Many parish teams choose a safe, predictable path when forming seekers. We rely on our lesson plans, our schedules, our outlines, and it all feels responsible, even holy. But what if the Spirit is calling us somewhere less familiar, less comfortable and yet, more far more compelling? Over the past few weeks, we’ve been reflecting
The costly path of discipleship
What does love for the poor have to do with Christian initiation? According to Pope Leo XIV, everything! As catechumenate ministers, we are always concerned with handing on the faith, dogmas, and precepts of our Catholic tradition. But if we are not teaching that love for the poor is at the heart and center of
Why care for the poor is essential to initiation in Christ
You’ve no doubt heard the story of the wise man who went to the river to meditate. When he arrived, he found a group of agitated people gathered on the riverbank. As he drew closer, he saw them frantically wading into the water to rescue people from drowning. Every time they pulled someone to shore,
Go upstream: Forming disciples to confront injustice
When Pope Leo issued the first major document of his pontificate, he presented a big challenge to catechumenate teams. His apostolic exhortation, Dilexi te (“I have loved you”), is essentially an introduction to the rich tradition of Catholic Social Teaching. This is a teachable moment that we can use to introduce Catholic Social Teaching to
Encountering the poor is a prerequisite of faith
I have exciting news to share. Pope Leo XIV has just issued a powerful, timely new resource to help us in our ministry. It is a letter (technically an “apostolic exhortation”) titled: Dilexi te (“I have loved you”). In the same spirit of Dilexi te, I wrote two letters, one to seekers and the other to
How to use Pope Leo’s first apostolic exhortation in your catechumenate
