Perhaps you can use this online resource as an RCIA Team to solicit answers to those questions participants ask that you don’t quite know the answer to.  Or, maybe you want to send the link directly to the RCIA participants themselves, so they can ask questions online between your RCIA sessions… In any case, the link to go to is as follows:

http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/index.php?showforum=13

Much like tabs for your Bible, these tabs have been specifically designed for the United States edition of the R.C.I.A. ritual book – whether your copy of the R.C.I.A. is published by Liturgy Training Publications, Liturgical Press, or Catholic Book Publishing Company.

This multicolor tabs (each color is for a different part of the R.C.I.A.) allow you to quickly find what you need when you need it without having to constantly rely upon the table of contents.  We recommend purchasing a set of tabs for each member of your parish R.C.I.A. team.

You wouldn’t believe how much time and energy you will save in the long run with something as simple as a set of reference tabs for your ritual book!

In the R.C.I.A. process, we often minister to individuals who were baptized Catholic, but have yet to receive both their First Holy Communion and Confirmation.  Also, many of those involved in the R.C.I.A. process (whether they be coordinators, team members, sponsors, or participants) know of Catholics who are currently inactive or perhaps come to Mass on occassion.

CatholicsComeHome.org is a website created for an exciting initiative wherein Catholics Come Home (a non-profit organization) is airing television commercials on Prime Time TV in select dioceses.  Soon, these commercials will air nationally in the United States and then in other countries (e.g. Australia) as well.  This website address is promptly displayed during the entire television advertisement, directing viewers to visit the site on the Internet.

This website is beautifully designed with video through Adobe Flash technology as well as audio clips.  On the website, you may view the television advertisements and find a great deal and variety of online resources for inactive Catholics as well as for those who are not Catholic.

Helpful for RCIA Team Members

Here are three ways the CatholicsComeHome.org website may be of help to RCIA Team members:

1. The Marriage Issues section of CatholicsComeHome.org is an excellent resource to use when preparing a catechetical lesson on the sacrament of Holy Matrimony or a related topic.

2. In the website’s Shop section, you can purchase a DVD of several of the advertisements, evangelization cards, and even car magnets.

3. The website contains a section titled An Overview of Basic Catholic Teachings, which is a one-stop database of links to further explore the main aspects of the Catholic Faith.

Share “Epic”

One of the most popular commercials created by Catholics Come Home is titled Epic and you can share it with others by emailing the direct link to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhskBMpKa4I

To preview Epic, click the play button below:

Designed as a daily devotional for those who have just been initiated through the R.C.I.A., this little book compilation of homilies for the Period of Mystagogy from eight of the Early Church Fathers: St. Ambrose, St. Augustine, St. Basil, St. Clement of Alexandria, St. Cyril of Jerusalem, St. Gregory of Nyssa, St. John Chrysostom, and St. Leo the Great.

50 passages are provided for the 50 days between Easter and Pentecost (or, for any other time of the year if you wish).  These passages are taken from the Church’s great teachers and focus upon a relevant point of the mystical or moral life.  Each passage is then followed by practical applications for allowing this reading to inspire one’s prayer life and daily actions.  These snippets from these master catechists are truly Mystagogy (“Revelation of the Mysteries”) as they ponder the powerful implications of receiving the sacraments of initiation… ramifications that transform us and make us truly holy!

Daily titles include: (here are some examples)

• On the Power of Ordinary Things
• Passing Sinless through the Sea
• You Are Other Christs
• The Milk of Mother Church
• The Sacred Vine, the Eucharist
• A Nation of Priests
• Our Daily Bread
• Scandals and Sinners in the Church
• The Mystery of the Mass
• Pilgrims on Earth

Each segment is very manageable at a length of only twenty-five minutes, and the content is given in a conversational setting, in bite-size pieces.  This resource takes much of what is said in the Church’s General Directory for Catechesis and puts it into video, to make this rich understanding of catechesis available and accessible to the average person.

