I know. There are supposed to be seven deadly sins. I did think of seven, but one of them isn’t deadly. So this will be the six deadly and one not-so-deadly sins committed during the Rite of Acceptance. These are not based on the standard seven that you’ll find in the Catechism. Rather, these come from the ancient Celtic book of Aelwais Dunethet Way.

1. Celebrating on the First Sunday of Advent

I’m told there are still lots of parishes that do this. I’ve asked and asked, and I can’t seem to find out why. Someone once told me they do it because then the catechumens can start their journey at the beginning of the “new year.” And then I asked if the catechumens are, in fact, spending a full year in the process in that parish. No. And so head scratching resumed.

Here are three criteria for picking a Sunday for the rite:

1. When the readings are appropriate (read ahead a little and find a good day; First Sunday of Advent is not)
2. When the parish is ready (meaning you don’t have a gazillion things to distract the focus from the catechumens like lighting and blessing wreaths, making announcements about the Giving Tree, and begging people to sign up for the Christmas choir)
3. When the inquires are ready (see Sin 2)

For more, read: When to schedule the Rite of Acceptance

2. Accepting people who haven’t completed the preflight checklist

The RCIA is very clear about the criteria for readiness. Marking time in the precatechumenate is not on the list. If you knew your pilot had been to flight school twice as long as any other pilot, would you feel good about getting on the plane? What if the reason he’d been in school so long was he just couldn’t figure out how to fly, but he’d been there so long they finally graduated him? It’s the same with inquirers. If someone has been an inquirer for six weeks or six years, they cannot move on to become catechumens until they show evidence of:

• first faith
• an initial conversion
• an intention to change their lives
• a desire to enter into a relationship with God in Christ (RCIA 42)

For more, read: RCIA Discernment: How do you know if they “know enough”?

3. Accepting people into the Order of “Catholichumens”

Many parishes celebrate a combined Rite of Acceptance and Rite of Welcome (of the baptized candidates). While the team members think they are making the distinction clear, they always fail Communications Theory 101. What you say isn’t necessarily what’s heard. To anyone who isn’t reading along in the ritual book, it looks like these are all the folks are the same—people who are going to become Catholic this year.

Train your RCIA team in just four sessions with this helpful reader’s guide to the RCIA.


Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults: A Reader’s Guide to the Introduction.

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There is one really, really easy way to solve this. Celebrate the two rites on different Sundays. And when you do celebrate a welcoming ritual for baptized candidates, don’t use the one in the RCIA (which is optional). Instead, use a modified version of the “Order for the Welcoming of New Parishioners” from the Book of Blessings.

If you simply must celebrate the two rites together, then begin with the baptized candidates inside the church, while the unbaptized are waiting outside the church. Call the baptized candidates forward, introduce them to the community, and then all process outside to celebrate the Rite of Acceptance with the unbaptized.

4. Knock, knock, who’s there?

Gosh, I was floored when I heard this one. Some parishes are making the inquirers bang on the church door at the beginning of the liturgy. My, what kind of symbol is that? Our doors are closed; you have to bang on them to get in. We are saying they have to come to us instead of us going out to them. Let’s knock off the knocking and stick to the flow of the rite.

5. Keeping warm and cozy

What’s the flow of the rite? It’s very simple. We, the insiders, go out to get them, the outsiders, and bring them in. The rite says some of the faithful gather with the unbaptized outside the church. When the priest goes out to meet them (from inside the church), the rest of the faithful can join him, singing a song of welcome or joy (see paragraph 48). This isn’t what happens in many places, however. What often happens is, every good Catholic is in their own pew that had been specially reserved for them by their guardian angel before they arrived. It would be a huge inconvenience to ask them to now get up and go outside. They just came from there. What’s the point of going back out now? So instead, we pare down the ritual a little (who will notice?) to cut down on the grumbling.

Well, it’s true no one will notice. And that’s what’s wrong. The point of this rite is to notice that something new is happening. These are not just people who are joining the parish. They are turning to Christ for the first time in their lives. It’s worth standing up and going outside for.

