Nick Wagner is the cofounder and codirector of Team Initiation.
After Mass on Holy Trinity Sunday, an inquirer asked me to explain the Trinity. Standing on my left was a cradle Catholic parishioner, a pillar of our community, and on my right, a neophyte, recently baptized in the name of the Trinity. I first turned to the neophyte, asking if she’d like to share her […]
In a previous article, we explored the blueprint Pope Leo XIV laid out just days after his election. One of the six priorities he identified was that, as a church, we have to focus on loving care for the least and the rejected among us. This priority echoes Pope Francis and reaches back to Pope
Embracing the margins: What Pope Leo expects of our teams
Pope Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born pope and a longtime missionary in Peru, brings a fresh pastoral style to the papacy. There has been a lot of news coverage about his election and his first months as pope. However, his early address to the cardinals of the church hasn’t gotten a lot of attention. In
Will Pope Leo XIV’s six priorities change your catechumenate ministry?
This past weekend, Diana and I were in the Diocese of Portland, Maine, for the Maine Mission Summit: Initiation Team Training. We were thrilled to be able to speak to both the clergy of the diocese and to the parish catechumenate teams to help them gain a deeper understanding of the Christian initiation process. During
How to proclaim the gospel: Insights from Bishop James Ruggieri
“I don’t want to go to hell,” she said. That stopped me cold. I was talking with an inquirer shortly after Pope Leo XIV was elected. I was trying to learn what brought her to us. Her words made my heart clutch. Fear of going to hell was a worry throughout my childhood. Well-meaning teachers
Why we’re here: Evangelization is the mission that cannot wait
We like to think of Christian initiation as a gentle journey. But the truth is a lot of people show up to our parishes deeply wounded. And many times, their pain is not that obvious. On first glance, they may seem perfectly fine. But sometimes, beneath the surface, they are hurting from addiction, loneliness, anger
What if we really believed this was life or death?
In a previous article, I wrote about how we might apply the principles of synodality to conflict in the catechumenate process. In this article, I want to go a little more deeply into how we might accompany one another when conflict arises. Deepening our understanding of synodality To be honest, I don’t deal with conflict
Accompanying one another through conflict
I once had an inquirer who showed up “ready” to be baptized. He had taken an online course on Catholicism and was expecting to be initiated as soon as possible. I think he would have been happy to have been baptized that very day. When catechumenate ministers ask me how we know if the seeker
Discerning readiness for mission
In several recent articles, we’ve explored how synodality—a way of walking together—is foundational to the catechumenate. In this article, I want to highlight a key component of both synodality and the catechumenate: listening for God’s Spirit. Listening is the heart of synodality and the catechumenate Pope Francis has consistently emphasized the importance of listening. He
Walking with seekers: Mystagogical accompaniment as synodal listening
The election of Pope Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born pope, marks a significant moment on the world stage. As he embarks upon his ministry, this is an opportune time for catechumenate teams and leaders to begin to understand Pope Leo’s vision for the church and how it impacts our ministry. A central teaching that he
How Pope Leo XIV’s vision of synodality shapes the catechumenate
