When the revised Roman Missal was published in 2011, it contained this rubric: “If the anointing of the adults with the Oil of Catechumens has not taken place beforehand, as part of the immediately preparatory rites, it occurs at this moment” (“Easter Vigil” 48). However, this contradicts the rubric in the Rite of Christian Initiation […]
Have you anointed your catechumens yet?
Every year, as we get closer to the Rite of Election, a lot of questions about godparents start to surface. When we are talking about catechumens, the roles of “sponsor” and “godparent” are different. And just to make things a little confusing, when we talk about infants, confirmation candidates, or baptized candidates for reception into
Understanding the role of godparents in the catechumenate
Compared to some of the other rites of the catechumenate, the Scrutinies can seem a bit boring, intimidating, or tedious. When they come across that way, it’s hard to get your assembly engaged in them, much less, your elect! And that can lead to treating the Scrutinies as unnecessary. But the Scrutinies can be some
What does a Scrutiny sound like?
One of our most vital tasks as catechumenate ministers is forming seekers in living a penitential life. “Penance” and “penitential” have a lot of meanings in Catholic teaching. We sometimes use the words “reconciliation” and “confession” interchangeably with “penance,” especially when we are talking about the sacrament of penance. My goal in this article is
More than just confession: Principles for living a penitential life
Q. Do the catechumens have to celebrate the scrutinies before they are baptized? A. Catechumens are required to participate in all three scrutinies, which are central to their spiritual preparation for initiation. Only the bishop may dispense someone from the obligation of celebrating a scrutiny (see RCIA 20). The scrutinies are only for the elect
Catechumens and the obligation to celebrate the scrutinies
Every second and third year in parishes across the country, pastors and liturgical leaders ask, “Why can’t we use the Year B/C readings for the scrutinies this year?” It’s an understandable question. After all, the Sunday assembly would get to hear the important readings they are missing from the B or C cycle. Surely Year
Why the Year A readings for the scrutinies matter for making disciples
Q. For children in catechumenate, is it not preferred to have parents present participating with the children and using parish sponsors only when the parents are not able to be present? I am getting a lot of “we always did it that way,” but I want to do things the preferred way. A. Thanks so
Parents should be front and center in children’s faith journey
The optional Rite of Sending is a very simple ritual for your catechumens who are ready to move into the Period of Purification and Enlightenment. If you pay some attention to two specific moments, you can help make this significant liturgy more meaningful and powerful for both your catechumens and your parishioners. Bulletin Insert: Seeking
How to make the Rite of Sending come alive
A blessing is God’s loving action that invites us into deeper relationship with him. We respond by praising God and seeking to bless others in our daily lives. Any baptized person can speak words of blessing. As catechists, we should model offering simple blessings as part of ordinary Catholic life. When catechumens see us blessing
Advent is a good time to think about the dignity and meaning of names. The stories of Advent remind us that names hold deep meaning: Jesus was named by the angel before his birth (Luke 1:31), John was named by Zechariah after he regained his speech (Luke 1:13, 63-64), and Elizabeth and Mary recognized each
The sacredness of our God-given names
