It’s not something we often think about. But if we’ve been dismissing catechumens from Mass throughout their catechumenate on a regular basis, shouldn’t we also dismiss them during the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday? There are many reasons we might immediately dismiss this dismissal during the Triduum, such as, not having enough
Should we dismiss catechumens on Holy Thursday?
Before you start siphoning out the water from your font, covering it, or filling it up with anything else for the season of Lent, let’s talk about whether or not that’s a good idea. In this short video, Diana looks at what the Church teaches about the season of Lent and the liturgical guidelines we
Should we remove holy water from the font during Lent?
In this video, Nick and Diana cover one of the most common questions in catechumenate ministry: “How long is the catechumenate supposed to be?” Instead of locking initiation into a calendar or doctrinal checklist, the initiation process focuses on conversion to Jesus Christ. Using examples from their recent travels, they show how the catechumenate mirrors the
How long is the catechumenate supposed to take?
What does it mean when we say, “The Word became flesh”? In this video, Nick and Diana talk about a unique nativity scene they saw at the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris that caused them to reflect more deeply on the meaning of “word.” The word of God includes scripture but cannot be confined
What “Word became flesh” means
Diana and I are continuing our pilgrimage. This week, we are in Rome, waiting for a papal audience with Pope Leo. Why did we choose to come here? And why did thousands of other people from about the world make the same choice? Watch this video to discover what makes a place meaningful. Learn how
As we enter into the last part of the liturgical year, this is a good time for catechumenate ministers to think about how to help catechumens, candidates, and all the faithful understand time in a new way. Because as Christians, we encounter “God’s time” in a different way than we do with our everyday activities.
How Catholics think about time
Catechumenate ministers often ask us what the best resource is for teaching catechumens and candidates. And the answer we give might be surprising! The best and perhaps least utilized resource for teaching our faith is the liturgical year. And this year, we have two great, unique opportunities to encounter Christ in the cross and the
How the liturgical year teaches us about the cross and the font
In the Catholic tradition, we call the Eucharist “food for the journey.” But there is another food that feeds us just as powerfully and richly. At the beginning of a catechumen’s journey of faith, we are reminded that the Word of God is a rich fare upon which we all feast. Hearing the Word is how we
Food for the journey of catechumens
If the first time your parishioners meet a seeker is at the celebration of the Rite for Entrance into the Catechumenate, you’ve missed an important opportunity! But if you spend time in the months and weeks before the rite to give your seekers an “experience of the company and spirit of Christians” (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults 42), that will
Preparing the parish for the Rite for Entrance into the Catechumenate
So you have a catechumenate rite coming up, and you might be wondering how to get your parishioners more engaged, more involved, and just plain excited about that rite! It’s definitely a challenge, but it’s one that you can handle if you pay attention to three things you need. The key is to help your
Three ways to get parishioners engaged in the catechumenate rites
