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

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 leading him or her to become active, practicing members of a parish, so they can be pastored into deep, spiritual, ongoing, communal growth.

A Community That Reveals the Mystery of Christ

Christian fellowship is not solely a question of “How do I do it?“  First, it is a question of “Who am I?” and “How do I live my life?“  What a person is comes before anything a person does; to be an effective evangelist, a Catholic must himself or herself be transformed in Christ.  Pastoring in the Christian initiation process is not professional counseling or spiritual direction, and does not require a college degree.  It consists of one-on-one encounters with individuals at any stage of the Christian initiation process.  What happens in these moments, whether brief or prolonged, is crucial to conversion, and the RCIA team needs to be aware of these opportunities and be prepared to make the most of them.  Christian fellowship – communio – is produced and exemplified in these ways:

Christian Charity

Within a setting of true Christian charity, the explanation of the faith seems truly reasonable – because the Christian faith is founded on love.  Love is the whole of the commandments of God.  To be presented fully and truly, explanations of the Gospel must be enfolded in an atmosphere of generous love.

Pastoring therefore is always welcoming.  A genuine love of those whom God has sent to RCIA is reflected in delight at their arrival, getting the cup of coffee or tea when they’ve come in the door just as the session is starting, engaging in conversation beyond comments about the weather or the weekend sports scores, getting a spare Bible out of the closet when someone has forgotten to bring one, inviting a new arrival to sit “near me” rather than allowing him or her to hunt for an open chair, giving a warm farewell when the session is over, making sure that no one discovers that a car battery has gone dead after everyone else has left the parking lot.

Setup is completed and cleanup is not to be so hasty that people feel they’re being rushed out.  Many of the best conversations take place after the session is over and there is nothing else that must happen.  An atmosphere of welcome can, within a matter of weeks, result in the inquirers beginning to help with various cleanup tasks, a sign that they want to pitch in the same way as the other “members of the family.”

Charity also creates an environment of respect.  There are many ways this can be communicated, such as beginning and ending sessions on time, being well-prepared for the session, and ensuring that bodily needs and comfort are addressed.  Time before and after sessions, well-timed breaks, and allowing refreshment and discussion can be as important as formal catechesis.

Proclamation

Everything that is said and done in the RCIA environment proclaims the living Word that is Jesus Christ, the Word that God has given to us, the Word of eternal life that is Jesus Christ: “For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Cor 4:5).  An evangelist is not satisfied with living the Gospel, but is impelled to proclaim it.  The Fathers of the Second Vatican Council also wrote that “an apostolate… does not consist only in the witness of one’s way of life; a true apostle looks for opportunities to announce Christ” (Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity, 6).

Those who proclaim the Word of God have gotten to know the Word of God in Sacred Scripture and have learned the fullness of the Word of God as expressed in Sacred Tradition.  Pope Paul VI wrote that a “sign of love will be the effort to transmit… certainties that are solid because they are anchored in the word of God” (Evangelization in the Modern World, 79).

Holiness

The Gospel cannot be proclaimed expect by people who do what they proclaim.  St. Paul admonished the Corinthians to imitate the way he imitated Christ (see 1 Cor 11:1).  Evangelists witness to the Word of God by living it in their own lives, as St. Peter admonished: “as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy‘” (1 Pt 1:15-16).  The Fathers of the Second Vatican Council wrote that “all Christians, wherever they live, are bound to show forth, by the example of their lives and by the witness of the word, that new man put on at Baptism and that power of the Holy Spirit by which they have been strengthened at Confirmation.  Thus other men, observing their good words, can perceive more fully the real meaning of human life and the universal bond of the community of mankind” (Decree on the Mission Activity of the Church, 11).

Inquirers will discover that the Christian charity they encounter originates in an encounter with the living God, and that this charity is not something “put on” for their sakes, as a form of attractive “window dressing,” but is the necessary result of that Divine encounter.

Faith

People are buried under mountains of sin, fear, and depression.  When Jesus walked the earth, he “went about… preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every infirmity” (Mt 9:35).  When Jesus sent out his apostles, he authorized them to do these same things, as well as cast out demons (see Lk 9:1-2).  Talking to the sick, the fearful, and the worried, saying, “I hope you’ll get well” is not sufficient.  Pastoring is action: praying with and for them and proclaiming the promises of God.  God will also send spiritual power to fight the devil and his minions.  Manifesting confidence in God by word and action is a means of bearing witness to the truth that no problem or crisis is too big for God to handle.  Faith can move mountains (see Mt 17:20), and the world needs to see the community of the faithful moving mountains.

