Jaime arrived early and met his friend, Bill, who was standing on the steps outside the tall wooden doors. They rubbed their arms and hands to warm themselves as parishioners began to filter by into the church. The minutes ticked by as the church filled. Jaime wondered if they’d stand outside much longer. Bill patted …
Whenever I talk with RCIA teams about establishing an ongoing initiation process in their parishes — one that is not limited to the few academic months between fall and spring, I usually get resistance. One source of the resistance is a feeling that if we ask the catechumens to spend a year or more in …
Many of you are probably beginning to plan for a celebration of the Rite of Acceptance. As you prepare your communities for this first public ritual of the RCIA, keep these best practices and things to avoid in mind. Free download: How long does RCIA take? Suggested best practices: Free download: How long does RCIA …
Some Dos and Don’ts in the Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens
If you want to effectively prepare inquirers for the Rite of Acceptance, you might need to rethink your precatechumenate process. In a previous post, we talked about why it is important to prepare the inquirers for the Rite of Acceptance. We can think of preparation in two ways. One way to prepare them is through …
After unbaptized inquirers celebrate the Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens, they are changed. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults says they are consecrated (see RCIA 41). What do catechumens do? Consecrate comes from the Latin word consecrare, which means to make sacred (com- + sacrare). To make something sacred means to …
Perhaps it is obvious to us why the Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens is important and why careful preparation for its celebration is important. But I’m not sure the “why” is so obvious to everyone else who is involved. If you are struggling because your parish’s experience of the rite has been …
Rite of Acceptance…why your role is crucial. And yours. And yours…
The opening dialogue between the presider and the inquirer sets the tone for the entire Rite of Acceptance.
This question shapes the entire catechumenate process. Find out why.
How do you know if your inquirers are ready to celebrate the Rite of Acceptance? The RCIA gives us some clear guidelines to help us discern. Discover what they are in this brief video. Free download: The one, most important thing we have to teach in the RCIA
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults includes a Rite of Welcoming the Candidates as an optional rite that welcomes baptized but previously uncatechized adults (411). However, there is no rite for welcoming baptized catechized adults. As a result, the catechized candidates are often folded into the welcoming rite for the uncatechized. Free download: An …
