Q: What is the history of the Easter Vigil being the moment for the elect celebrating initiation? A. This is a great question! I wish there were an equally great answer. The truth is, it’s complicated. There are really two questions here. When did the church start celebrating the Easter Vigil, and when did the Easter […]
Q&A: Why does the RCIA say that Easter Vigil is when we should baptize?
Don Roberts has been the RCIA Team Leader for the Parish Community of St. Joseph in Belmont, NH, since 2012. In the 1980s, he and his late wife Pat introduced the process to their suburban Albany, NY, parish. After a 15-year stay in Virginia, they returned to RCIA in their retirement in New Hampshire. Don
We’re flexible: How our parish does year-round RCIA
Here at TeamRCIA, we spend a lot of time talking about the inadequacy adapting the catechumenate into a school model. Using a classroom paradigm is so common in parishes that many RCIA teams think it is the norm. However, if you read the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults carefully, you will find no reference
The school model is a chokehold on the RCIA
Q: Is there a possibility that a seeker would come to faith before the Easter Vigil… and how do you proceed with that scenario? A: This is a great question. The answer is a bit complicated, but if we dig a little deeper into the question, the answer becomes simpler. There is a caveat however.
Can RCIA seekers celebrate their sacraments outside of the Easter Vigil?
Inspired by an angel, Philip went out onto the road to preach. While on the road, he met a court official from Ethiopia. The Ethiopian was reading from the prophet Isaiah, but he didn’t understand what he was reading. Philip began to explain it to him and also to proclaim the good news about Jesus.
Why a year-round RCIA is important for baptized seekers
Q: How do we handle the reception of baptized candidates into full communion once the quarantine is lifted? A: Baptized candidates present us with a conundrum. In the United States, Canada, and most parts of Australia, the majority of those in our formation processes are baptized Christians. And the majority of the ritual text, the
Q&A: What is the right rite for baptized candidates in the RCIA?
Many communities might not be able to gather to celebrate the Triduum this year because of Coronavirus precautions. What does this mean for the RCIA rites of initiation that usually take place at the Easter Vigil? Here we look at some options that the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults gives us and explore some
RCIA, the Triduum, and Coronavirus
If you watched the livestream of the 2019 Fall meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, you saw that the agenda included a vote on the proposed English translation of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (to be called the “Order of Christian Initiation of Adults” in the new text). I won’t
Is a new RCIA / OCIA around the corner?
Downloads Distinguishing the baptized flow chart (PDF file) Symbols of the RCIA (PowerPoint slides, 29MB) Bulletin insert: Rite of Acceptance (PDF file) Sundays with Appropriate Readings for the Rite of Acceptance (PDF file) Rehearsal Outline for the Rite of Acceptance (PDF file) An alternative Rite of Welcome Example bulletin announcement for initiation ministry ARE
Webinar: Get Ready for a Great Rite of Acceptance
Over a series of several posts, we have looked at the paradigm shift that was launched at the Second Vatican Council and further developed in the restoration of the catechumenate. The overarching shift in our model of church, taught by the Second Vatican Council, is a reenvisioning of the church’s mission. A simple way to
How the RCIA makes us dream of a new church — a summary