Confidence and Trust

Pope Paul VI has called the Holy Spirit “the principle agent of evangelization” (Evangelization in the Modern World, 75).  It is the Holy Spirit who impels the faithful to proclaim the Gospel, and it is he who causes the Word of salvation to be accepted and understood.  The evangelist is confident that each individual’s desire to know about Christ and his Church, even those with flimsy motives, will respond to the loving presentation of the truth of the Word of God by the graces given them by the Holy Spirit.  Those responsible for pastoring are themselves clearlyl trustowrthy, so that participants can confide in them knowing that what is said will not be revealed without their permission.

Humility

Humility is one of the secrets of spiritual power. Jesus is “gentle and lowly of heart” (Mt 11:29).  The words that St. Peter wrote to his fellow priests are watchwords in Christian fellowship: “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility towards one another, for ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble’” (1 Pt 5:5).  St. Paul discounted human efforts: “So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but God who gives the growth” (1 Cor 3:7).  The proud are useless to God, and pride is the enemy of Christian fellowship.

Generosity

Pastoring requires opening one’s own life to those who are in any stage of the catechumenal process. The generous evangelist is available to participants, befriends them and invites them into conversations, and opens his or her home and life to them.  Generosity prompts the evangelist to be available to talk at any time – on the phone, over coffee, by email.  Being willing to listen and pray with them are especially powerful means though which God can work.

Prudence

Responding to a specific individual’s needs, whether it is simply listening, praying with the person, offering advice or words of counsel, or rejoicing with the person as God works in his or her life, demands prudence.  Everyone on the RCIA team must pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit when deciding what to do in each situation, keeping in mind the power of the Holy Spirit and remembering that it is God who is ultimately responsible for an individual’s conversion.

Prayer

Lack of time to pray to God and to learn about God is a sign of a life out of order. Before anything important was about to happen, or any important decision, Jesus prayed.  He, who exclaimed about his urgency to accomplish his work (see Lk 12:50), had time to pray.  Christian fellowship draws strength from calling continually on Christ, who, “is able for all time to save those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (Heb 7:25).

Joy

Angels announced joy when they proclaimed the birth of the Messiah.  They declared tidings of great joy to be shared wtih the whole people (see Lk 2:8-14).  The faithful are God’s Easter people, God’s people of hope, and God’s people of joy!  St. Paul identifies joy as a fruit of the Holy Spirit (see Gal 5:22) – it’s typical of Christians.  He wrote about the joy that he saw in them (see 2 Cor 8:1-2) and identified the source of joy: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Rom 15:13).  Christian fellowship is attractive, and leads individuals into desiring to “have what they have” by the hope and joy that they see.

Chosen and Sent

Catholics are expected to be different, because they are different.  Each Catholic is an integral part of a Church that God founded to convert the world – to win souls, every soul, for Christ and his kingdom.  The world needs to hear about Christ through each and every Catholic.  St. Paul implored the Romans to “never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit, serve the Lord” (Rom 12:11).  Catholics are called upon to be a light in the home, in the parish, in the workplace, on the playing field, in the restaurant, in the hair salon, in the grocery store, and in traffic.  If Jesus had waited for a safe time to bring the Good News, he would not yet have come; there is no “safe time.”  When St. Peter and St. John the Evangelist were arrested and told not to teach or speak again in the name of Jesus, they prayed, “Grant to thy servants to speak thy word with all boldness” (Acts 4:29).  As a result, a second Pentecost shook them and the whole house and “they were filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the Word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31).

If every Catholic lived up to Christ’s expectations, hearts would pump the blood of Divine life into sterile neighborhoods, arks of hope would fill with floundering souls desperate for a home, vigorous vine branches would bear fruit to nourish famished souls, and parishes would be fertile oases in the desert of the culture of death – if every Catholic ardently desired to be Catholic, to be Christ, to all others.  Not only must Catholics lead people to Christ, but those they lead must be nourished as they move through the Christian initiation process, which cannot be implemented without Catholics who are aflame with the love of Christ, and want, as he does, “to cast fire upon the earth” (Lk 12:49).

The above can be found on pages 104-107 of the RCIA Leader’s Manual published by the Association for Catechumenal Ministry and distributed by Liturgy Training Publications.

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.

A comfortable room temperature.
A too-warm room encourages drowsing.

