Q&A: “Implementing a Year-Round Catechumenate”

Posted on March 21st, 2012

Question: I am thrilled that I found this website. Thank you very much! We are currently trying to begin a year round process for RCIA. I understand and love the way you explained the Inquiry time, but I am very confused on the Rites, not that of Acceptance, but of Sending and Election. There is also the question of delegation which in our diocese is given once a year before the Rite of Election. If you help me understand this part of a year round RCIA, I would be very grateful! Also what if a person comes to us say, in January, they would begin with the Inquiry. This person is not baptized and does not know anything about the Catholic Faith. He would continue with the inquiry sessions then enter the catechumenate in the fall, is that correct? Thank you again!

Answer: You ask a great question. To have a year-round (“continuous” also seems to convey the idea well), we welcome new inquirers when they call. The simple answer to your question is that the Rites of Sending and Election are only done once a year: the 1st Sunday of Lent, and all the un-baptized wait for that day. Some spend [Click here to read the rest of this entry… » ]

Tags: normative guidelines
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An Introduction to the RCIA [Video]

Posted on January 25th, 2011

This one hour presentation gives you an overall picture of the RCIA process focusing on the liturgical, catechetical and the pastoral aspects of the process. This presentation will also explore the five main reasons for failure within the process as uncovered from the US Bishops Survey on the RCIA.

Tags: Introduction to the RCIA
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Doing Discernments in the RCIA

Posted on October 12th, 2010

Discernments are the important road signs on the highway of RCIA.

They help the participant to reflect on where they started, where they see God calling them and where they want to be. Hopefully the answer to the last 2 points is… Heaven. These important meetings also give an opportunity for the Coordinator (usually the person conducting these) to re-visit any areas of concern that came up during the all-important intake appointment.

Those involved in the ministry of RCIA are not just there to present the materials. If that was the case, then we could just hand them a book and schedule a test at a future time. The Rite Book is always the best place to begin. In addressing the Rite of Acceptance and Welcoming, we see in RCIA 42:

“The prerequisite for making this step is that the beginnings of the spiritual life and the fundamentals of Christian teachings have taken root in the candidate. There must be evidence of the first faith…of an initial conversion and intention to change their lives and to enter into a relationship with God in Christ.”

RCIA 43 goes on to say:

“Before the Rite is celebrated, therefore, sufficient and necessary time… should be set aside to evaluate and, if necessary, to purify the candidates motives and dispositions.“

Reading on, we actually see in no uncertain terms that those involved “have the responsibility for judging the outward indications of such dispositions”.  So, how do we – who live in a culture that tells us we shouldn’t “judge” – do what Holy Mother Church has asked?

Looking at the different stages of RCIA helps us to see why discernments are important and leads us in this task. [Click here to read the rest of this entry… » ]

Tags: Discernment
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Integrating a Systematic Catechesis with a Year-Round R.C.I.A. Process

Posted on February 22nd, 2010

This presentation was given by Dino Durando and Stacy Phillips from St. Joseph Catholic Church in Modesto, CA at the Diocese of Sacramento’s Catechist Ministry Day on September 26, 2009 in Sacramento, California.

Handouts

This following handouts accompany this 65-minute video presentation. We recommend downloading and printing out all of these handouts before watching the above presentation. (If you prefer to download all of the handouts in one PDF document, we have compiled them as a download at this link)

• Paragraphs from the General Directory for Catechesis (GDC) and the RCIA
• How Long?
• 3-Cycle Structure
• 14-Week Inquiry Doctrine Cycle
• 14-Week Catechumenate, 3-Part Repeating Doctrine Cycle
• Using a Celebration of the Word of God in a Catechetical Setting

Background to the Presentation

The R.C.I.A. is a liturgical, catechetical, and pastoral process that requires signs and stages of conversion to take place before a participant progresses to the next stage (e.g. from Inquiry to Catechumenate). This necessitates a process that allows for an individual who is not ready to progress to remain in one period of the process while others who are ready to progress to move on to the next period of the process. This can only be facilitated by a year-round parish R.C.I.A. process.

Simultaneously, the catechetical documents of the Church clearly call for catechesis to be systematic and organic.

Systematic means that each successive teaching be linked to the teaching given beforehand, demonstrating the hierarchy of truths. A carefully laid-out systematic presentation of the faith does not leave any holes. It is complete. It does not skip over any of the essentials of the faith due to careful planning.

Organic means that each doctrine is linked to other doctrines, showing the integral unity of the Faith. Organic catechesis has more to do with how a lesson is presented, while systematic catechesis has more to do with how a curriculum or “doctrine cycle” is devised.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a prime example of a catechesis that is both systematic and organic. It systematically lays out the Deposit of Faith (what God has revealed in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition for the sake of our salvation) piece by piece, while at the same time, consistently demonstrating the unity of the Faith.

