In our Diocese of San Jose, we have dancing books for the Rite of Election. Now hold on before you start groaning as you imagine young waifs in tights and leotards flitting about the altar.

Our Scriptural tradition has many stories of dancing—but the kind of dancing that comes out of ordinary, everyday people. David danced before the Lord, Miriam danced on the seashore, the women took up garlands and danced at Judith’s victory, and even John the Baptist did a little jig in his mother’s belly at the voice of Mary’s greeting.

And in our ritual, all of us dance—I mean, all of us, trained or not. When we dip our hand into the font, make the sign of the cross, bow low in reverence, raise arms in prayer, extend hands in peace and blessing, we are dancing. We are doing choreographed movement; we are expressing our faith, our joy, through our bodies.

This is what we do at our local Rite of Election, but just turned up a notch. The joy that our Rite of Election elicits—and the dancing that comes out of that joy—is often surprising for both the many long-time Catholics and “newbies” who come to our cathedral expecting a long, sober, restrained lenten ritual. Let me explain.

In our Rite of Election, after the homily, we present our catechumens to the Bishop in chant, in English and in Spanish. Then after he questions the godparents, asks the faithful for their affirmation, and confirms the catechumens’ desire to be initiated, the names of every catechumen are proclaimed by representatives from each parish. As the names are called, the catechumens and their godparents are led by their Book of the Elect to stand as a group before the Bishop. After he has accepted the proclamation of their names, the Bishop bows to the catechumens and godparents who bow to him in return.

Once all the names have been announced, those carrying the parish Book of the Elect stand around the altar (our cathedral is in the round) holding their books open high above their heads. Parish by parish, the catechumens are called to stand as the Books and the catechumens are blessed with incense filling the air.

Then at the climax of the rite, the Bishop standing at his chair proclaims with great solemnity: “I now declare you to be members of the elect, to be initiated into the sacred mysteries at the next Easter Vigil!”

With that declaration, the entire assembly roars into a jubilant sung acclamation—”Thanks be to God!”—repeated over and over, handclapping and all! And the Books dance! The people holding the Books are swept up by the joy of the assembly that they can’t help but move—some can’t even wait for the acclamation to begin! Up and down, side to side, twirling around in circles, the names of God’s chosen ones fill the space. The assembly, amazed at the sight, sings and claps even louder. Thanks, indeed, be to our good and gracious God!

What a way to begin Lent!

Here’s a short video of our dancing books here.

Rite of Election 2009 video, Diocese of San Jose (hi-res) from Diana Macalintal on Vimeo.

If you participated in the webinar on the Rite of Election a few weeks ago, you will be ready to appreciate the good and the not-so-good aspects of any celebration of that rite. Even if you missed the webinar, however, I hope you are quite familiar with the rite as it appears in the ritual text (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults 118 ff.).

Keep your eyes open when you attend the Rite of Election. Notice what happens. Here are ten questions (in no particular order) to help you sharpen your observations.

1. Did each catechumen have a godparent?

They should. The godparents have an important role in this rite. No group godparents, please. Each catchumen should have somebody who is there for them, and who can testify before the community of faith on behalf of that catechumen.

2. Did the bishop sign the book of the elect?

He shouldn’t. It’s not in the rite. It’s not in the tradition. It makes no sense. The book is for the catechumens to sign, not the bishop. Some dioceses began having the bishop sign the book because in the beautiful books from Liturgical Press there is a line at the bottom of the page for the bishop’s name. I have it on good authority, however, that when the press designed that book they had no intention of creating a new ritual. The space for the bishop’s name records who presided. You can write it in later, but please not during the rite itself.

3. If you celebrated the combined Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion, could you tell the difference between the catechumens and the baptized candidates?

You should be able to. According to National Statutes #30, Those who have already been baptized in another Church or ecclesial community should not be treated as catechumens or so designated. If it looks like everybody is doing the same thing, something’s wrong.

4. Did the bishop greet each catechumen or group of catechumens personally during the rite?

He shouldn’t. The receiving line happens after the celebration, not during it. The bishop is the presider at liturgy; he is not a minister of hospitality. The purpose of the rite is not to have the bishop meet the catechumens or the catechumens meet the bishop. The purpose of this rite is rather to celebrate their election by God and the Church, in preparation for the Easter Sacraments.