Tables around which groups of participants and RCIA team members can sit.
This makes eye-to-eye interaction and conversation possible during breaks, which classroom-style seating cannot.  Even if there are no tables, chairs should be arranged in several groups, rather than having everyone seated facing one direction.  If the chairs are somewhat uncomfortable, inexpensive chair cushions might be a good investment.

Bibles and binders for all inquirers.
If the parish can afford it, giving to all inquirers inexpensive Bibles (preferably the translation used at Mass), Bible tabs, and empty three-ring binders (to keep handouts) upon their first arrival at a precatechumenate session is not only helpful to catechesis but also is an appreciated form of welcoming each person.  Here is a link to the New Catholic Answer Bible.  Eventually, participants might also be given copies of the Catechism of the Catholic Church or the recently published Compendium to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, again to the extent that the parish resources permit.

An RCIA library.
If the parish can afford it, a selection of books, CDs, DVDs, audiotapes, and videotapes – the choice of media will depend on what kinds of media players, if any, participants own or can use – allows participants to enrich what they have learned or to get questions answered on topics that cannot be covered in depth in the weekly catechetical sessions.  The library can be stored in one or more boxes between sessions, preferably on a cart so that it is not necessary to lift and carry the boxes.  Participants can be permitted to check out items for a specific period, depending on the likely need for given items by more than one participant. A checkout sheet allows the leader to know where items are at all times (and to ensure their return at the conclusion of the neophyte year!).  If there is a sufficient number of books, RCIA team members might be permitted to check out items as well, perhaps requiring a shorter return time or allowing items to be checked out only during periods when the regular catechetical sessions are not held, such as during the Christmas season. (See the blog post titled “A Lending Library“)

Tables for display and hospitality.
Tables should be available, ideally outside the room, for setting up the RCIA library, if one exists; for placing handouts; and for serving drinks and snacks.  In climates where part of the catechumenal period is cold, a way to provide warm drinks should be developed; conversely, in hot weather, if possible chilled drinks should be made available.

Setting up a sacred space.
The meeting room should have a place for a sacred space, the place of honor where a Bible is enthroned, together with a crucifix or appropriate icon, statue, or painting, and resting on a cloth of the color liturgically appropriate for the day of the catechetical session.

Using religious art.
If the room is used for other purposes, religious art (mounted prints, for example) might be placed around the room to change its tone during special events such as day-long catechetical sessions.  Large votive candles on tables can also contribute to a more prayerful atmosphere.

Placement of a wall clock.
If the room has a clock, the catechist should face it when teaching.  This not only allows the catechist to keep to the schedule of the evening, but also minimizes clock-watching by participants.

All the above elements may be difficult for some parishes with limited resources to provide.  Over the long history of the Church, catechesis has taken place, and the faith has been implanted and matured, in every setting imaginable.  Less-than-ideal settings are merely less than ideal; they do not make transmission of the faith impossible nor should the parish RCIA process be curtailed because everything is not “perfect.”

The above can be found on pages 78-80 of the RCIA Leader’s Manual published by the Association for Catechumenal Ministry and distributed by Liturgy Training Publications.

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.

Teach the Essentials

The essentials are those aspects of the doctrine, which cannot be left to chance that the students will get them on their own.

Let’s return to the example of Faith. Faith (1) Is certain. (2) Necessary for salvation. (3) Seeks understanding. (4) A gift. (5) Can be lost and increased. Like for the premise, you can find these essentials by using the Catechism of the Catholic Church. For these 5 essentials on “Faith,” look at paragraphs 153-165 of the Catechism.

For the doctrine of Scripture, three essentials are: (1) The human authors are true authors, so Scripture has a very human element to it, though without error. (2) The Magisterium is the authentic interpreter of Scripture. (3) Christ is the center of all of Scripture.

Teach What Is Commonly Misunderstood

Insufficient or ineffective catechesis has left many participants with a false understanding of the doctrines of the Catholic Faith. When we catechize, we should teach those misunderstandings so as to clear them away.

With regard to Faith, many often think it is a “blind leap.” Not so. Our faith has very good reasons upon which it rests, and there are many evidences that underly what we believe. Take the Resurrection for example. There are many very good reasons that we believe Jesus was raised from the dead. The Catechism calls these reasons “‘motives of credibility’ (motiva credibilitatis), which show that the assent of faith is “by no means a blind impulse of the mind.”

For Scripture, many have come to believe that Scripture is the only source of God’s revelation to us. We need to show that there is another coequal channel by which God’s divine revelation comes to us, and that is Apostolic Tradition (See Catechism #74-83).