6. Sticking to the script

Okay, are we all outside now? Great! What’s next? First the seekers are introduced to the community, and then the presider asks them why they’ve come and what they want. The “deadly” part is, thousands of seekers across the country this year will say they have come for the same thing and want the same thing (faith and eternal life). How is that humanly possible? It’s not. They don’t really say what they want. They say what we tell them they want. They say the words exactly as written in the RCIA—which they have never even seen! People! Let’s make this real. The text given in the rite is only an example. How do I know? Read the little tiny print just before the dialogue in paragraph 50. It says so, right there in black and white. (Well, it’s red and white in my book, but you know what I mean.)

For more, read: Why catechumens shouldn’t ask for faith

7. Dismissing the children

This is the not-so-deadly-sin. Once, when I was visiting a parish in another diocese, the pastor dismissed the baptized children for their own liturgy of the word service before celebrating the Rite of Acceptance. It’s not deadly to the rite itself, but it sure doesn’t help the children much. What could possibly be going on in the little room over in the parish hall that would benefit the children more than witnessing new people being brought into the church? There’s lots of processing, and gestures, and singing, and other cool stuff kids love. So this year, let the children stay and participate in welcoming the newcomers.

Now I have to come clean and admit I’ve been guilty of more than a few of these deadly sins. But never more than once. Okay, maybe twice. The point is not to be perfect. The point is to get a little better each time. A good challenge for your team would be to choose one thing about the Rite of Acceptance to improve the next time you celebrate it. And then another the next time. And so on. Once you’ve got it down perfectly, let me know. I’m still trying to get there.

It’s good to see you again. If you enjoyed this post, please share with a friend or colleague. Thanks for visiting!

Music is integral to liturgy. Singing is basic to the way we pray, the way we show love, the way we worship. So… the Rite of Acceptance always includes singing, right?

For some parishes, this aspect of celebration is well in hand.

• The parish sings.
• The music ministry of the parish has acclamations ready to punctuate the ritual and engage everyone in its spirit.
• The music leaders are confident in leading processions of people singing.
• The singing assembly is undaunted by going outdoors or to the entrance of the church.
• You’ve figured out how to make the best of your liturgical spaces, so that they are musically effective.

If you haven’t got it all down yet, however, there’s no reason to despair. The musically challenged parish, with minimally sung celebrations, can nevertheless make a good showing at this. The event does call for music. And assemblies will sing. All you need is a well-prepared song leader, some simple acclamations, and the cooperation of your presider. He actually doesn’t need to sing (although he could), but he has to be ready to work with the musicians so that it all flows smoothly.

Start with the resources near at hand

Most worship aides offer a set of acclamations for the Rite of Acceptance. Popular and very sing-able settings can be found in David Haas’s Who Calls You By Name, and numerous choices are explained and offered in Christopher Walker’s Christ We Proclaim (OCP). Whatever you do, simplicity is key. It’s best to use music for which the assembly does not need a hymnal or worship aide in order to participate. What style suits your assembly? Classical? Gospel? Contemporary? Find music that will work for you.

Also remember that if you have more musical resources, oh fortunate ones, you can dress these occasions up without slowing them down. Choirs can be an asset. Don’t discount them! I fondly remember one Rite of Acceptance that we celebrated with full choir and hand bells at the main Sunday liturgy at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Milwaukee. Music director Michael Batcho used Lynn Trapp’s acclamations from MorningStar Music—some of which have cantor, choir, and assembly singing in a round.

Wow. Our voices bounced off the walls of the narthex of the church like pealing bells. It was glorious. Hand bells accompanied the singing procession into the body of the church, keeping alive the jubilation we experienced at the signing with the cross at the doors. Because the choir was accustomed to singing while walking, the assembly had a lot of support; the processions were a strong expression of our community.

Set high goals for your music

Maybe I’m asking a lot here, but I think that music for the Rite of Acceptance should be profound and memorable. If you’ve been doing this rite for a long time, think back. What music do you remember? Where are you musically with the Rite of Acceptance today? For your assembly, this rite may be experienced only once, twice, or maybe three times a year. Repetition and stability are helpful. But it’s also important not to let the music go stale.