Using a variety of professionals in the field, each segment approaches catechesis from a unique angle, giving the viewer a multifaceted and beautiful vision of what it means to hand on our Catholic Faith in a meaningful way that changes lives through the power of God’s grace!

Here is a list of the titles of the 13 segments:

1. Handing on the Faith Today
2. The Pedagogy of God
3. Handing on the Faith Personally
4. Handing on an Adult Faith
5. Handing on Faith Holistically
6. Handing on an Organic Faith  
7. Handing on the Story of Faith
8. Handing on the Faith Scripturally
9. Handing on the Faith Prayerfully
10. Handing on the Faith Liturgically
11. Handing on the Faith Truthfully
12. Handing on the Faith Beautifully
13. Holiness-the Point of Handing on the Faith

The cost for this resource is only $46 ($40 plus $6 for shipping), a price well worth the wealth of catechetist training material contained within these 4 DVDs.

To purchase your copy today and have it shipped as soon as possible, click here.

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.

This one-time purchase gives you a CD with 380 beautifully designed handouts in PDF format.  The original purchaser (the parish) then has unlimited permission to reproduce these handouts.

Rather than having to continually repurchase participant materials year after year, you now only incur the cost of using your parish’s copy machine.  Also, you are freed from having to follow a pre-set curriculum created by a publisher and are given the flexibility to choose the order of topics to follow that best suit the particular group of participants you have this year, right now.

Here’s how you would go about using this resource:

1. Purchase the CD.
2. Give each participants an empty 1.5″ 3-ring binder.
3. Make copies of handouts on the CD for your next session and 3-hole punch them.
4. At the RCIA session, give the handouts to the participants to put in their binder.
5. Slowly, over time, their binder grows in size.

The handouts included fall under various topics including: ● Doctrines ● Special Topics ● Conversion Stories ● Lives of Saints ● Psalms and Canticles ● Litanies and Prayers ● Small Group Questions

So, for example, if you were to lead a catechetical session on May 2 on the Trinity, you could print out one copy of each of the following handouts: “The Blessed Trinity” (under Doctrines), “The Sign of the Cross” (under Special Topics), “St. Athanasius” whose feastday is May 2 (under Lives of Saints), “Finding the Desire of My Heart” by Fr. Ed Fride (under Conversion Stories), and “The Blessed Trinity ~ Suggested Questions for Discussion” (under Small Group Questions).

Then, you would head over to your parish copy machine and make multiple copies of each handout before 3-hole punching them in preparation for the upcoming session.  With a little creativity, you could even put handouts from different categories on different colors of paper.  For example… Doctrines (White), Special Topics (Yellow), Conversion Stories (Blue), Lives of the Saints (Light Brown), Psalms and Canticles (Green), etc.

If an inquirer, catechumen, candidate, elect, or neophyte misses a session, you can easily slip that session’s handouts in the mail or hand them to their sponsor/godparent who can hand-deliver them to their participant when they meet with them outside of the regularly scheduled RCIA sessions.

Let’s say that you don’t want to have to print out each handout before taking it to the parish copy machine.  Well, you have the option of spending an additional $100, which will buy you an entire set of master copies along with the CD.  Here’s the direct link to this option on the website for Liturgy Training Publications (Order Code RCIAPB).

But don’t just limit yourself to your parish catechumenate.  These handouts can be reproduced for adult faith formation sessions, parent meetings for parents of students in catechetical formation programs, bulletin inserts… and the list goes on.

Also, you are automatically given permission to copy the entire contents of the CD to your computer’s hard drive for easier and faster access to the handouts.  This saves you the hassle of having to insert the CD into your compact disc drive each time you wish to access the contents on it.

Would you like to view some sample handouts?  Click on the title you would like to review:

• Eucharist
• Amen
• Psalm 63
• The Chaplet of the Divine Mercy
• St. Thomas More
• From “Bible Only” Anarchy to the Adventure of Apostolic Authority
• Small Group Questions (for 7 topics)

Below, we have given an abbreviated list of handouts from each category.  This list is incomplete.

