A brief primer on the Holy Saturday RCIA Preparation Rites

Photo by Gaelle Marcel on Unsplash

4 thoughts on “A brief primer on the Holy Saturday RCIA Preparation Rites”

  1. I want to thank you very much for your ideas and suggestions. It is so helpful to have help understanding and planning our RCIA journey. I have been involved at least 20 years and have attended several workshops. Having your suggestions, and connections to the Rite make a big difference and also help making sure I don’t forget things. Once again, thank you very much and may God Bless you in abundance in your ministry.

  2. john michael reyes

    When I coordinated a catechumenate process for a college campus ministry, I would gather with my colleagues, our student interns and our elect (and remaining catechumens and candidates and yes, those newly received candidates from earlier during the year) for a morning of prayer.

    We came to realize that this time became a yearly looked forward on-campus retreat (and even became part of the official schedule for those “working triduum”). We gathered for silent time, to boldly answer questions that were tailored for two groups: for the baptized and the unbaptized, and to slowly recite the creed. One year, towards the tail end of the morning, the elect baked the bread that was then used for that night’s eucharist. Another year, preparing the environment was part of the retreat with reflection questions and liturgical music that called people together for “a break” and share responses before going back to the work of creating the environment. (That was a lot of fun!)

    Some former student leaders told me that the holy Saturday retreat was a highlight for them as part of their school year. It served as a senior retreat for seniors that couldn’t make it onto their senior retreat, or a community building one for first year students who quickly became campus ministry leaders that year. With the addition of colleagues, some of the “work” for that morning, e.g. preparing all the details for holy saturday morning, was given away. I was able to not only focus my attention on the elect, but also on myself as I was pilgrimaging through that year’s triduum. Those holy saturday mornings, sacramentalized the importance of self-care and sustainability.

  3. Many thanks for the Holy Saturday retreat! We hold a retreat/ workshop practical prep day the week before (fitting robes, sharing the music and so.)Holy Saturday we gather for the prep rites which we celebrate with the parish community during the Liturgy of the Hours and then stay on for a prayerful focus for the vigil.
    As a humorous aside, we find a need to add a new ministery to the Vigil. That is, “Kleenex bearer”!

  4. Dan Centurioni

    We include an introduction, Liturgy of the Word, including Responsorial psalms, interspersed with Music and narratives on their chosen patron saint for confirmation.
    We also include the sung Divine Mercy Chaplet which they already will know and we continue with the Ephphetha rite presided over by our pastor.
    We then go over last minute housekeeping items and go outside to light the fire. Old holy oils and candle are the fuel for the fire and we select one of the elect to light the fire. A fire watch schedule is set up with each candidate taking a 30 minute shift with their sponsor.

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