Nick Wagner is the cofounder and codirector of TeamRCIA.com.
Wow, you folks are AMAZING! 330 of you responded to our Newsletter Audience Survey. The reason we launched the survey in the first place is that over the last year, we’ve been developing a ground-up renovation of the TeamRCIA website (which 72% of you said you found easy to navigate. Yay!). Now that we have […]
Survey results from hundreds of catechumenate team members
I just finished another novel by Earl Stanley Gardner. Gardner is the creator of Perry Mason, and he wrote more than 80 stories featuring the brilliant lawyer-detective. Gardner is really good at drawing the reader into the mystery and making you think you’ve solved the crime before the end of the book. But then there
Revealing the mystery of faith: The role of the mystagogue
Can you name the difference between a drifter and a pilgrim? When the Prodigal Son left his father’s house, he was a drifter. When he decided to return, he was a pilgrim. A drifter has no sense of purpose and no goal. A drifter is often seen as someone who is avoiding and escaping the
The accompanist’s guide: Walking with others on the journey of faith
Do you remember the Third Sunday of Lent in 2020? Most of us celebrated Mass that day, and many of us celebrated the first scrutiny with the elect. And for most of the parishes in the United States, that was the last time we would be in church together for a very long time. The
Catechumens and Lent: Navigating the liminal state
There is a famous Van Gogh painting titled Irises. The frame is dominated by dozens of beautiful blue irises. And off to the left, almost as if it is being pushed out of the picture, is a single white iris. Some might say the white iris doesn’t fit, yet somehow it does. If you are
What makes a catechumenate team leader?
Sometimes we can feel overwhelmed by all there is to do in initiation ministry. At times, I’ve been the only person on the catechumenate “team.” Even parishes blessed with larger teams can feel like there is always more to do than people to help. How in the world are we going to manage it all?
What to do if you are a catechumenate “team of one”
We’ve all seen images of sailboats racing through the water, tipped way over to one side, looking like they are about to capsize. I don’t know how the sailors keep their boats afloat like that. To me, it looks like magic. But I do know how to tip liturgies into the wind. Just as a
Three principles for adapting the rites of the catechumenate
The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle may be the father of the New Year’s resolution. Legend has it that he made a resolution to become more virtuous and then kept a daily journal to track his progress. The legend doesn’t say if he reached his goal, but we do know that it is difficult for most
Catechumenate team goals for the New Year
Adaptation is an important concept in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. Paulist priest and liturgist, Ricky Manalo, says liturgical adaptation is like Thanksgiving dinner. Preparations usually do not begin with decisions about appetizers or salads, but with the main course, turkey. The next decisions probably concern stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy, then vegetables
What does the Rite (Order) of Christian Initiation of Adults say about adaptation?
The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, which was the first teaching issued by the Second Vatican Council in 1963, established the goal of adaptation in the very first paragraph: The sacred Council has set out to impart an ever-increasing vigor to the Christian life of the faithful; to adapt more closely to the needs of
Why is the adaptation of the rites so important?