Teach the Scriptural Basis

All doctrine is grounded in Sacred Scripture. Many Scripture passages enlighten our understanding of a particular doctrine. We should be constantly turning to Scripture and allowing for the Word of God to under gird everything we teach.

Faith: Hebrews 11:1 – “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16 – “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching…”

Teach Related Doctrines

The Deposit of Faith is an organic unity. The doctrines of the Faith are not independent of one another. Often, the teaching of a related doctrine will reveal to a participant what had been previously hidden. By teaching in an “integral” fashion, the catechumens/candidates will get so much more out of the catechetical sessions, and an excitement will soon begin to buzz among them as they grow in their understanding.

Jesus is the perfecter of our Faith. By Prayer, we can increase in Faith. Mary is the perfect role model for the life of Faith. The Church hands on the Faith. Faith is necessary for Salvation.

Scripture together with Tradition makes up the single sacred Deposit of Faith. Reading Scripture can give increase to one’s Faith. The Church determined the canon of Scripture. The Trinity is the principal author of Scripture. Scripture was written for the sake of our Salvation.

Related Blog Entry

To learn about how to devise a curriculum for the catechumenate, see the blog entry titled: “Catechesis in the Catechumenate.”

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. 

Table of Contents

Now, we will examine the different sections of the Catechist’s Manual using the table of contents as our guide.

Section One: Using the Catechist’s Manual

This section is very short: only 2.5 pages, and it explains the following sections.

Section Two: Introduction to Christian Initiation – A Liturgical, Catechetical, & Pastoral Process

This section provides a summary of the structure of the RCIA process, offering a basic context for the following sections that elaborate upon the catechetical aspect of the RCIA process in detail.  The liturgical and pastoral aspects of the RCIA process receive much more significant treatment in the RCIA Leader’s Manual.

Section Three: Teaching Variations – How Catechesis Changes in Each of the Four Periods

The RCIA ritual book tells us that catechesis should shift in emphasis (and in method to some degree) as a participant goes through the process (see RCIA, no. 4-7).  This section explains in practical terms how those changes serve the process and help foster conversion.  It’s important to note that the lesson plans provided in this Catechist’s Manual are primarily written for the Period of the Catechumenate.

Section Four: Teaching Structure: How the Lesson Plans Work

Each one of the 60 lesson plans included in this manual are designed uniquely according to a structure developed by Msgr. Francis D. Kelly in his book titled The Mystery We Proclaim: Catechesis for the Third Millennium.  This section’s 8 pages are indispensable for someone who wants to glean the most from the Catechist’s Manual.

Section Five: Teaching Systematically: How to Determine the Order of Teachings

Ever wondered how to develop a curriculum within the RCIA?  This section help you build the skills necessary to determine what to teach when.

Section Six: Teaching Organically: How to Teach the Relationships among Doctrines

The General Directory for Catechesis tells us: “The various elements of the Christian faith should be presented in a well structured way and in harmony with each other by means of an organic vision that respects the ‘hierarchy of truths’” (GDC 241).  This section aids the catechist in making clear the connections among the doctrines of the faith, so that the catechumens and candidates are able to grasp the unity of the Catholic Faith, to see how every truth that we believe is important and connects with every other truth in a harmonious fashion.

Section Seven: Sixty Lesson Plans

This is the meat of the Catechist’s Manual and is priceless in and of itself.  We are given 60 Lesson Plans titled by topic.  Here is a complete list of the topics:

Angels
Anointing of the Sick and Redemptive Suffering
Baptism
The Battle of Prayer
The Blessed Trinity
The Blessed Virgin Mary
Cardinal Virtues and the Virtues of Chastity and Humility
The Church
The Communion of Saints
Confirmation
Creation
The Dignity of the Human Person
Divine Revelation
Ecumenism and Other Religions
The Eucharist (Lesson 1 of 2)
The Eucharist (Lesson 2 of 2)
The Existence of God
The First Three Commandments
The Four Last Things
The Four Marks of the Church
Freedom in Christ
God the Father
Grace
Holy Orders
The Holy Spirit
The Incarnation
Introduction to Prayer
Justification and Merit
The Kingdom of God
The Last Seven Commandments
Liturgical Prayer
Liturgy
The Lord’s Prayer
The Mass
Matrimony
Mercy and Justice
The Mystical Body of Christ
Natural Law
Original Sin and the Mystery of Iniquity
The Paschal Mystery
The Priesthood of the Faithful and Evangelization
Providence
Reconciliation
The Sacramental Economy
Sacramental Living
Sacred Scripture
Sacred Tradition
Salvation and Redemption
The Second Coming of Christ
The Social Teachings of the Church
The Son of God
The Story of the People of God
Temptation and Sin
Traditions of Prayer
The Two Great Commandments (The New Law)
The Universal Call to Holiness
The Virtue of Faith
The Virtue of Hope
The Virtue of Love
Vocations: God’s Call