5. Were the names called as the catechumens come forward to sign the book of the elect?

They shouldn’t be. The calling of names happens earlier in the rite, in preparation for the Affirmation by the Godparents and the Assembly. In fact, that is why their names are called—so that we know who is being affirmed. Once that affirmation has taken place, there is no need to call their names again. They may inscribe their names in the book of the elect in any order.

6. Did the godparents speak up audibly (strongly) when asked to affirm their catechumens?

They should. If necessary, you could practice this with them at home before going to the Rite of Election. A weak response is a poor sign. The affirmation is saying, in effect, Yes, this person is ready to go forward to the sacraments! If the godparents really believe it, they should speak up.

7. Were the names called out individually?

They don’t have to be. At the Rite of Election, the catechumens may be called forward in groups if there are too many. But if they are not called by name in this rite, they MUST be called by name in a special celebration beforehand. In fact, this provides the warrant for the Rite of Sending (see the rubrics for RCIA 130).

8. Did the bishop preach about election?

He should. It says so in the rite itself. The celebrant should open to all the divine mystery expressed in the call of the Church and in the liturgical celebration of this mystery. (RCIA 125). The rite makes no bones about it. The mystery is God’s election. This step is called election because the acceptance made by the Church is founded on the election by God, in whose name the Church acts. (RCIA 119).

9. Did the catechumens sign the book of the elect during the rite?

They don’t have to. The book may be signed at the parish, if signing at the diocesan celebration would be cumbersome or take too long. Be warned, however. If you don’t sign the book at the diocesan rite, something else has to take its place at this point in the ritual—usually a presentation of the books brought from the parishes. This can be done with ceremony, and should be reverent and impressive as a ritual act. Stacking up books on a table is a poor witness to the value of this symbol.

10. Did you get a sense that the elect are being called to mission?

You should. Election is for mission. God calls us so that we may share in the very mission of Christ. God calls us to be light for the world, not merely to bask in the light of Christ ourselves. If we forget the mission, election becomes little more than a feel-good moment. But if we remember the mission, everything else makes sense—including the need for purification, through the Scrutinies that are to come.

Happy Rite of Election, everyone!

• How do you know if the catechumens are ready for the rite of election?

• Who decides?

• What is the process for discerning their readiness?

Take a look at Sr. Miriam Malone’s invitation to a one-hour, live training workshop to answer these questions and more.

Click here here for more information and to register for the workshop. 60% off the registration fee if you act before January 1, 2010.

Many have interpreted the signing of the Book of the Elect to be a sign of commitment and discipleship. This is certainly true, and when seen in this light, it would seem appropriate for both catechumens (the unbaptized) and candidates (the already-baptized) to sign the Book of the Elect. However, the commitment and discipleship that is signified by the act of putting one’s name on the line goes deeper than just one’s own choice to serve God.

Roll call

For those of us who are baptized, we can recall that it is God who first chose us, and we responded by professing our faith and entering into the waters of baptism. In the same way, it is God who first called and chose the catechumens. Their signature, then, is not just a sign of their commitment to be faithful to the God who chose them; it is a sign that God has placed their names onto the roll of those who will put their lives on the line, first by dying in the waters of baptism, then by sacrificing themselves and living as resurrected people every day after. The inscribing of names then is less like a sign-up sheet and more like God taking roll call of those who will do God’s work in the world until Christ comes again.

When seen this way, it is only appropriate that catechumens alone sign the Book of the Elect, since we would hope that candidates are already doing God’s work because of their baptism when they had first put their lives on the line.

Who signs, and who doesn’t

Further, according to the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, in the combined rite for sending catechumens and candidates (530-546), it is clear that only catechumens sign the Book of the Elect even when candidates participate in this combined rite of sending. However, the catechumens’ godparents may also write their names into the book (123). Their signing is in no way similar to the signing by the catechumen, but is rather a commitment by the godparent to be responsible for his or her catechumen. This allowance for godparents to sign should not be transferred to candidates who exercise a completely different role in the church than godparents.

Lastly, many have the expectation that the bishop would “ratify” the catechumens’ signatures through his own signature in the Book of the Elect. This is not part of the Rite of Election nor had it been a practice of the early church. It has been a custom developed recently, especially after the mass-production of books of the elect by liturgical publishers who add a line for the bishop’s name onto each page of their books.