• The secret to effective rituals: rehearsal
• When to schedule the Rite of Acceptance
• Christ the Icon

If you are planning a Rite of Acceptance for the fall, consider scheduling it on September 13, 2009. That’s the 24^th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B), and the readings are especially appropriate.

The first reading is Isaiah 50:5-9, which begins: “The Lord GOD opens my ear that I may hear.” The early church referred to the catechumens as “hearers,” because their job during their time in the catechumenate was to not just listen to, but to hear God’s word.

The gospel is Mark 8:27-35, in which Jesus asks the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” He also describes his suffering, death, and resurrection, which is the “gospel” the inquirers will be asked to accept before they are consecrated as catechumens (see RCIA 52).

At the conclusion of the gospel, Jesus says:

Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake
and that of the gospel will save it.

Here is some hands-on help for planning and celebrating the RCIA rituals.


Celebrating the Rites of Adult Initiation: Pastoral Reflections
Victoria M. Tufano, ed.
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A flexible presider can adapt Jesus’ words to become the text for the “Candidates’ First Acceptance of the Gospel.” Paragraph 52 allows for such adaptation.

So, for example, assume that in the dialogue at RCIA 50, the presider asks, “What do you ask of God and God’s church?”

Then assume one of the candidates replies, “I ask for peace and hope in my life.”

The presider might enfold his hands and the candidate’s around the processional cross and say:

This is true peace and hope: to deny yourself and take up the cross of Christ. Christ has been truly raised from the dead and called all people to himself. If you wish to have peace and hope in your life, you much lose your life for his sake. For Christ tells us, “Whoever loses his life for the sake of the gospel will save it.”

Are you ready, with God’s help, to follow the way of the Cross to eternal peace and hope?

And then proceed with the rest of the rite as given in the ritual text.

What do you think? Are there other Sundays this fall that have appropriate readings for the Rite of Acceptance? Click on the comments link and share your thoughts.

• How to tell your catechumens the gospel truth
• Why catechumens shouldn’t ask for faith
• Give your rites the mother test (part 1)

This editor’s note appeared in the October 2008 issue of Religion Teacher’s Journal.

A while ago, I decided I was out of shape. In an ill-considered fit of “healthiness,” I took up jogging. I was probably influenced by some of my friends who go running. If you’re wondering what the difference is, there really is no difference—except jogging is slower. So I practice an oxymoronic exercise—slow running.

My running friends seem to enjoy their sport. I, on the other hand, tend to think of jogging as penance for past indulgences. Like any penance, I suppose it is “good for me,” but I wouldn’t call it a joy. That is, until one day when I hit my stride. My jog began worse than usual. I wanted to quit almost as soon as I started. It was hot outside, and my legs felt tight. I started bargaining with myself, trying to motivate my rebellious muscles to push on just a little farther. “The next corner,” I panted to myself. “Just make it to the next corner, and then you can walk the rest of the way.”

Except when I got to the corner, I discovered someone had switched out my legs with those of a runner. I felt light and easy. I was breathing regularly, and there seemed to be a gentle force pushing at my back. I was actually having fun.

I think Saint Paul must have been a jogger (not a runner). In his second letter to Timothy, he sounds like he’s just back from a particularly grueling circuit: “I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (6-7)

I think of Paul and his faithful race when I’m having a hard time finishing my jog. I think of him more when I’m having a hard time following the cross.

In the Rite of Acceptance, we ask the catechumens if they are willing to run the race, to follow the cross. And of course they say yes, poor things, hardly knowing what could possibly be ahead of them. The church, in its wisdom, knows that those who are new to the faith—catechumens, young children, whomever—will have difficulty getting into their running shoes every day and persevering, even if just to the next corner. So the Rite of Acceptance then shifts focus to us—the disciples, the practiced joggers and runners for the faith. The rite asks us, “[A]re you…ready to help these candidates follow Christ?”

Are we willing suit up, put on the running shoes, push past the next corner, and faithfully run the race every day? Our learners are standing by, waiting to find out.

If you have inquirers who are ready to become catechumens now, you need to celebrate the Rite of Acceptance with them before Pentecost in order for them to be eligible for initiation at the next Easter Vigil. Flip open your RCIA to the very back. Look for the section that is titled “Appendix III: National Statutes for the Catechumenate.” Then find paragraph 6, and underline the last sentence:

Ordinarily [the period of the catechumenate] should go from at least the Easter season of one year until the next; preferably it should begin before Lent in one year and extend until Easter of the following year.