An example of systematic: The first section of the Catechism is structured around the 12 articles of the Apostles Creed and progresses from “Who is God?” to “The Four Last Things.”

An example of organic: While presenting the teaching on Mary (CCC 963-975), Mary is presented in relation to Jesus, the Church, the Holy Spirit, the life of faith, the Paschal Mystery, the resurrection of the dead, grace, and the list goes on!

Below are a number of quotations below from John Paul II’s Apostolic Exhortation titled: On Catechesis in Our Time (Catechesi Tradendae) (CT), which is quoted extensively by the General Directory for Catechesis as well as the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

All in all, it can be taken here that catechesis is an education of children, young people and adults in the faith, which includes especially the teaching of Christian doctrine imparted, generally speaking, in an organic and systematic way, with a view to initiating the hearers into the fullness of Christian life. (CT 18)

The specific character of catechesis, as distinct from the initial conversion-bringing proclamation of the Gospel, has the twofold objective of maturing the initial faith and of educating the true disciple of Christ by means of a deeper and more systematic knowledge of the person and the message of our Lord Jesus Christ. (CT 19)

In his closing speech at the Fourth General Assembly of the Synod, Pope Paul VI rejoiced ” to see how everyone drew attention to the absolute need for systematic catechesis, precisely because it is this reflective study of the Christian mystery that fundamentally distinguishes catechesis from all other ways of presenting the word of God” … I am stressing the need for organic and systematic Christian instruction because of the tendency in various quarters to minimize its importance. (CT 21)

Nor is any opposition to be set up between a catechesis taking life as its point of departure and a traditional, doctrinal and systematic catechesis.[52] Authentic catechesis is always an orderly and systematic initiation into the revelation that God has given of himself to humanity in Christ Jesus, a revelation stored in the depths of the Church’s memory and in Sacred Scripture, and constantly communicated from one generation to the next by a living active traditio. (CT 22)

Why?

We may ask the appropriate question: Why do the catechetical documents insist upon a systematic and organic catechesis?

When divine revelation is presented in this fashion, the student is able to better understand the big picture and see how each piece of the picture fits in its proper place.  This allows for greater ease of understanding and comprehension as previously learned truths shed light upon the truth at hand, which, in turn, leads to increased faithfulness (seeking holiness), which is the ultimate goal of Christian discipleship.  It also shows how the disciple cannot dispense from believing one doctrine without marring the integrity of all we believe.

On the contrary, when the Catholic Faith is presented in a merely topical fashion wherein the subjects from week to week in the catechumenate have no system that follows an order, the student is more prone to view Catholic doctrine as a smorgasbord of “beliefs.”

In Conclusion

The balancing act that the R.C.I.A. process must perform is this: It must present a systematic and organic catechesis while allowing for multiple points of entry and exit for participants.  We hope that the above video presentation with the accompanying handouts will give you, the viewer, a firm foundation to build from as you continually seek to improve and grow your own parish catechumenal process.

The viewer may also be interested in these related blog entries:

• 9-Month vs. Year-Round
• Catechesis in the Catechumenate
• Celebrations of the Word of God Held in Connection with Catechetical Instruction

Tags: 9-Month vs. Year-Round, Celebrations of the Word, Pastoral Formation, Systematic Catechesis
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Christian Fellowship is Foundational

Posted on July 16th, 2009

The testimony of Christian living means that fellowship and love should be tangibly present from the first contact with inquirers.  Catholicism is emphatically not a “me and Jesus” form of the Christian faith.  The task is not to lead people into some vague state called “being a Christian,” but to invite them to become Catholics.

Pope Paul VI has written that, for Catholics, evangelization is not “an individual and isolated act; it is one that is deeply ecclesial” (Evangelization in the Modern World, 60) and that “the community of believers… is the Church, the visible sacrament of salvation” (23).  For this reason, Christian fellowship is called the foundational means of entering in to the mystery of Christ, and the RCIA ritual book stipulates that the “initiation of catechumens… takes place within the community of the faithful” (RCIA 4).  Catholic evangelization is aimed at making someone a member of the Body of Christ and [Click here to read the rest of this entry… » ]

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Preparing for Catechetical Sessions

Posted on May 22nd, 2009

The Christian initiation process is such a fundamental activity of the parish that the pastor and RCIA leader should ensure that everything possible is done, within the available resources of the parish, to ensure that the setting for catechetical sessions is appropriate for adult learners and that they have the resources to learn.  Elements that are helpful in RCIA catechesis include:

The most appropriate day of the week and time of the day.
The experience of each parish will determine the specific times that most potential inquirers are available.  It is possible that, if there is a sufficient number of participants, more than one time period can be made available, especially if Sunday afternoons can be offered as well as one, perhaps two, evenings a week.  The demand for meeting space in most parishes is high, and the needs of other organizations must also be taken into account by the pastor and RCIA leader.