Ritually, on behalf of the church, the bishop announces his acceptance of the godparents’ testimony, receives the names of the catechumens, then, at the climax of the rite, declares the catechumens to be the elect of God, chosen for baptism. This declaration serves as “the bishop’s signature.” However, because the Book of the Elect can also serve as a record-keeping book for the parish, it would be appropriate to write the name of the presiding bishop into the book at a later time.

A number of years ago, I wrote a little book about election (On the Rite of Election, LTP, 1994) for the Forum Essays series. I felt that divine election was an important concept to grapple with, and that—for a variety of reasons—our liturgical celebrations of election were missing the boat.

The main problem at that time seemed to be that the bishop was dominating the event. Election became “all about the bishop” rather than a rite that is “all about God” and God’s giving of a mission to the elect. The praenotanda of the rite clearly tell us that the rite is about divine election, but you’d be hard pressed to discover this from watching most election celebrations unfold. If the uninstructed observer dropped in and was asked to discern what was happening, she’d have said it’s a rite designed to have everyone receive the bishop’s special handshake.

Now, some fourteen years later, I wonder if things have really improved all that much. People did read the book (it’s still in print), and a considerable number of diocesan leaders and committees took its critiques to heart when it first came out. Workshops were offered. Planning teams looked again at how they had adapted the ritual. Some stayed with what they’d done, but many dioceses discontinued the handshake, or took it out of the center of the ritual so that the testimony and signing of the book would stand out better. People thought a bit harder about why we do the things we do.

Unfortunately, not too many bishops read the book. And as new bishops got appointed, they didn’t necessarily look carefully at the rite either. My information is anecdotal, but it seems to me there has been some backsliding. I’ve heard of numerous occasions in recent years where the bishop is a lackluster presider at the Rite of Election and doesn’t seem to understand what it is all about. Their predecessors had put some energy into celebrating election. It was new. Now, it seems to have slid to a level of a low priority. (There are exceptions, but this seems to be the trend.)

So what happens when the bishop doesn’t “get it”? The default setting is, of course, for the bishop to assume that the catechumens are there for a sort of RCIA “graduation” ceremony—a poor substitute for the celebration of God’s vital and life-changing intervention in our own human history, but there we are.

The important question now is: Can we do anything about it? As my esteemed colleague Father Paul Turner has pointed out, the idea of making election the sole initiation rite presided over by the bishop is brand new historically, and may in fact be a bad idea. Some have suggested taking election back to the parishes. On the other hand, having it at the parish doesn’t necessarily make it better. If a diocesan Rite of Election is done well—with the focus placed where it belongs—it can make a positive contribution that folks will bring home with them to their parishes.

Any impetus for improvement has to come from the grassroots. If our celebration of the Rite of Election is going to get better, it will be because somebody has worked at it. The people who participate in diocesan committees or commissions to implement the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults need to put the Rite of Election on the table for discussion again. Communicate with your bishops. Raise theological and pastoral questions. Don’t settle for ho-hum leadership. Ask yourselves, where are we going with this? How do we want election to look a decade from now, a generation from now? Why?

Rehearsal outline:
Sending of the Catechumens for Election

RCIA 106-117

6:30 Before everyone arrives

• Turn on lights and put out microphones.
• Put stand or table for the Book of the Elect in place.
• Place the book and a substantial pen on it.
• Put the lectionary on the ambo.
• Put presider’s script or ritual book on his chair.
• Put the catechumenate director’s script on her chair or pew.
• Place name tags in the pews where you want the catechumens and their godparents to sit.
• If necessary, mark the spots where the catechumens will stand with a piece of masking tape.

7:00 Welcome the participants: the presider, the director of the catechumenate, the godparents, and perhaps the musician. (The catechumens are not present.) Ask the presider, godparents, and catechumenate director to sit in their places. Lead a brief prayer.

7:10 Remind the godparents of these essential points; be lighthearted, but still convey the importance of the information:

• Point out to the godparents that this rite has two primary elements
  • The testimony of the godparents (and the assembly)
  • The signing of the Book of the Elect
• Godparents need to pick up their catechumens from home or meet them in front of the church before Mass.
• Everyone needs to be in their seats 15 minutes before Mass starts.
• From the minute they walk into the church, until the minute the catechumens are dismissed, the godparents need to be in physical contact with their catechumens. A hand on an arm or shoulder at all times.
• It is the godparents’ responsibility to know the details of the rite. They need to project an air of confidence and always reassure the catechumens that things are under control.
• Point out to them that Mass will begin as usual and will be “normal” up through the homily. After the homily ends, they need to be ready.