I know, I know, you are completely worn out right now, and you can’t even think of starting up another group of catechumens. Well breathe easy for a second. I’m going to give you a few tips to make things simpler.

1. Note that what is required is that the inquirers become catechumens and participate in Sunday liturgy for one full liturgical year. While it would be ideal to begin weekly catechetical sessions with them immediately, it isn’t required. If you can only do the bare minimum right now, celebrate the Rite of Acceptance with them and make sure their sponsors are taking them to Mass.
2. If you can rely a little more on the sponsors, ask them to take the catechumens out for coffee after Mass for the next few weeks and discuss the liturgy. No teaching, just talking.
3. If you have neophytes this year, you are likely having some kind of meetings with them during the Easter season. Invite the new catechumens to participate in those and call on the neophytes to share what they’ve learned and experienced with the catechumens.
4. Is your parish holding parent sessions for first communion and confirmation preparation? With a little creativity and flexibility, adult catechumens could participate in those. Child catechumens could join with their peers and get a sense of what they will be getting ready for.
5. Ask some of the folks who were initiated last year or the year before to lead the catechumens in an extended breaking-open-of-the-Word each week until you can begin more formal catechetical sessions. They should be pretty good at it if you did a good job with them during their catechumenate.
6. Do you have a parish Bible study or faith-sharing group? (Or does a neighboring parish?) Ask if the new catechumens can sit in for a few weeks until you are ready to go.
7. Also remember the requirement for a year-long catechumenate is for catechumens. Baptized candidates, especially those who are somewhat catechized, don’t require a full liturgical year of catechesis.

If you are looking for a Sunday to celebrate the Rite of Acceptance, the Sixth Sunday of Easter (A) is a good choice. The assigned gospel, John 14:15-21, is part of Jesus’ farewell to the disciples in which he promises to send them the Holy Spirit. “Whoever loves me,” he tells them, “will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”

If your parish celebrates the Ascension on the Seventh Sunday of Easter, the gospel for the Seventh Sunday (A), John 17:1-11, can be read on the Sixth. It is also an appropriate text for the Rite of Acceptance: “I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me.”

If you don’t tell anybody I told you and you really want to stretch things, you could wait until the Tenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (June 8, 2008) for the Rite of Acceptance. It’s not ideal, but it is better than trying to cram in a six-month process staring in October. And the gospel, Matthew 9:9-13, is perfect: “As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.”

If you do have a Rite of Acceptance scheduled before mid-June, hit the comment button below and tell us about it!

Previously, I looked at some of the pitfalls of trying to celebrate a combined Rite of Acceptance and Rite of Welcome. (See Part 1.) In most cases, the celebration fails the “mother test.” That is, the the combined rite itself is not clear enough that the average parishioner—for example, my mother—would be able to clearly understand what is going on.

We said this rite is often celebrated with five different kinds of candidates:

xx

xx

1. baptized, catechized Catholics
2. baptized, catechized non-Catholic Christians
3. baptized, uncatechized Catholics
4. baptized , uncatechized non-Catholic Christians
5. unbaptized folks

The first step is to celebrate the combined rite only with those it is meant for. That means the first two groups—the catechized candidates—do not belong. There is simply no way to make this ritual make sense if you do it to catechized people. It’s like throwing a bachelor or bachelorette party for married folks. Doesn’t make any sense.

The second step is to take a cue from our Canadian brothers and sisters. They don’t have a combined rite. They celebrate the Rite of Acceptance with the unbaptized and then at some other time they celebrate the Rite of Welcome with the baptized, uncatechized. That makes so much sense! My mother would get that, and so would most parishioners.

Read the rest of this entry »

Many parishes have recently celebrated the combined Rite of Acceptance and Rite of Welcome. The full name of this rite tells you right away it is going to be problematic:

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Celebration of

the Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens

and of the Rite of Welcoming Baptized

but previously Uncatechized Adults

who Are Preparing for

Confirmation

and/or Eucharist

or Reception into the Full Communion of the Catholic Church.

