhaps because we are just now emerging from our COVID stay-at-home isolation, parish teams seem to be asking about the rites of initiation and if all of them are mandatory. Some seekers may have a pressing need to forgo the normal sacramental process and be baptized without delay. This pastoral
Is the Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens mandatory?