Each Lesson Plan is composed of two pages.  The first page is titled Catechist Preparation and the second page is titled Catechetical Session.  Below, we have provided a sample of these two pages for the Lesson Plan on “Faith.”  Click on either image to view or download the entire page in Adobe Acrobat PDF format:

Appendix I: Table for Matching Catechist’s Manual Lesson Plans and Participant’s Book Handouts

This handy table helps you choose which handouts from the RCIA Participant’s Book to give out to participants according to which topic above you choose for an RCIA session.

For example:

Appendix II: Three Examples of Arrangements of Teachings

This section offers three examples of how parish RCIA directors and catechists have used the principles discussed in the introductory sections of this Catechist’s Manual to determine an initial ordering of their RCIA teachings.

Appendix III: Glossary of Key Terms for the Lesson Plans

Each lesson plan contains definitions of key terms.  This glossary is a compendium of all the key terms found throughout the 60 lesson plans.

Appendix IV: Alphabetical Index of Hymns and Songs in Lesson Plans

Each lesson plan contains recommended hymns and songs for that particular catechetical topic.  This section is a simple alphabetical index of all these hymns/songs.

Appendix V: Seasonal Substitutes for Liturgies of the Word and Hymns

These are wonderful recommendations of Scripture passages and hymns to use in lieu of what you will find in the Lesson Plans if you are in the seasons of Advent, Christmas, and Lent.

Appendix VI: On Not Using Lectionary-Based Catechesis as the Primary Method to Determine the Order of Teachings

This 5-page section explains how Lectionary-based catechesis does not suit the demands of systematic catechesis because the Lectionary does not follow the hierarchy of truths from Sunday to Sunday.

Appendix VII: Doctrines in the Liturgy for Liturgical Catechesis

This appendix presents numerous citations from prayers of the Mass in the Roman Missal (a.k.a. the Sacramentary), from the sacramental rites, and from other rites and blessings of the Latin Rite that show how the doctrines presented in each lesson plan are prayed in the Church’s liturgy.

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)

This personal dialogue with the truths of the faith is at the heart of the small-group component of the Christian initiation process.  Speaking honestly about their thoughts and feelings on these matters causes participants to wrestle with them and, in time and with God’s grace, experience a deepening conversion.

From the standpoint of participants, the small-group sessions have a specifically catechetical characters.  However, from the standpoint of the RCIA leader, godparents and sponsors, and the team, the sessions have a strong pastoral component.  This is so for several reasons:

1. Dialogue with participants in a small-group context allows sponsors, godparents, and team members to gain invaluable insights concerning the pastoral care that an individual may need.
2. If a participant needs to talk something out, the small groups provide people who are there to listen.
3. If there is a recurring issue that needs further attention, a pastorally-astute godparent, sponsor, or team member can pick up on it.

A word should be said about the difference between small-group discussions following a catechetical session and a small-group Reflection on the Word session.  Reflection on the Word sessions follwo the dismissal of catechumens from the Mass after the Liturgy of the Word.  These sessions are therefore a continuation of the liturgy and are not intended to be catechetical.  The small-group sessions during the catechetical sessions, on the other hand, offer more time to respond to and discover the truths of God and his plan that participants have just heard, and consider how the teachings apply to everyday life.

The above can be found on page 171 of the RCIA Leader’s Manual published by the Association for Catechumenal Ministry and distributed by Liturgy Training Publications.  This particular section of the manual goes on to address: (a) selecting and training facilitators, (b) the number of groups needed, (c) composition of groups, (d) placement in the catechetical session and duration, (e) what takes place in small-group sessions, and (f) specific problems.

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.”

This sample is taken from the RCIA Catechist’s Manual under the Lesson titled “The Eucharist (Lesson 1 of 2)” on pages 76-77.

Before the catechumenal session, a team member would produce copies of the lyrics of “You Satisfy the Hungry Heart” for the participants.  It would be ideal if you could bring a small stack of hymnals into the session (perhaps from your parish church).  If you have an RCIA music ministry, the team members who play an instrument would be notified ahead of time with needed sheet music.