I’m tired just reading it.

The introduction to the rite lays out for you an almost impossible goal. Flip open your RCIA text to paragraph 506: “[I]n the celebration of the rites, care must be taken to maintain the distinction between the catechumens and the baptized candidates.”

That sounds deceptively simple. So how did you do? Was the distinction clear? When I ask myself that question, I give myself the “mother” test. I replay the celebration of the ritual in my head. Except I imagine it as though it took place in my mother’s parish. Then I imagine Mom driving home after church and walking into her house. The test is, does she pick up the phone and call me to ask me to explain what happened? Or did she get it from the celebration of the rite itself? If she calls me, the liturgy wasn’t clear. So how was your ritual? Would it pass the mother test?

Here’s why the rite fails the mother test most times. The structure of the rite is designed primarily to deal with unbaptized people. The baptized are then sort of smooshed into a ritual structure that wasn’t originally intended for them. And, to complicate matters, you’ve got all different kinds of baptized people.

Baptized, catechized Catholics

Go re-read the title again. Slowly. The Rite of Welcoming is supposed to be for uncatechized Catholics who are preparing for Confirmation and/or Eucharist. Our parishes are filled with Catholics who missed confirmation somewhere along the way, but they’re going to Communion every Sunday. These folks are catechized. I know they probably can’t name the pope nor name all ten of the commandments. But they are going to Communion, which is the goal of initiation. If your parish is allowing them at the Table, you shouldn’t be allowing them in the catechumenate. And if you leave them out of this rite, it will be clearer to my mother what is going on.

Baptized, catechized non-Catholic Christians

This is the same problem. It’s not a rite for catechized Christians. And even though most of us know that, the majority of the folks who go through the Rite of Welcoming are baptized, catechized Christians who want to become Catholic. Next year, resolve not to do this to them. A ritual that is designed primarily for the uninitiated and imposed on catechized Christians is a subtle display of triumphalism, which the RCIA abhors. If you find another place for these folks, the rite becomes clearer.

Baptized, uncatechized Catholics

Most of these folks started their initiation process as children and dropped out before reaching adulthood. In this category, you have three sub-groups. Those preparing for confirmation. Those preparing for first Communion. And those preparing for both. While this can be an appropriate rite for each of these groups, you still have the challenge of keeping the groups distinct from the non-Catholics and the unbaptized.

Baptized, uncatechized non-Catholic Christians

Right rite, but a logistical, liturgical problem. How do you make it clear to my mother that these folks are essentially different than the unbaptized? Does the ritual make everyone look to Mom like just a big group of folks who want to become Catholic?

Click here for part 2 and discover some ways to make the distinctions clear by adapting the structure of the rite.

In the Rite of Acceptance, one of the first things that happens is the “Candidates’ First Acceptance of the Gospel” (see paragraph 50 and following in the RCIA). When they accept the gospel, they are not accepting a book. They are accepting a way of life. If you have adapted the dialogue questions to fit the real lives and real needs of the candidates, that will be clear in the ritual. Whatever the candidate asks of God and the church, Jesus Christ is the answer to their deepest desire.

Here is an effective way to symbolize that gospel truth.

1. As the assembly goes to gather with the candidates, lead them with the cross.
2. As the presider dialogues with each candidate, he should stand in front of each candidate.
3. The cross bearer would stand right next to him.
4. For the final part of the dialogue, (e.g. “John, this is peace and happiness: to know the one true God and Jesus Christ…”) the presider takes the cross from the cross bearer.
5. He plants it directly in front of the candidate.
6. With the sponsor’s help, he takes the candidates hands and wraps them around the cross.
7. He encloses the candidate’s hands in his own.
8. Then he continues, “John, this is peace and happiness: to know the one true God and Jesus Christ….”
9. He then returns the cross to the cross bearer and completes the dialogue with each of the other candidates.

For a moment of this magnitude, you are going to want a big cross—even a massive cross. It is a massive commitment that the candidates make. It is good if the cross bearer has to struggle a bit to carry it. It is good if it is difficult for the candidates to get there hands wrapped around it. It is all symbolic of how large and how difficult their commitment will be. And it will be evident they cannot make the commitment alone. They will need the whole community to help them bear the weight.

