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:

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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

How do you know if the inquirers or catechumens “know enough”? When are they ready to move to the next stage?

Discerning readiness is often a subjective art. Discernment in terms of faith is not a completely rational process in the way that decision-making is often simply weighing the pros and cons and choosing the most beneficial option. Discernment is more of a listening and careful observance of the movement of the Spirit and God acting in a person’s life. It is also a group activity and is not meant to be done alone. (Click here to read more about the process of discernment and the four points that assist in discernment.)

The process of becoming initiated into the Church is often measured by one’s depth of conversion to Christ. Rather than counting how many sessions a person has attended or how many hours he or she may have spent participating in parish activities or how many things they know—although these are important—discerning readiness primarily involves looking for the outward signs of internal conversion. When a person’s mind and heart turn more readily to Christ, we can see it in the visible actions and attitudes of that person.

In discerning their own readiness, the inquirer or catechumen tries to pay attention to these changes happening in their life. They are assisted, supported, and called to honest discernment in this process by the catechumenate team, their sponsor, the parish members and staff, the pastor and other clergy, and even the diocesan bishop.

Though it may seem more pastoral to “err on the side of the Spirit,” we also need to remember that the Spirit is one of truth. Discernment moves a person and a community to a deeper sense of the truth–in one’s identity, in a parish’s mission, in the obstacles that prevent us from being who God intends us to be. When discernment is done with openness and trust in this Spirit of truth, we will surely be more pastoral, for we will help both the inquirer or catechumen and the parish community deepen its commitment to discipleship. As many have often found, expediency on our part doesn’t always lead to strengthened commitment to Christ.

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults gives some very clear criteria for readiness at each period. Here are the main things to look for in the inquirer or catechumen to discern their readiness to take the next step.

For inquirers discerning becoming catechumens

RCIA 42
“The prerequisite for making this first step is that the beginnings of the spiritual life and the fundamentals of Christian teaching have taken root in the candidates. Thus there must be:

• evidence of the first faith that was conceived during the period of evangelization and precatechumenate
• and of an initial conversion
• and intention to change their lives
• and to enter into a relationship with God in Christ.

Consequently, there must also be:

• evidence of the first stirrings of repentance,
• a start to the practice of calling upon God in prayer,
• a sense of the Church,
• and some experience of the company and spirit of Christian through contact with a priest or with members of the community.
• The candidate should also be instructed about the celebration of the liturgical rite of acceptance.”

RCIA 43
“Before the rite is celebrated, therefore, sufficient and necessary time, as required in each case, should be set aside:

• to evaluate and, if necessary,
• to purify the candidates’ motives and dispositions.”

Who decides?

RCIA 43
[Before the rite of acceptance is celebrated] “with the help of

• the sponsors,
• catechists, and
• deacons,
• parish priests (pastors)

have the responsibility for judging the outward indications of such dispositions [of the candidates].”

For catechumens discerning becoming elect

RCIA 120
“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.

With deliberate will and an enlightened faith they must:

• have the intention to receive the sacraments of the Church,
• a resolve they will express publicly in the actual celebration of the rite.”

RCIA 131
[The Bishop says to the godparents:] “God’s holy Church wishes to know whether these candidates are sufficiently prepared to be enrolled among the elect for the coming celebration of Easter. And so I speak first of all to you their godparents.

• Have they faithfully listened to God’s word proclaimed by the Church?
• Have they responded to that word and begun to walk in God’s presence?
• Have they shared the company of their Christian brothers and sisters and joined with them in prayer?

RCIA 132
[The Bishop says to the catechumens:] “Since you have already heard the call of Christ, you must now express your response to that call clearly and in the presence of the whole Church. Therefore,

• do you wish to enter fully into the life of the Church
• through the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and the eucharist?”

Who decides?

RCIA 121
“Before the rite of election the

• bishop,
• priests,
• deacons,
• catechists,
• godparents,
• and the entire community,

in accord with their respective responsibilities and in their own way, should, after considering the matter carefully, arrive at a judgment about the catechumens’ state of formation and progress.”

RCIA 122
“[T]o exclude any semblance of mere formality from the rite, there should be a deliberation prior to [the Rite of Election’s] celebration to decide on the catechumens’ suitableness. This deliberation is carried out by the

• priests,
• deacons, and
• catechists involved in the formation of the catechumens, and
• by the godparents and
• representatives of the local community.
• If circumstances suggest, the group of catechumens may also take part.”