Our RCIA goal for Holy Week
We wish you a blessed and prayerful Holy Week. Please enjoy these powerful reflections from Rita Ferrone. Spy Wednesday Holy Thursday Good Friday Holy Saturday The Easter Vigil
Triduum
A Study of Two Baptismal Fonts
This summer I visited the city of Speyer, primarily because I wanted to see its cathedral. Speyer cathedral is the largest Romanesque church in Germany, one of three great cathedrals of this type (the other two are at Worms and Mainz). It was originally built in 1030, and its long history has included expansion, destruction,
A Study of Two Baptismal Fonts
How Pope Francis knelt in front of 12 teenage prisoners and taught us to be master RCIA catechists
Am I really willing to help others? Just think of that. Think that this sign is Christ’s caress, because Jesus came just for this, to serve us, to help us. —Pope Francis, Holy Thursday Homily On Holy Thursday, Pope Francis showed us how to be master catechists. He knelt before 12 inmates of the Casal
How Pope Francis knelt in front of 12 teenage prisoners and taught us to be master RCIA catechists
Four quick real-life tips for celebrating the Triduum with children
I follow Team RCIA on Twitter, and the other day I saw an interesting tweet entitled “10 key ideas for celebrating the Triduum.” It got me thinking about various tips I could share on celebrating the Triduum with children in the RCIA. So, here are four quick real-life tips. 1. Call and confirm Even though
Four quick real-life tips for celebrating the Triduum with children
Pelicans on Good Friday
Our Cathedral in San Jose invites a lay person each year to lead a reflection at the noon hour on Good Friday as a prelude to the Liturgy of the Veneration of the Cross led by the Bishop later in the afternoon. This year, I was invited to do this. We adapted the Office of
How will you catechize your RCIA group about anti-Semitism?
With Lent come the long narratives of the passion and death of Jesus. The Passion story is meant to be a story of hope and transformation, a story of the restoration of humanity to right relationship with the Loving God who created us all to be in God’s image. The ugly secret is that too
How will you catechize your RCIA group about anti-Semitism?
The Triduum and Children in the RCIA
From childhood till now you taught me to praise your wonders. Psalm 71:17 “Yes, but, do we have to go to all three?” my own children asked at dinner last night as we discussed the family schedule for the week. The unequivocal answer is, “Yes.” It is right and good for children to celebrate the
The Triduum and Children in the RCIA
The bees are back!
Team member Rita Ferrone recently received a Best of the Christian Press award from the Associated Church Press. The award is for her April 10, 2009 Commonweal article, “Virgil & the Vigil: The Bees Are Back in the Exsultet.” This Award of Merit (second place) in the category seasonal article was judged by Bill Droel.
Holy Week meditations—not just for catechumenate teams
Here are some wonderful meditations for Holy Week from Rita Ferrone: Free download: Holy Saturday Retreat for the Elect
Holy Week meditations—not just for catechumenate teams
The Easter Vigil
The Paschal Triduum is the center of the liturgical year, and the Easter Vigil is its high point. It is the liturgy at which night turns into day, and death into resurrection. Why vigil? St. Augustine had a pithy insight into this question: “We now need not wait for the Lord to arrive…. And yet