After the group finishes “You Satisfy the Hungry Heart,” a team member walks up to the front of the group and with an open Bible proclaims the reading from Exodus 16:2-16, which recounts the miraculous manna given by God to feed the Israelites in the Sinai wilderness.  This event is a foreshadowing of the Eucharist, which is the miraculous Bread from Heaven that nourishes us on our journey through the wilderness of this life.

The group then sings the responsorial psalm taken from Psalm 78, which recounts how God provided nourishment for the Israelites in the wilderness in several ways, including the miraculous water from the rock as well as the manna.  A beautifully formatted version of this psalm is available and may be printed out and distributed to the participants from the RCIA Participant’s Book.

Next, if a priest or deacon is present, then they read the Gospel passage.  If no clergy are present, then a team member read the Gospel, which is John 6:48-58 – Jesus’ Bread of Life Discourse wherein Jesus recounts Exodus 16 and uses this passage to teach about the gift of his Body and Blood in the Eucharist.

Now you have laid the foundation for the catechumenal session on the Eucharist.  Next, during your catechesis, you can refer back to Exodus 16, Psalm 78, and John 6 as you witness to the reality and power of the Holy Eucharist!

We especially see this clearly in St. Augustine’s “First Catechetical Instruction” (In Latin: De Catechizandis Rudibus).  St. Augustine wrote this famous work to a deacon of Carthage named Deogratias in AD 405 as advice on what to present to an inquirer.  This story of Salvation History is referred to by Augustine as the narratio – the “narration”

Before we go on, let’s take a look at two quotations from the Church’s General Directory for Catechesis:

“In the patristic period properly, catechumenal formation was realized through Biblical catechesis, based on recounting the history of salvation” (#89)

“The historical character of the Christian message requires that catechesis attend to the following points … presentation of salvation history by means of Biblical catechesis so as to make known the ‘deeds and words’ with which God has revealed himself to man: the great stages of the Old Testament by which he prepared the journey of the Gospel; the life of Jesus, Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary who by his actions and teaching brought Revelation to completion; the history of the Church which transmits Revelation: this history, read within the perspective of faith, is a fundamental part of the context of catechesis” (#108)

In a nutshell, the catechist – in one RCIA session – tells the Story of God’s Family from before creation to the end of time.  In other words, the catechist begins with the eternal life of the Blessed Trinity and finishes with the Final Coming of Jesus Christ.

The reason for doing this is to show the inquirers or catechumens the big picture all at once.  It gives them a bird’s eye view of history, allowing them to see how the Old Testament led up to and was fulfilled in Jesus;  how God has been redeeming humanity and making saints through his Church for nearly 2,000 years; and how Jesus will return again to judge the living and the dead.  The recounting of the Story will open the eyes of your RCIA participants and allow for them to comprehend the Faith in a much more cohesive manner.  This will help them to form a Catholic worldview.

“The Story of the People of God” is outlined on page 151 of the RCIA Catechist’s Manual and is spoken of on pages 383-387 of the RCIA Leader’s Manual.

Below are some sample points that a telling of the Story would entail:

• The eternal life of the Blessed Trinity – an eternal exchange of love
• The creation of the angels – some chose to rebel
• The creation of humanity out of love to share in God’s own Trinitarian life
• Our temptation by Satin and our fall from grace through Original Sin
• God’s promise of a redeemer and plan of salvation
• God’s gradual gathering of a people (Israel) through successive covenants
• A brief history of Israel
• The promises and prophecies of the prophets
• Mary’s “yes” to angel Gabriel
• The Incarnation – which should be given great emphasis!
• The life of Jesus Christ
• Jesus’ redemptive sacrifice on the cross and resurrection from the dead
• The giving of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Catholic Church at Pentecost
• The Church as the Family and Kingdom of God – the Body of Christ
• A brief history of the Church – saints are in constant supply
• Today, we are living in the midst of this Story
• The sure promise and hope that Jesus will come again to judge the living and the dead

The Story / Narration / Salvation History should be told in an exciting and dynamic way as truth – not as a fictional story – focusing upon the main points, not going into great detail.  In his First Catechetical Instruction, St. Augustine wrote, “we ought to present all the matter in a general and comprehensive summary, choosing certain of the more remarkable facts that are heard with greater pleasure and constitute the cardinal points in history” (#5).

Show how God invites every human person to redemption in Jesus Christ, to salvation, into membership within his Family, the Catholic Church.