7:20 Presentation of the candidates

The catechumenate director moves to her microphone and reads her lines at paragraph 111 in the RCIA. (Remember, these lines can be adapted, but you need to do that before rehearsal.)

The presider calls forth the catechumens. He can make a general call (paragraph 111), followed by the name of each catechumen. Or he can make a general call and the director of the catechumenate can call each individual name.

When the godparent hears his catechumen’s name, he should act out taking the catechumen by the arm and walking the catechumen to the spot you have chosen.

MUSIC NOTE: The cantor could chant the names of the catechumens to call them forward.

7:25 Affirmation by the godparents

The presider reads his lines (paragraph 112). If the godparents are going to give extended testimony, the presider would not ask the questions in the text. (Remember, these lines can be adapted, but you need to do that before rehearsal.) If that is the case, instruct the godparents about these things:

• The order in which they will testify. (They don’t need to go in order, but then you need to tell them that also.)
• They need to speak loudly, even if they have a microphone. (Practice a few lines to see how they sound.)
• If you or another member of the team will be working with them on their testimony, tell them when and where.

If you will not be doing extended testimony, have the presider read through the questions and have the godparents respond. Make sure they respond loudly and clearly.

(Remind them to keep a hand on their catechumen.)

MUSIC NOTE: There can be a sung acclamation after the testimonies. If you are doing extended testimonies, perhaps an acclamation after every three or so.

7:35 Affirmation by the assembly

Have the presider ask for the assembly’s affirmation. This can also be an extended testimony if you have time. Or it can be a simple question to which the assembly responds “Yes” or “We do.” However, there is no question in the ritual text. You will need to write one.

7:40 Signing of the book

(If the signing is to take place in the presence of the bishop, it is omitted in the parish Rite of Sending.)

The presider concludes the affirmations with a call to sign the book. You will need to write this; it is not in the ritual text.

The godparents act out escorting their catechumens to the book and handing them the pen to sign with. Tell them what order to go in and how long to wait between signings. Tell them to return to their “tape” spot after their catechumen has signed. Walk it through with each godparent.

(Remind them to keep a hand on their catechumen.)

Point out to the godparents that even though the catechumens will have signed the Book of the Elect, they will not be Elect until the bishop declares them to be.

During the signings, the director of the catechumenate goes to get the lectionary.

MUSIC NOTE: There can be a sung acclamation after each signing. There should be a more extended acclamation after all the signings. You or the director or the presider could process the Book of the Elect (open) through the assembly at this point.

7:50 Intercessions

Note that the intercessions and the prayer over the catechumens will be prayed at this point. (There is no need to actually read through them.)

Point out to the godparents that these are intercessions for the catechumens and not the prayer of the faithful that we usually do at Mass.

(Remind them to keep a hand on their catechumen.)

MUSIC NOTE: The intercessions could be chanted.

Dismissal

The presider reads the dismissal line. (Write one or choose one of the options in the ritual text before rehearsal.)

The director of the catechumenate exits down the center aisle, carrying the lectionary.

Tell the godparents to tell the catechumens to follow the book. Remind them that even though the catechumens will be used to a dismissal, the flow of the liturgy will be new to them and they might be momentarily confused. The godparents should make sure the catechumens know what to do.

After the catechumens have left, the godparents will return to their pews.

MUSIC NOTE: There would ordinarily be an acclamation as the catechumens leave.

8:00 End

Thank the godparents for their time and their commitment. Remind them to be in their seats 15 minutes early. Make sure they have your e-mail address and cell phone number in case they have any questions.

• Testify!
• Are your catechumens ready for the next stage?
• RCIA Discernment: How do you know if they know enough?
• Help your assembly prepare for the Rite of Election

A central element in the Rite of Election is the enrollment of names. This part of the rite is so important it is given equal billing in the title: “The second step in Christian initiation is the liturgical rite called both election and the enrollment of names.” (RCIA 118). Their enrollment is a sign of the catechumens’ fidelity to live the life of a Christian.

The rite offers several options for the inscription of names, but it says nothing about where the names are inscribed. See the rubrics at paragraph 132 in the rite.