• Why catechumens shouldn’t ask for faith
• How to tell your catechumens the gospel truth
• RCIA Discernment: How do you know if they know enough

In the Rite of Acceptance, a major element of the rite is the Candidates’ First Acceptance of the Gospel (“candidates” as used here means candidates for the Rite of Acceptance, not baptized candidates; see paragraph 52, which is on page 22 in my edition of the RCIA).

Sometimes folks who are new to planning this rite confuse the first acceptance of the gospel with optional “Presentation of a Bible,” which comes later in the rite (para. 64). But there is no book presented in this part of the rite. What is presented is truth. To proclaim the truth effectively requires some listening skills.

Read the small red print of paragraph 52 closely:

The celebrant addresses the candidates, adapting one of the following formularies…to the answers received in the opening dialogue.

That’s an interesting statement for a couple of reasons. First reason is the rite does not give the presider the option of adapting his response. The rite assumes he will adapt his response.

The second reason it is interesting is because if the candidate’s answers are real answers to real questions, the presider won’t know ahead of time what the candidate will say in the opening dialogue. That means he will need to listen closely to what the candidate says and adapt his response on the spot.

So suppose John Candidate is asked in the opening dialogue what he’s seeking, and suppose says something like: “I am looking for peace and happiness in my life.” Using formulary A, the presider might respond: “John, God gives peace and happiness to everyone who asks for it….”

Or, adapting formulary B, he might say, “John, God is our creator, and he created us to live in peace and happiness….”

Or, using C: “John, this is peace and happiness: to know the one true God and Jesus Christ….”

That is gospel truth: Jesus Christ is the answer to whatever our deepest desires are. Once that is made clear to the candidate, he is asked if he is ready to accept the good news. If he accepts the church rejoices! (That’s not technically in the rite, but it’s okay. Let loose and rejoice a little. Shout out an alleluia, or sing something.)

Thousands of parishes are getting ready to celebrate the Rite of Acceptance over the next several weeks. Catechumenate team leaders will gather with those who are to become catechumens and offer them a ritual catechesis something like this:

“And then Father will ask you your name. You tell him your name. And then Father will say, “˜What do you ask of God’s Church?’ and you say, “˜Faith.’ Then Father will say, “˜What does faith offer you,’ and you say, “˜Eternal life.’ Okay, let’s all try that together.”

If that’s roughly how your rehearsal goes, grab your copy of the RCIA, and let’s chat for a bit. Turn to paragraph 50 (which is on page 21 in my book, but might vary in yours). Then skip down to the long red paragraph that starts, “The celebrant continues with the following questions…” (top of page 22 in my book). Note the second sentence, which reads: “The celebrant may use other words than those provided in asking the candidates [for the Rite of Acceptance] about their intentions and may let them answer in their own words.”

Okay, this will be hard I know, but it’s important. Use other words than those provided. Why would you want to do that? Because this is real life. You want to catechize both the catechumens and the assembly that something powerful and important is taking place. The presider should ask a real question and expect to get a real answer.

Imagine for a moment you and I are in a small faith sharing group. I am really interested in you, and I want to know more about how you came to believe in Jesus. What kinds of questions would I ask? What kinds of answers should I expect? That is the dynamic that should be taking place in the Rite of Acceptance.

So the presider asks a real question. Something like: “John, what is it you are seeking?”

What does John say?

…If he doesn’t know what he is seeking, he is not yet ready to become a catechumen…

How should I know? I’m not John. I might be able guess what he might say, but even so, I shouldn’t be putting words in his mouth. John should answer honestly about what he is seeking. If he doesn’t know what he is seeking, he is not yet ready to become a catechumen.

John’s entire time in the inquiry period should have been focused on why he has come forward now, at this time. What is it he is seeking? What does he want? Who moves him and calls him? After weeks and months of struggling with questions like these, John will be more than ready to give a real answer when the question is put to him in the ritual. And the assembly will recognize it for what it is—a statement of faith.

• Also see: RCIA Discernment: How do you know if they know enough