As we approach the fall those who are students or parents of students understand the “back to school” nature of our lives. For better or for ill, such is the rhythm for many of our parishes and ministries. For many years, and even to today, I read any number of bulletin announcements that tell us […]
Is your catechumenate open all year-round? What does year-round mean?
Is it time to reconsider following cohort model in our formation processes? The Oxford dictionary defines a “cohort” as “a group of people with a shared characteristic.” It’s a model that has been used in education since the beginning—grouping children into a grade level based on age with the understanding that a similar age corelates
Is your RCIA open all year-round? Having everyone around the same table
In a recent interview, Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, said that Pope Francis has opened the church to a strong emphasis on four theological priorities: mission encounter the peripheries mercy Accomplishing a shift to these priorities, he said, “will require changes on how we do and are church.” Cardinal Tobin did not mention the
What would happen if every parish had an ongoing (year-round) RCIA process?
More of our parishes would implement an ongoing (year-round) catechumenate process if they could imagine how to do so without adding to the stress of the team and needing to recruit more team members. The good news is that your parish already has an ongoing process. And some of the burdens the catechumenate team has
How to start a year-round initiation process
When parishes that use an academic, school calendar model for evangelizing and catechizing seekers, it can be difficult to imagine any other way of doing things. Some common objections for expanding to an ongoing process include: We have limited resources The rest of the world is organized around a school-year schedule It’s just easier The
What is ongoing (year-round) RCIA, really?
One thing we learned during the pandemic is that the movement of the Holy Spirit in people’s hearts cannot be limited to a predetermined calendar. We have always known this, of course. But the pandemic forced us to be more flexible in our formation processes and find new, more responsive ways to accompany seekers on
Why is an ongoing (year-round) RCIA important?
One thing I’ve learned in this ministry is that everyone comes to it with certain expectations. This is one of the biggest challenges when working with your initiation team in moving to a year-round process. But your team and your parish leadership are not the only ones with certain expectations. Your seekers also come to
Is your RCIA open all year-round? Managing RCIA seekers’ expectations
The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has forced us all to rethink how we deliver our adult formation and RCIA processes. With so many variables on how we can or can’t meet in person with our candidates, we’ve had to become very flexible in order to meet the needs of our seekers. But even when this crisis
Is your RCIA open all year-round? Being flexible
Philip Lomneth is a husband and a father who works as a Director of Formation at the Co-Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Rochester, MN. Since 2017, he has helped guide people through the Rites of Christian Initiation where they come to love the Lord with all their heart, their mind, their strength, and
Toward a year-round RCIA process—one thing at a time with small steps
For those of you who are Star Trek fans, the term “first contact” has a special meaning—it’s that moment when the Federation (typically humans) encounter an alien race for the first time. In the Star Trek universe, how well that “first contact” goes can have repercussions for generations, be it the positive relationship that developed
Is your RCIA open all year-round? First contact: Catechizing your parish on talking with seekers