1. The catechumens may inscribe their names themselves
2. They may call out their names while the godparents do the actual inscription
3. They may call out their names while another minister does the actual inscription
4. The parish may simply present a list of names to the bishop

Option four is perhaps the most common choice, as many dioceses opt to have the inscription of names take place at the parish rite of sending. (Note that even when this is the case, the actual enrollment does not occur until the names are presented to the bishop at the Rite of Election.)

What the rite does not say is where the names are actually written. Presumably, they could be written on a sheet of loose leaf paper (as I saw happen in one not-to-be-named parish). But that strikes us as inadequate. For such a solemn moment, shouldn’t the vessel that holds the names of those about to be baptized into Christ’s death be something worthy of the commitment? Shouldn’t it have more gravitas?

I presume we would all agree, and so I am a bit confused by what passes for a worthy book in many communities. A couple of publishers hit upon the “blank book” craze long before Hallmark did by mass producing some economical registers with “Book of the Elect” stamped in fake gold leaf on a church-maroon cover and some lined or blank sheets stuck in between. (One publisher has, incomprehensibly, even added a signature line for the local bishop.) If these were merely record books, such as the baptismal register kept in the parish vault, perhaps there would be no harm. But we have taken to using these weak and pallid things as symbols of the spine-chilling “YES” that shouts from the hearts of those about to be plunged into the waters of baptism.

Perhaps it’s time to stop shopping for our ritual books at ecclesial value-marts and think about ways in which we might obtain or create volumes that are worthy of the names they bear.

Click here for a set of links for handcrafted books you can purchase and instructions on how to make your own Book of the Elect. If you have bought or created a Book of the Elect you think raises the bar, send me a picture at nick[at]teamrcia.com, and I’ll publish it here.

• Testify!
• Are your catechumens ready for the next stage?
• RCIA Discernment: How do you know if they know enough?
• Help your assembly prepare for the Rite of Election

The Rite of Election is one of those “hinge” rites in the RCIA because it marks the transition from one period to the next for a person becoming baptized. But most people in your church won’t ever see a Rite of Election which usually takes place at the diocesan Cathedral. What most people will experience is the Rite of Sending, the optional rite that happens in the parish before the Rite of Election. The Rite of Sending has many of the elements of the Rite of Election, such as testimonies and giving of names. But the principal rite is the Rite of Election. It’s the highpoint of this part of the catechumen’s journey.

Help put the Rite of Sending in its appropriate place by catechizing your assembly from the symbols and actions of the Rite of Election. Even if they never see an actual Rite of Election, they will better appreciate this turning point for the catechumens. (BTW, unless your diocese says otherwise, anyone can go to the Rite of Election. So make a point of letting your assemblies know when your catechumens’ Rite of Election will be and invite them to come.)

Below is the unformatted text from a PDF bulletin insert that you can download, print, and copy for FREE for use in your parishes to help you catechize your assemblies about the discernment process. Please include the author and copyright information on any copies you make.

Get the fully-formatted ready-to-copy bulletin insert (pdf) here.

The testimonies during the Rite of Election can be one of the most moving moments in the catechumenate process. Let’s look at how they happen.

How does the testimony happen in the election rite?

In the Rite of Election, the ritual text gives two ways for the godparents to offer their testimony (paragraph 131). Option A presumes the bishop has “taken part in the earlier deliberation” to determine the suitableness of the catechumens. In that case, he will have already heard the testimony of the godparents. So the ritual text has him asking the godparents to “state their opinion once again, so that all may hear.” Their ritual testimony consists of two words, said in unison: “We do” [consider the catechumens worthy]. The bishop then has the option of asking the assembly if they also affirm what has been said about the catechumens (presumably in the earlier deliberation).

Option B presumes the bishop has not been involved in any previous discernment, and so he does his discerning on the spot. He asks the godparents three questions about the readiness of the catechumens, to which they answer three times, “They have” [prepared well]. Again, the bishop has the option of inviting the assembly’s affirmation.

How does the testimony happen in the parish rite of sending?

The parish rite of Sending of the Catechumens for Election is an optional rite. It includes a ritual dialog, similar to Option B in the Rite of Election, during which the godparents offer similar testimony (paragraph 112). However, this is not the testimony before the bishop and could be considered part of the “earlier deliberation” the Rite of Election expects. Since the rite is optional, and since the rubrics allow for the pastor to address the catechumens and the assembly “in these or similar words,” many parishes take this opportunity for an expanded testimony from the godparents. Instead of using the formulas given in the rite, the presider might simply stop speaking after he says: “I turn to you, godparents, for your testimony about these candidates.”

