When parishes that use an academic, school calendar model for evangelizing and catechizing seekers, it can be difficult to imagine any other way of doing things. Some common objections for expanding to an ongoing process include: We have limited resources The rest of the world is organized around a school-year schedule It’s just easier The […]
What is ongoing (year-round) RCIA, really?
I don’t know if it’s just from celebrating so many Catholic liturgies over my lifetime, but I can’t look at fire—or the light and shadow cast by the sun, or an eclipse, or the full moon, or the candle on my dinner table—without thinking of the fire we light at the Easter Vigil. On the
Illuminating Christ: How to be a mystagogue
Someone recently asked on Facebook, “What is the Easter Vigil for?” The person asking is from a Christian tradition that does not usually celebrate baptisms at the Vigil. If you’re old enough, you will remember when that was true for Roman Catholics. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults was issued shortly after Vatican II,
What does baptism do? A mystagogy on the sacramental act of washing
There are two dangers posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The first is the danger of serious physical illness. And the second is the danger of convenience. We will eventually overcome the physical danger. But the danger of convenience may linger. Many pastoral leaders are already worried about what will happen to their Sunday gatherings when
Is the pandemic making RCIA too convenient?
Will the Rite of Election be celebrated in your parish worship space this year? Many dioceses are shifting the rite out of the cathedral and into the parish because of the COVID-19 pandemic. And in dioceses where the celebration will still be held at the cathedral, the number of people present will be dramatically smaller
Will your Rite of Election be a true decision point this year?
Q. How do I get buy-in for my RCIA vision from the parish leadership and faith community? A. This question is at the heart of being human and being in relationship. Differences among us are baked into our DNA. The challenge is, in spite of all our differences, how do we join together to proclaim
Q&A: Eight ways to get RCIA buy-in from everyone in the parish—including the pastor
Mollie Muntefering is the coordinator of liturgy and music at St. Mary Catholic Church in Waverly, Iowa. Does your parish have a year-round RCIA process? Do you have a story you’d like to share? If so, please send about 1,000 words to Nick Wagner, nick@teamrcia.com. On the first Sunday of Advent this year, St. Mary
Q: Could you give us examples of how the whole parish acts as the minister to welcome the candidates/catechumens and share the faith with them? What does it look like? How can we help the whole parish understand this mission? A: When we want to welcome a seeker into our parish family, it looks a
Q&A: How do we help the whole parish understand their RCIA mission?
Many parishes organize their catechumenate ministry on a school-year model. While this is not the vision of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, it is nevertheless a reality in many communities. However, the isolation and distancing requirements of the coronavirus outbreak have disrupted that model. And now, we’re feeling a little panicked. What in
What do RCIA teams do with the elect now that baptisms are postponed?
Most sponsors want to do a good job, and they put a lot of effort into doing their ministry well. Besides the responsibilities, any good sponsor would want to know: “what kinds of gifts do I give my catechumens/candidates?” Before one gets their hands on a church goods catalog in search for a gift, let