[Click here to read the rest of this entry… » ]

Tags: Environment, Preparation
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Analyzing Doctrines – What to Teach

Posted on May 14th, 2009

In a typical parish RCIA setting, we are given very little time to catechize in proportion to the beautiful depth of each truth of the faith. With such limited time, with so much to learn, what must I teach? What do they have to know?

Teach the Premise

The premise of the doctrine is the underlying truth upon which the doctrine is based.

For example, for the doctrine of Faith, the premise would be: “We believe because of the authority of God who reveals. He cannot deceive nor be deceived” (Catechism #156). For Scripture, the premise would be “God has chosen to speak to us in human words. He is the author of these human words” (Catechism #105). By conveying the premise from the get-go, the catechumens/candidates will have little lights go off in their minds as they come to grasp with the intellect the rhyme and reason behind this particular doctrine.

The premise should be very short and sweet. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is an excellent resource to use to find the premise underlying this or that particular doctrine.
[Click here to read the rest of this entry… » ]

Tags: What Must I Teach?
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RCIA Catechist’s Manual

Posted on February 24th, 2009

RCIA Catechist’s Manual, 2nd Edition
Association for Catechumenal Ministry
Barbara A. Morgan and William J. Keimig, Editors
ISBN: 978-1-933374-07-9
Distributed by Liturgy Training Publications
To Order by Phone: (800) 933-1800
Orders outside U.S. & Canada: (773) 486-5630
Price: $39.95 ea. – Purchase Online

This spiral-bound Catechist’s Manual is a priceless gem for catechists who serve within the parish RCIA catechumenal process.  It was designed by a team of clergy, catechists, directors of religious education, RCIA directors, diocesan officials, and theologians to be a practical help for catechists as they craft the catechetical portion of any RCIA session.  Each copy of the Catechist’s Manual comes with a free copy of the RCIA Overview Chart.  [Click here to read the rest of this entry… » ]

Tags: Catechist's Manual
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Using Small Groups in the Catechumenal Process

Posted on February 4th, 2009

RCIA catechetical sessions are not meant solely to transmit information like the convert classes of old.  The purpose of catechesis is to initiate and foster the process of conversion of heart and entry into the mystery of Christ.  Therefore, in addition to teaching the truths of the faith in catechetical sessions, it is important to provide time in small groups to give participants a forum where they can feel comfortable.

Small groups enable catechumens and candidates to express how they have understood the truths they have heard.  They are then able to articulate their initial responses: perceptions, insights, agreements, connections with other teachings, assent, thanksgivings… as well as concerns, reservations, difficulties, and disagreements.  The dialogue that small groups foster will allow for participants to experience a deepening of their own conversion as well as to consider how they might apply a particular teaching to their own life situation.

Although small groups are not mentioned in the RCIA ritual book, small groups are exceedingly helpful to participants’ spiritual journeys because they call for dialogue and response.

Genuine catechesis therefore is that catechesis which helps to perceive the action of God throughout the formative journey. It encourages a climate of listening, of thanksgiving and of prayer.  It looks to the free response of persons and it promotes active participation among those to be catechized. (General Directory for Catechesis, n. 145)

[Click here to read the rest of this entry… » ]

Tags: Small Groups
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Celebrations of the Word of God Held in Connection with Catechetical Instruction

Posted on September 22nd, 2008

In Paragraph 81 of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, we read:

During the period of the catechumenate there should be celebrations of the word of God that accord with the liturgical season and that contribute to the instruction of the catechumens and the needs of the community.  These celebrations of the word are: first, celebrations held specially for the catechumens; second, participation in the liturgy of the word at the Sunday Mass; third, celebrations held in connection with catechetical instruction.

The third form mentioned above are “celebrations held in connection with catechetical instruction” and a helpful model is provided in Paragraphs 85-89:

86. Song: An appropriate song may be sung to open the celebration.

87. Readings and Responsorial Psalms: One or more readings from Scripture, chosen for their relevance to the formation of the catechumens, are proclaimed by a baptized member of the community.  A sung responsorial psalm should ordinarily follow each reading.

88. Homily: A brief homily that explains and applies the readings should be given.

89. Concluding Rites: The celebration of the word may conclude with a minor exorcism (no. 94) or with a blessing of the catechumens (no. 97).  When the minor exorcism is used, it may be followed by one of the blessings (no. 97) or, on occasion, by the rite of anointing (nos. 102-103).

Let’s take a moment to see how an RCIA Team might implement such a “celebration of the word of God” in connection with a catechetical session on the Eucharist using Bible passages that are “relevant to the formation of the catechumens.” [Click here to read the rest of this entry… » ]

Tags: Celebrations of the Word
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