Once the Story has been told and later on in the RCIA process during the catechumenate, particular truths of the Faith can be tied into the Story.  When the 10 Commandments are presented, you can point back to the Exodus of Israel from Egypt and show how these commandments were given to Moses upon Mt. Sinai during that Exodus.  You can show how certain things were prefigured through “types” in the Old Testament, such as Jesus, Mary, the Mass, the Sacraments, and the Church.

Related Blog Entry

Also, see the blog entry titled: “The Gospel Message in the Precatechumenate“

A quote from the above article:

“The intention of the following paragraphs is to open a discussion on the nature of catechumenal ministry – that work of God and his people which seeks to invite and initiate new members into the Mystical Body of Christ… In this article, the RCIA process will be examined from three distinct aspects: liturgical, catechetical, and pastoral. It is useful to discuss the nature and scope of each period of the process in light of these three aspects. All three are equally important. It is an injustice to those considering or seeking union with Holy Mother Church to be unambiguously catechetical to the detriment of the liturgical aspect, or be wonderfully pastoral despite poor catechesis. In order for the catechumenate to be what it has the potential to be, RCIA leaders can benefit greatly from understanding the implications of its liturgical, catechetical, and pastoral dimensions to make available the fullness of the process as intended by the Church.”

The 5 Stages of the Ecclesial Method:

1. Preparation
2. Proclamation
3. Explanation
4. Application
5. Celebration

The RCIA Catechist’s Manual (from the On the Journey Series distributed by Liturgy Training Publications) follows this method in its outline for each catechetical session.

Step 1 – Preparation

This first step is calculated disengagement. The individuals coming to the catechetical session have their own worries, preoccupations, excitements, griefs, and anxieties. So, the first thing we want to do is to prepare the minds and hearts of our students for the truth God wishes to feed them today in our session. We want to put them in the right frame of mind, to be docile to what the Holy Spirit wishes to do in the hour or so to follow as they receive the catechesis.

The first and indispensable component of Preparation is the environment. The room should be clean, well lit, well ventilated, at a comfortable temperature, and beautiful. The room should reflect Truth, Beauty, and Goodness. One essential component of your environment should be a designated area called “sacred space,” which should be a bit different for each session, depending upon the content of that session. To adapt the space to the liturgical year, you could use green cloth during Ordinary Time, purple in Advent/Lent, white on Solemnities, etc. Display an icon, a crucifix, a statue, or a painting/print that draws upon the theme of the session or is related to the current day on the liturgical calendar. For example, if you are catechizing on the Resurrection, use Carravaggio’s Doubting Thomas.

When you first begin, explain the sacred space. If you’re going to begin by reading from Scripture, place the Bible in the sacred space and pick up the Bible from the sacred space to read from it.

Next, begin the session with an activity that disengages the participants from their previous frame of mind and prepares them for the truth they are about to receive. One example would be to begin with singing a hymn or song as a group to instrumental music. Or, celebrate a small liturgy of the Word as outlined in RCIA #84-89. Or, show a short clip from a film. There should be a nice lead into the doctrine.

Step 2 – Proclamation

Next, proclaim the truth to be explained in one or two sentences. It could be a brief passage from Scripture. It could be a reading from the Catechism (The “In Brief” sections are a good place to look). It shouldn’t be longer than two or three sentences. Proclaim this truth in an evangelical fashion: “If there is nothing else that you take from what I say to you today, remember this…” If you have a white board, write it down for display. In the blog entry “Analyzing Doctrines – What to Teach,” the Proclamation would be the Premise.

For example, let’s say that your catechetical session is on The Blessed Virgin Mary. Here is a sample proclamation: “God chose, from all eternity, to enlist the free cooperation of a young virgin to bring salvation to the human race.” For Original Sin, your proclamation might be: “Our first parents, temped by Satan, brought evil into the world. We inherit their fallen nature and can only hope in God’s mercy to redeem us.”

Step 3 – Explanation

This is the meat of the catechetical session. Now is when you systematically lay out the essentials of the truth, to enlighten the intellect and to move the heart of your hearers. In the blog entry “Analyzing Doctrines – What to Teach,” the explanation includes the essentials, what is commonly misunderstood, the Scriptural basis, and related doctrine.

Use markers and a white board, PowerPoint, and video. Give handouts. Elicit questions. Ask questions of the candidates and catechumens. By all means necessary, do not turn this step into a boring lecture. It takes a gifted teacher to successfully explain God’s truth so as to move the participants to Faith, Hope, and Love.

