Rita Ferrone, one of the team members here at TeamRCIA, recently published Liturgy: Sacrosanctum Concilium (Rediscovering Vatican II). It’s an excellent resource for catechumenate ministers who would like more background about the meaning and purpose of the liturgy. I wrote a review of the book on Amazon, which begins: Rita Ferrone’s brief examination of the […]
Learn more about liturgy with this new resource
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?
QWe have two people in the catechumenate process this year. One person is unbaptized. The other was baptized as a Catholic but has had no religious formation whatsoever. We have been dismissing both of them each week to break open the word. However, my pastor is telling me the second person should not dismissed because
Is my pastor right about dismissal?
I’m working on the editorial plan for Today’s Parish Minister for next year, and the theme for the March issue is the catechumenate. I need to come up with four feature articles that explore that theme. Here’s what I’ve thought of so far. If you have any comments or other suggestions, I’d love to hear
What do today's parishes need to know about RCIA?
The Easter Vigil is coming—that most amazing liturgical celebration at the center of our faith that Christ has died, Christ is risen, and Christ will come again. We who have been working, praying, planning, collaborating, and sacrificing for the good of our catechumens and candidates are now focused on how to plan for the great
The Easter Vigil—should you rehearse the catechumens?
Lent comes early in 2008—February 6. That means that you only have a few weeks to decide who among your catechumens will celebrate the rite of election. Unless you have a year-round process, you’ve probably already made the decision. In most parishes, anyone who celebrated the Rite of Acceptance this past fall (or even this
Are your catechumens ready for the next stage?
Many parishes have recently celebrated the combined Rite of Acceptance and Rite of Welcome. The full name of this rite tells you right away it is going to be problematic: Celebration of the Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens and of the Rite of Welcoming Baptized but previously Uncatechized Adults Who Are Preparing
Give your rites the mother test (part 1)
Here are some of the folks that should be on your team. And the strengths they need to have. RCIA Team Leader Characteristics of a good team leader: Free download: 17 Best prayer practices for RCIA team members Ambassador of Welcome (RCIA Inquiry coordinator) If you only have one other person on the team besides the
Preparation Prayerfully read the scriptures for Sunday Read a commentary on the scriptures Identify at least three church teachings that flow from the readings (you won’t use all three, but it helps to be prepared) Look up related topics in the Catechism of the Catholic Church to refresh your understanding of these teachings For each
How to lead a 90-minute catechetical session
Many of us think of mystagogy as the final period of the catechumenal process, occurring in the 50 days after the Easter Triduum. It is, however, a much broader reality. We need to shift our thinking a bit. Mystagogy is not only for the 50 days, but for all our days. From the very beginning,
A step-by-step guide to mystagogy