The godparents would then offer some thought-out sentences about the readiness of their catechumens to be presented to the bishop for election. It is imperative that these testimonies do not devolve into what a friend of mine calls bowling award speeches. This isn’t meant to be a praise statement about the good work the catechumen has done. It is to be a thanksgiving for the good work God has done. The godparent is to give witness to the movement of the Spirit in the life the catechumen. My friend gathers all the godparents in his parish well ahead of the ritual and makes them tell him, roughly, what they intend to say. He makes them rephrase any sentence that doesn’t begin with “God.”

Here again, the presider is given the opportunity to ask for the approval of the assembly. In parishes that have the time available on Sunday, it can be particularly appropriate for the presider to make the same request he made of the godparents: “I now turn to you, parishioners of St. Vitus, for your testimony about these candidates.” In my experience, the catechist and other team members almost always have something to say at this point. Sometimes folks from the assembly testify; sometimes they don’t. Some parishes place a few “plants” in the assembly, but I never have. However, it is one way to encourage the assembly to participate in the testimonies. In a future post, we’ll look at some others. In the meantime, click the comments button below and share some strategies you have used.

Lent comes early in 2008—February 6. That means that you only have a few weeks to decide who among your catechumens will celebrate the rite of election.

Unless you have a year-round process, you’ve probably already made the decision. In most parishes, anyone who celebrated the Rite of Acceptance this past fall (or even this past Advent!) is expected to become one of the elect and to be baptized at the Easter Vigil. It is difficult, however, to know if those who have been catechumens for only a short time are really ready for the next step in the initiation process. In this year when Lent begins so early, it might be a good time to look more closely at the shortcomings of a nine-month process (which, this year, works out to something more like a three- or four-month process).

Let’s first agree on what we are looking for. The RCIA gives us a list of criteria.

Before the rite of election is celebrated, the catechumens are expected to have undergone a conversion in mind and in action and to have developed a sufficient acquaintance with Christian teaching as well as a spirit of faith and charity. (120)

There are three clear challenges listed there. First, what does a conversion in mind and action look like? Well, that’s hard to answer. I’d have to know your catechumens pretty well. I’d have to know what their lives were like before they started coming to your parish. I’d have to know what they said they were looking for when you asked them at the Rite of Acceptance what it is they asked of God and God’s people. I’d have to watch them in the parish and how they interacted with various parish groups. I’d have to listen to them talk about their faith. I’d have to have long talks with their sponsors.

The next challenge is to see in them a sufficient acquaintance with Christian teaching. The rite says at a minimum, that teaching takes a full liturgical year to unfold. It is not so much a list of precepts and dogmas they have to master. It is a deep understanding of what Jesus meant when he said follow me. Do they know in mind and heart, what it means to follow the cross? I’d have to listen to the catechumens discuss their beliefs. I’d have to observe how they brought their beliefs to bear in difficult times. I’d have to see how they responded to the gifts God has blessed them with. I’d have to see how faithful they were in celebrating the liturgy of the church.

The final challenge is to see in the catechumens a spirit of faith and charity. I’d have to hear them talk about and see them care for those who are less fortunate than they. I’d have to witness an attitude of generosity in them. I’d have to know in my heart that they believed the poor and the outcast are especially loved by God.

Honestly, I just don’t see how it is possible to get to know these things in a few months, especially if you have a large number of catechumens. If you’re feeling the same way, then what can be done at this point? It seems you have only a couple of options. If you have the stomach for it, you might pose these challenges to the catechumens themselves. If you really don’t know them well enough to discern these areas of growth in them (or you know for sure they have not grown in these areas), tell them that. Tell them you cannot in good conscience recommend them for the Rite of Election this year.

Your other option is, perhaps less pastoral, but less stressful on you. Come clean with them about your misgivings. But, offer the catechumens the option of celebrating the Rite of Election in spite of your hesitations. Encourage those who wish, to remain in the catechumenate for another year, but allow those who are determined, to move to the next stage. The reason I suggest this is less pastoral is that those who do go forward will almost certainly fall away after the Easter Vigil. They are the ones most interested in “finishing,” not beginning.

Finally, make a New Year’s resolution that any new inquirers you encounter in the coming year will not be promised a “date” for their initiation until after an in-depth discernment process based on the criteria the RCIA provides.