Step 4 – Application

Often in an RCIA setting, this step takes place by breaking the larger group into small groups and answering pre-written questions that apply the doctrine to the participants’ lives. This step fosters conversion and intends to bear fruit in the lives of the students.

Your students should be thinking, “Wow, this truth has profound implications for my own life,” and they should hear the call to conversion, to be changed.

Often, the explanation and application are not so distinct and separate. The explanation should include points of application because all doctrine is life-changing.

Step 5 – Celebration

We want to end the session in prayerful gratitude and praise to God. Here are some examples:

• If the session was on Mary, slowly sing the Hail Mary a cappella (without instrumental accompaniment) as a group or pray the Hail, Holy Queen.
• End with Night Prayer (Compline) taken from the Liturgy of the Hours.
• Play a song from a CD and mediate upon the words.
• Offer intentions individually and conclude by offering a general prayer for those intentions just mentioned.
• As a group, sing one of the hymns or songs suggested for that particular doctrine in the RCIA Catechist’s Manual.

The goal of this final step of the Ecclesial Method is to wrap up the lesson, bringing the session to closure. It it is feasible, try to tie the Celebration to the doctrine.

In Conclusion

The threefold goal of the Ecclesial Method is (1) to bring the participants to understand the Deposit of Faith, (2) and move their hearts affectively, and therefore, (3) having them respond with a faith working in love.  This method is intended to bridge the gap between doctrine and an authentic, lived spirituality.

To learn more about this method, see “The Mystery We Proclaim” by Msgr. Francis D. Kelly (Our Sunday Visitor, 1999 or Wipf and Stock, 2008).

Also, see the Article on the Ecclesial Method published by Catechetics Online.

A quote from the above article:

“The Christian initiation process is intended to be fundamentally liturgical. Participants need and have a right to the grace that flows from the font of the Church’s liturgy as it is made available to them as catechumens and candidates prior to full communion. This grace is an indispensable aid to conversion and the means by which they inter into intimate union with Christ and his Church. The steps towards this intimate union can be referred to as the major rites of the RCIA process – the gateways through which participants knowingly and freely decide to pass in their journey towards the divine consummation of the holy Eucharist. Supporting these major rites are various minor rites, some belonging to the period of the catechumenate and others to the period of purification and enlightenment.”

A quote from the above article:

“Catechesis cannot be considered systematic and organic solely because it covers a great deal of material or is lengthy. A defining characteristic of a systematic and organic catechesis is its presentation according to the hierarchy of truths (see CCC 90, 234; GDC 114-115). Participants need to understand certain truths first in order to be able to understand others, and as catechesis proceeds, each truth needs to be linked to those taught previously.”

An example: In their catechesis, the catechumens and candidates must come to understand the person and work of Jesus before they explore the Marian dogmas. Then, when Mary is presented, her Immaculate Conception, Perpetual Virginity, Divine Motherhood, and Assumption are shown to have relevance insofar as to who her Divine Son is and what his plan is for her. “What the Catholic faith believes about Mary is based on what it believes about Christ, and what it teaches about Mary illumines in turn its faith in Christ” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #487).

Related Blog Entry

Also, see the blog entry titled: “Analyzing Doctrines – What to Teach“

What has become known as “Breaking Open the Word” is found in RCIA 67.

67. After the dismissal formulary, the group of catechumens goes out but does not disperse.  With the help of some of the faithful, the catechumens remain together to share their joy and spiritual experiences.

The Rite of dismissal is not an end in itself, but a means to move the catechumens (unbaptized) and perhaps candidates (baptized) (see RCIA 406) to a place where they can be spiritually fed. Though they cannot yet come to the table of the Eucharist, Mother Church still has an obligation to feed those who have entered into a relationship with her through the Rites of Acceptance and Welcoming (celebrated recently). This obligation is fulfilled by sending them out to dwell more richly on the Word of God that they have just heard at Mass.

His Word is their only food during this period. Participants depart from the Mass with one or several RCIA team members, godparents, and sponsors to go out to discuss the readings for that Sunday and experience more fully the impact of the Scriptures in their lives. While the congregation is being nourished by Jesus in the Eucharist, those seeking to join us at the sacred table are being nourished by Jesus in the sacred words of Scripture.

The session is not catechetical in its intent; it follows from the liturgical experience, and concludes approximately when the Mass concludes. Breaking Open the Word sessions are not opportunities for the delivery of a prepared catechesis. It is to be a facilitated reflection upon the content of the Liturgy of Word for that Sunday, and opportunity for each participant to actively engage the Scriptural text and to be fed by that encounter with the Word.