5 Reasons People Don’t Stick
Posted on October 1st, 2008
Here, we’ll highlight 5 reasons new Catholics stop practicing the Faith soon after they’re received into the Church through the RCIA process. It’s a sad reality, but it happens more often than we would like to think it does. But have no fear! There are solutions to these 5 reasons and these fixes are given under each reason.
1. People are not brought from their initial motivation to firm conviction.
This pastoral problem is often the result of a rushed catechumenal process wherein participants are moved quickly – without the necessary and proper pastoral discernment – through the rites. A 9-month RCIA process wherein participants are expected to complete their initiation according to the school year can be a source of this haste. (See 9-Month vs. Year-Round)
Whatever initial motivation one has for going through the RCIA is a good one because God has used that as a reason to draw this person to himself. During the process, individuals need to be shepherded in such a way that they come to firmly believe the Faith with firm conviction. As the profession of faith in RCIA #491 says: “I believe and profess all that the holy Catholic Church believes, teaches, and proclaims to be revealed by God.“ Let’s make sure that this is an absolutely truthful statement when the time comes for it to be said. [Click here to read the rest of this entry… » ]
Tags: Staying Catholic
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Pastoral Formation
Posted on August 21st, 2008
The RCIA process is a growth in intimacy as much as in knowledge. Alongside the powerful liturgical movements of the process and the faithful catechetical endeavor, there is also an intense pastoral activity, which must be initiated from the first time an inquirer expresses interest in the Church. This activity operates with the knowledge that each participant will vary in his or her background, lifestyle, motivation, and state in life. Those doing RCIA ministry should steep themselves in the lives of the participants, with gentleness, prudence and a genuine desire to open their hearts wide (cf. 2 Cor 6:11).
The pastoral components are the people who participate, some intimately and others from a distance, in Jesus’ work of conversion and discipleship. The pastoral work of the catechumenal process is accomplished through the love and labor of many people, including the following: clergy, catechists, hospitality folks, sponsors, small group leaders, prayer intercessors, and parish members. This pastoral work is a people-to-person endeavor – all the people impacting this one person for the Lord. Pastoring involves both information and formation. [Click here to read the rest of this entry… » ]
Tags: Pastoral Formation
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What Is the RCIA Supposed to Be?
Posted on August 20th, 2008
Download and read the PDF article titled: To the Threshold and to the Fullness: What Is the RCIA Supposed to Be? to read a general introduction to the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.
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.”
Tags: Introduction to the RCIA
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