TeamRCIA.com is a FREE online resource for Catholic parishes that want to start or sustain the catechumenate in their communities. The conversations on this site are initiated by five national leaders in the United States church who have been serving in RCIA ministry for more than two decades. We invite you to join the conversation by clicking on the comments link on any post.
Team members
Nick Wagner, editor of Today’s Parish, has more than 25 years experience as a leader and trainer in liturgical and catechetical ministries. He has a gift for translating theological principles into simple and clear language that inspires joy, commitment and passion for faith. He is the author of numerous articles and several books and on parish ministry including Whole Community Liturgy and The Way of Faith: A Field Guide for the RCIA Process (Twenty-Third Publications). He is an active team member with the North American Forum on the Catechumenate. He has worked in campus, parish and diocesan positions, and he holds a master’s degree from Saint John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota.
Diana Macalintal is the Director of Worship for the Diocese of San José and holds a Master of Arts in Theology with honors from Saint John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota. She has served as a liturgist and music director in campus, parish, and diocesan ministries for over 20 years and has authored articles on liturgy and music in Modern Liturgy, Ministry & Liturgy, Pastoral Music, Eucharistic Ministries, Parish Life, AIM, and Today’s Parish Minister. In 2003, she received the Tabat Scholarship from the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions. She is a team member of the North American Forum on the Catechumenate, a keynote speaker, workshop presenter, and liturgy director for national conferences, and a cantor and liturgical composer. She maintains a blog for the Diocese of San José called Work of the People.
Rita Ferrone is an author and speaker. Her many years of experience in parish and diocesan ministry have made her a sought-after workshop leader on issues of Christian initiation and liturgy throughout the United States. Rita has written several books, including the monograph On the Rite of Election, and she is co-author of the Foundations in Faith series for RCIA teams. Her most recent book, Liturgy: Sacrosanctum Concilium, is part of the Paulist series Rediscovering Vatican II: The Liturgy. She is currently writing a new book on the Easter Vigil. Rita is an active team member with the North American Forum on the Catechumenate and serves on the advisory board of the Yale Institute of Sacred Music. She is married, and lives in Mount Vernon, New York.
Miriam Malone, SNJM, holds a masters degree in pastoral studies and a certificate in pastoral counseling. She served as Director of Christian Initiation for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles prior to spending two years as an itinerant mission sister in Alaska. Miriam was a member of her Province Leadership Team for six years. She is a specialist in Christian initiation and liturgical catechesis. She teaches Pastoral Liturgy at Holy Names College in Oakland, California, and is a team member for the North American Forum on the Catechumenate. Miriam authored ENTER THE ROSE: Unfolding the Mysteries of Faith, a resource for Christian Initiation and retreats and writes for liturgical and catechetical publications. She is a skilled process facilitator and works with a number of religious congregations and church groups.
Rita Burns Senseman is a catechist who specializes in the Christian initiation of children. She is a freelance writer who has written numerous articles and books on various aspects of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, including A Child’s Journey: The Christian Initiation of Children (St. Anthony Messenger Press). She is a team member for the North American Forum on the Catechumenate and former associate director of the Office of Catechetics/Religious Education in the Archdiocese of Detroit. She has also held various parish religious education positions. She holds an MA in theology from the University of Notre Dame and is a wife and mother of three adolescent daughters.
