Have you ever walked a road at night with your path lit only by starlight? In the barrios of the Philippines, stars are the lamps that guide the nighttime traveler. During the Advent and Christmas seasons, you will find parols (star lanterns) hanging from windows. Bamboo sticks and rice paper form a three-dimensional star in […]
Simbang Gabi: How to put stars in the eyes of your seekers this Advent
Is your initiation process “closed” for the summer? Try these four steps to get inquirers involved without adding a lot of extra work for your team. Invite the inquirers to come to Mass Invite the inquirers to parish events Invite the inquirers to parishioners’ homes Invite the inquirers to help with a service project See
Four simple steps to a year-round RCIA process
I commented in an earlier post that if you are having difficulty moving from an abbreviated RCIA program to a complete catechumenate process, one roadblock may be the lack of volunteer catechists needed for 52-weeks of catechetical sessions. I then suggested you take the number of sessions you currently have scheduled and spread them out throughout the
The parish is the RCIA catechetical plan
Here is a pop quiz. Catechumen A is traveling at 90 mph on a train from St. Louis to Chicago. Meanwhile, Catechumen B is traveling by bicycle from Seattle to Miami. Supposing each catechumen participates in the liturgy of the word every Sunday for the duration of their respective trips, which catechumen will reach conversion
Is a complete catechumenate possible with a small team?
One of the reasons often given for doing only a partial RCIA process is a lack of volunteers. So let’s look closely at how you can redeploy your current volunteers more efficiently. I’m going to imagine you have a team of three people, plus sponsors or godparents as needed. You may have fewer than that,
Expanding yourself for a continuous RCIA process
Whenever we lead an RCIA institute, we tend to ask how many of the teams present are using a year-round process for the catechumenate in their parishes. Typically, about a fourth to a third of the hands go up. That seems like an awfully low percentage to me. Now in all the time I’ve been
The team you need for a year-round RCIA
QHow do I lead an ongoing catechumenate in a campus ministry setting when we only have the catechumens from September to April? ASome of the general adaptations you’ll need to make for RCIA in a campus ministry setting depends a bit on the type of campus you’ll be working at. Is it a commuter campus
QWe have a catechumen who would have been initiated at the Easter Vigil last month, except her husband’s annulment had not come through in time. Now it has come through. She has been in the catechumenate for almost two years now. Can we celebrate initiation outside of the Easter Vigil? What about the Rite of
Can we baptize outside the Easter Vigil?
One of the questions that is often posed about the catechumenate is “What about the summer?” Then follow a number of reasons why it simply isn’t realistic to expect ongoing catechesis throughout the summer months. After all, it’s vacation time, the Team needs a break, people don’t show up, etc. Perhaps a reflection on the
15 ways RCIA teams can catechize this summer
Here is an easy way to take the first step toward a year-round catechumenate. Many parishes have recently celebrated their annual Rite of Acceptance. If that is your situation, you now have a brand new group of catechumens, and you will not be ready for more until next fall. So here’s your challenge. If someone
Is this the year to go year-round?
