With the new year upon us, often our thoughts turn to the past year and the excitement of the new year to come. For many it’s a chance to make a fresh start on a personal goal. A time of New’ Year’s resolutions – resolving to break a bad habit or do something better for […]
Is your RCIA open all year-round? A New Year’s Resolution
The Holy Spirit does not call people to discipleship only from September to May. The call is constant, and hearts of seekers are moved to respond every hour that Christians are awake and living in the world. We know that is true because we are the presence of Christ. And when Christ is present, people
Why don’t we make disciples in the summer? The core fear that prevents a year-round RCIA process
Many of us working in initiation ministry have been around the church for a while. Some of us are lifelong Catholics while others of us joined the church through the RCIA process and perhaps never left this ministry. Regardless of how we got to where we are, I think it’s fair to say that we’re
Is your RCIA open all year-round? Treating adults as adults
My last article concerning the use of online resources (Much ado about doing the RCIA online) elicited some interesting comments. As I considered some replies to these comments, I found myself writing enough for another full article. The heart of my previous article was to emphasize the importance of face-to-face interaction that our catechumens and
Is your RCIA open all year-round? Being flexible and going after that lost sheep
As a director for our parish’s adult catechumenate ministry I field a lot of phone calls and e-mails from seekers wanting to know about the various programs and processes our parish has to offer. I do my best to be welcoming and attentive in answering their questions in the hopes that I can schedule a
Is your RCIA open all year-round? Much ado about doing the RCIA online
It’s no secret that the life in most parishes follows the old-school academic calendar. So it’s at this time of year when parish schools, groups, and ministries begin to awaken from their long summer slumber. For most every parish I’ve encountered, that includes the catechumenate formation process. The fact that those of us in catechumenate
Is your RCIA open all year-round? Redefining when the process starts
If you’re an RCIA director or team member, you know that one of our biggest issues is having to address marriage questions with our seekers. Seekers come from a variety of backgrounds, and it is inevitable that we will have to address these issues. Yet far too many of us are ill-prepared to address them
Is your RCIA open all year-round? Serving on the front lines of marriage and annulment issues
Parishes have a tendency to shift into low gear during the summer. Schools are closed. Most school-aged formation programs shift to summer camp mode or shut down all together. The choir takes the summer off. The same was also true for initiation ministry. The catechumens have been initiated and the candidates have been received; what’s
Is your RCIA open all year-round? Much ado about summer
The other day I took my car into the dealer’s service shop for some regular maintenance and they provided me with a loaner car for the day. This loaner was their top-of-the-line mid-sized sedan with all the new technology. The rearview mirror had a digital compass built into the corner, and the sideview mirrors had
Is your RCIA open all year-round? Maintaining Focus
Do you ever find yourself getting frustrated with your whole RCIA process? Sometimes I sure do. Dealing with team members with different ideas, catechumens and candidates who don’t show up, or pastors who want things a particular way that might go contrary to the way you would like. There’s any number of frustrations that go
Is your RCIA open all year-round? Do we even need catechetical sessions?
