As you know, there are four pillars of catechesis on which we need to help the catechumens build a life of faith: word, worship, community, and service (see RCIA, 75). January 1 is World Day of Peace, and it is an excellent time to strengthen the catechumens in the area of service. Pope Benedict has offered some reflections on the topic (click here to see what he said), and the U.S. bishops have also provided some material for parishes to use. The New Year is a time for making resolutions, so perhaps you might consider making some communal resolutions as a parish, setting an example of service for the catechumens to follow. Here are some suggestions from the U.S. bishops’ handout:

Teaching

• Provide a context for this year’s peace message by sharing a brief history of the message. (This is the 40^th anniversary of the first World Day of Peace, which was begun by Pope Paul VI in 1968.)
• Share some of the inspiring themes from past messages to illustrate the Church’s commitment to peace throughout the years.
  

  “Men must always speak of Peace. The world must be educated to love Peace, to build it up and defend it.” —Pope Paul VI, 1968

  “If you want Peace, work for Justice.” —Pope Paul VI, 1972

  “Life is the crown of Peace. If we base the logic of our activity on the sacredness of Life, war is virtually disqualified as a normal and habitual means of asserting rights and so of ensuring Peace.” —Pope Paul VI, 1977

  “Paul VI’s phrase - ‘Development is the new name for peace’ - specifies one of the keys in our search for peace. Can true peace exist when men, women and children cannot live in full human dignity?” —Pope John Paul II, 1987

  “To say ‘peace’ is really to speak of much more than the simple absence of war. It is to postulate a condition of authentic respect for the dignity and rights of every human being, a condition enabling him to achieve complete fulfillment. The exploitation of the weak and the existence of distressing pockets of poverty and social inequality constitute so many delays and obstacles to the establishment of stable conditions for an authentic peace.” —Pope John Paul II, 1993

• Help people to be in solidarity with those in other parts of the world; emphasize that we are all part of the one human family.
• Read Chapter 11 of The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church on “The Promotion of Peace” (Chapter 11).

Advocacy

• Encourage parishioners and catechumens to learn more about the church’s engagement in issues of global peace and justice by visiting this site.
• They can also sign up for action alerts on legislative issues.

To download the entire handout and list of activities from the U.S. bishops, click here.

QI’m trying to find some sort of brochure or flyer to be able to hand out to anyone who’s interested, to explain what RCIA is. Do you know where I could find something?

ASt. Anthony Messenger Press publishes a “Catholic Update” that is just the thing you are looking for. It is titled “An New Look at the RCIA,” and it is written by Rita Burns Senseman. Rita is a terrific writer and knows just about everything there is to know about RCIA. Click here for more info.

For some handouts that are a little more in-depth, maybe for the team, you might want to check out the “Seek the Living God” series by J. Michael McMahon. You can see a sample here.

Also take a look at “How Does a Person Become Catholic” from Liturgy Training Publications.

Finally, check out this summary I wrote, posted here.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

Are you looking for some bulletin insert material to help explain the catechumenate process to your parishioners? The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has a press release on their Web site that details the steps of the initiation process in question and answer format. The text is written in clear, simple English.

Click here to read all the bulletin inserts from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

One example from the USCCB’s website is below:

What is the RCIA?

The RCIA, which stands for Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, is a process through which non-baptized men and women enter the Catholic Church. It includes several stages marked by study, prayer and rites at Mass. Participants in the RCIA are known as catechumens. They undergo a process of conversion as they study the Gospel, profess faith in Jesus and the Catholic Church, and receive the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and Holy Eucharist. The RCIA process follows the ancient practice of the Church and was restored by the Second Vatican Council as the normal way adults prepare for baptism. In 1974 the Rite for Christian Initiation for Adults was formally approved for use in the United States.