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
The introduction to the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults lists a litany of principles that undergird the initiation process that a seeker and an initiating community will follow (for example, see RCIA 4-5). One of the most earthshaking of these is, “The rite of initiation is suited to a spiritual journey of adults….” (5).
One of the most earthshaking shifts of the RCIA
Previously, I wrote about the big paradigm shift caused by the Second Vatican Council. To understand the impact of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, we have to first of all realize the overall goal of the Second Vatican Council was to turn the pyramid upside down. Flowing from the upside-down-pyramid model, we received
RCIA requires big paradigm shifts, starting with these two
Do you remember when you first heard about the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults? If you are a lifelong Catholic in your 40s or younger, you probably grew up experiencing the rites. Older Catholics, on the other hand, remember growing up without the catechumenate. I learned about the RCIA in the 1980s when I
RCIA: A radical, ground-breaking, world-shaking, world-transforming way of being church
I have been having to say this more often lately. I’m not sure if that means our understanding of baptism is shrinking or (I rather hope) that so many more of us are beginning to grasp what baptism in its fullness means and that is generating a dialogue. In any case, while most TeamRCIA readers
Baptism isn’t just about water
Dear (Arch)Bishop, We know that these days have been hard for all of us in the Church and that you have many urgent tasks before you. We also know that you care deeply about the ongoing mission of Christ that all the baptized share, and we have seen many of you and your brother bishops
Several years ago, I was helping lead a training institute for RCIA teams. One of the participants was quite young compared to the rest of us who were mostly well past 40. I asked her how she wound up serving on her parish’s RCIA team. She told me that when she was in college, she
RCIA formation is a call to holiness