Doctrines

Aspects of Prayer
Baptism
Battle of Prayer
Catholic Family
Chastity and Modesty
Christian Meaning of Suffering
Christian Meditation
Covenants of God With Us
Deposit of Faith
Deuterocanonical Books
Dignity and Vocation of Women
Divine Revelation
Does God Exist?
Eucharist
Evangelization
God’s Plan of Salvation
Good Works
Grace

Special Topics

Advent
Amen
Apparitions
Canon Law
Canonization of Saints
Catholic Funeral
Chrism Mass
History of the Mass
Liturgical Vocabulary List
Liturgy of the Hours
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Solemnity of the Ascension
Stations of the Cross
Structure of the Bible

Psalms and Canticles

Assorted Psalms from Psalm 1-150
Canticle of Isaiah 12
Canticle of Luke 1 – The Magnificat
Canticle of Philippians 2
Canticle of Colossians 1

Litanies and Prayers

Litany of the Holy Spirit
Litany of the Most Holy Name of Jesus
Litany of the Sacred Heart
Angelus
Pentecost Sequence
Eucharistic Exposition and Benediction

Lives of Saints

St. Anthony of Padua
St. Augustine of Hippo
St. Benedict of Nursia
St. Bernadette Soubirous
St. Bernard of Clairvaux
St. Charles Lwanga and Companions
St. Dominic de Gúzman
Bl. Francisco and Bl. Jacinta Marto
St. Gertrude the Great
St. Gianna Beretta Molla
St. Irenaeus of Lyons
St. Pio of Pietrelcina

Conversion Stories

Not Obligated, but Freely Choosing – Anonymous
From Bible Only Anarchy to the Adventure of Apostolic Authority – Doug Beasley
Waiting for an Invitation – Paul Bennett
In Mary’s Womb – Andrea Bolster
Seeing the Love of God – Anne Foy
Joy, Freedom, and Ecstasy – Steve Ray
Ready to Accept Christ into My Life – Randy Shaw
Starving for the Eucharist – Martha Tonn

Small Group Questions

The Battle of Prayer
The Blessed Virgin Mary
The Communion of Saints
Confirmation
Creation
The Existence of God
Holy Orders
The Incarnation
Liturgy
The Mass
The Priesthood of the Faithful and Evangelization
Sacred Scripture
The Second Coming of Christ
Social Teachings of the Church
Temptation and Sin
Vocations: God’s Call

Also

› The artwork on each handout has been selected to accommodate clear and sharp photocopying of all handouts.

› Comes with extensive printed indexes and cross-reference system.

› Over 2,000 quotations and citations of Scripture (not including the Psalms handouts)

› Over 800 photographs and images used throughout the 380 handouts

›  Art and photography selected to represent the rich diversity of the Catholic faith in many cultures and many eras, from our Old Testament heritage up to the worldwide Church of modern times.

› You decide what handouts to use, when to use them, and who receives them.

› Designed for systematic and organic catechesis, covering the entire content of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, with over 650 citations.

› Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur.

› No other publisher is offering their entire set of materials as copyable, and no other publisher provides all participant materials on CD.

Cost Comparison Chart

The Leader’s Manual is the fruit of the hard work of various parish directors of RCIA with years of experience implementing the catechumenate in their own parishes.  It explains the RCIA in-depth while simultaneously giving many practical tools to implement the RCIA with ease. Newly published in 2007, this resource is being used in at least 2,500 parishes across the United States and has been purchased by parishes in every diocese of the United States and every province in Canada.

The RCIA Leader’s Manual comes with a compact disc (CD) containing many of the items in the manual in printable form such as an information-gathering form for new inquirers, parish bulletin advertisements, and sample agendas for team meetings.  You will also receive the RCIA Overview Chart that folds out as well as a copy of easy reference tabs for your copy of the RCIA ritual book.

To give you a good idea of exactly what you will find in the RCIA Leader’s Manual, we’ve provided you with the Table of Contents below.

