Twelve years ago, Diana and I were sitting in a bar in Davenport, California, enjoying a beer after a day of planning for our Team Initiation ministry. We were looking out the window as the sun was beginning to set over the Pacific Ocean when the bartender suddenly turned up the TV volume. CNN was […]
Three things we learned from Pope Francis
Well, you did it! You accompanied your seekers on their journey of faith, and now they have been initiated into the Body of Christ or received into full communion. Great job! I bet you’re exhausted. You deserve a ton of thanks and a long rest. Well, I can offer you the thanks. Sincerely, thank you
I am struggling with how to start this article because synodality can be hard to describe. Honestly, the word itself can be a little confusing and maybe off-putting. If we’re familiar with it at all, we tend to think of a “synod” as something reserved for bishops. And that was true for a short time
Why synodality matters for your catechumenate ministry
Have you ever been on a float trip? A float trip is what it sounds like — getting on something floatable, like a canoe or inner tube, and floating down a lazy river or creek. For some of our seekers, the journey of faith is a lot like a float trip. Launch: Evangelization The float
Accompanying seekers on the river of faith
At every baptism, and especially baptism during the Easter Vigil, the Litany of Saints is an important part of the baptismal rite. The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults gives us several directives and options for the Litany of Saints and how to incorporate the names of the saints of your parish and region and
Can you include other names in the Litany of Saints?
Does your catechumenate team feel like they have to “get everything in” before Easter Vigil? That feeling can make formation feel overwhelming—like an impossible checklist of doctrines, precepts, and practices that must be taught in a limited timeframe. But what if you could shift the burden off of yourself and your team? What if Jesus
Have you felt a sense of renewed energy in your parish or diocese lately? Maybe the church seems a little fuller or the questions a little deeper. Something is definitely happening. There is a significant rise in adult baptisms across the globe. Is it happening in your area? Are you are witnessing this firsthand? Let’s
A wave of faith: Understanding the surge in adult baptisms
One of my favorite movies is Rain Man, starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise, two estranged brothers whose father dies, leaving Hoffman, the older brother, two million dollars in an inheritance. Cruise, to his great dismay, gets his father’s rosebushes. He sells high-end sports cars in Los Angeles, and Hoffman is a resident in a
Is conversion a journey or a destination?
We always get that question whenever Lent is coming around and it’s Year B or C in the Lectionary cycle. We also hear the concern that people are “missing out” on the Year B and C readings for the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Sundays of Lent when we celebrate the three Scrutinies. If you’re getting
Do we really have to use Year A readings for the Scrutinies?
The journey through the catechumenate is a profound period of transformation, but sometimes we can make the mistake of viewing evangelization as a preliminary stage with a firm stop date. But what if evangelization wasn’t just a starting point? What if it were a continuous thread woven throughout the entire catechumenate, forming active witnesses who
Ongoing evangelization: Making missionary disciples
