Diana Macalintal is passionate about the catechumenate and Catholic liturgy and music. She has served in campus, parish, and diocesan ministries for 30 years, including 15 as a diocesan director of worship. Her numerous articles and books on liturgy, music, RCIA, and prayer can be found among most major Catholic publishers.
Even if you’re not the music coordinator or liturgist for your community, you can still engage your parish community in this significant and important first ritual for your seekers on their journey of faith. The role of the assembly is what will bring this ritual alive! See also these related articles: Photo by winyuu from …
 Do you know who should be dismissed from the Mass before the Liturgy of the Eucharist begins and why? Do you know who should stay in the Mass and why that’s important? Learn about the dismissal of catechumens and why it’s so essential for understanding baptism.
Q. We have three adults in our formation process. One is from the Baptist tradition and the other two are active Catholic members of our parish who need only confirmation. Because they are all baptized, I understand they do not need the formal catechumenate process nor do they have to wait until the Easter Vigil. …
Q&A: How do we help our candidates develop a relationship with Jesus?
 The Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens instructs that a group of the faithful go outside to gather with those who will become catechumens. How do you convince your entire assembly to move and go out?
This is a question we often get from parish teams. They’ve just read a blog post, a book, or participated in a workshop on the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and are excited about the principles they’ve learned. But they wonder why their priests don’t seem to follow them or even know about them. …
How do priests learn about the principles of the catechumenate?
When the current translation of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults was promulgated in 1988, we might not have been as prepared as we need to be. Because we weren’t quite ready, many misinterpretations and misapplications of the rite began to flourish. The biggest difficulty is that the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults …
Is your parish ready for the new translation of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults?
Q. I am the director of the catechumenate process in my parish. I was asked by two of my catechumens to be their godmother. While I am so humbled, I am not sure what the proper protocol is. Is it okay for catechumenate directors to be godparents of their catechumens? A. As long as you …
Q&A: Can directors of the catechumenate be godparents of their catechumens?
Q. One of our catechumens informed us that her godparent will not be able to be present for the three lenten scrutinies, and now she needs to look for a “proxy.” I have three questions: Who selects the proxy? Does the proxy need to fulfill all of the canonical qualifications of a godparent? Does the …
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 …