Table of Contents

ABBREVIATIONS FOR BOOKS OF THE BIBLE
ABBREVIATIONS FOR MAGISTERIAL DOCUMENTS
GLOSSARY OF RCIA TERMS

Section One: Main Text

Part I: Introduction

Ch. 1.  Using the Leader’s Manual
Ch. 2. The Church and Her Mission
Ch. 3. A Brief History of the Catechumenate
Ch. 4. Introduction to Christian Initiation: A Liturgical, Catechetical, and Pastoral Process

Part II: The Liturgical Aspect of Christian Initiation

Ch. 5. Personal Focus: Liturgy as the Prime Means of Conversion
Ch. 6. The Major Rites of the Catechumenal Process
Ch. 7. The Minor Rites of the Catechumenal Process
Ch. 8. Using the Sunday Lectionary for Mass in the Catechumenal Process
Ch. 9. Using the Liturgy of the Hours in the Catechumenal Process

Part III: The Catechetical Aspect of Christian Initiation

Ch. 10. The Foundation of the Catechetical Aspect: Understanding and Being Changed in Christ
Ch. 11. Personal Focus: The Catechist as an Agent of Conversion
Ch. 12. Recruiting, Training, and Forming Catechists

Part IV: The Pastoral Aspect of Christian Initiation

Ch. 13. The Foundation of the Pastoral Aspect: Christ-like Zeal for Souls
Ch. 14. Personal Focus: The Signs and Stages of Conversion
Ch. 15. An Overview: Pastoral Components of the Catechumenal Process
Ch. 16. The Evangelizing and Welcoming Parish
Ch. 17. The Clergy-Laity Relationship in the Catechumenal Process
Ch. 18. The RCIA Team
Ch. 19. Godparents and Sponsors
Ch. 20. Using Small Groups in the Catechumenal Process
Ch. 21. Using Pastoral Principles to Address Challenging Situations in the Catechumenal Process
Ch. 22. Canon Law Issues in the Catechumenal Process: The Sacrament of Baptism
Ch. 23. Canon Law Issues in the Catechumenal Process: The Sacrament of Matrimony

Part V: Conclusion

Ch. 24. Portrait of a New Catholic

Section Two: Appendices

The entire section of appendices of this Manual is copyable, and is also provided on CD-ROM (found in the front pocket of the Manual) to allow for unlimited printing or downloading for modification to a parish’s needs.  Any of the material in these seven appendices may be modified in whatever way a parish RCIA leader deems appropriate.  The PDF documents on the disc are programmed to allow a user to highlight the text on-screen and move it to a hand drive, or simply to print a document with its formatting intact.

Appendix I: Items for Inquirers and Participants

• Sample Inquirer Information Cover Letter
• Adult Inquirer Information Form
• Child/Teen Inquirer Information Form
• RCIC Parents’ Active Participation Form
• Current Marital Status Follow-Up Form
• Previous Marriage Information Form
• A Guideline for Writing the Story of Your Marriage for the Purpose of Seeking a Decree of Nullity
• Affidavit of Baptism
• Discernment Interview Prior to the Rite of Acceptance or the Rite of Welcoming
• Discernment Interview Prior to the Rite of Election or the Rite of the Call to Continuing Conversion
• Instructions for Letter to Request Faculties to Baptize or Confirm Adults
• Sample Letter to Request the Faculty to Confirm Baptized Catholics
• Christian Initiation Record
• Sample Personal Letter to Encourage a Person Who Has Inconsistent Attendance
• Sample Personal Letter to Encourage a Person Who Can’t Currently Attend Sessions
• Sample Personal Letter to Encourage a Person to Attend Upcoming Retreats for the Rites
• Sample Personal Letter to Encourage a Person to Continue Attending After a Break
• Sample Personal Letter to Explain the Concept of “Reflection on the Word” to a Catechumen

Appendix II: Items for Godparents and Sponsors

• Interview Questions for a Potential Godparent or Sponsor
• Godparent or Sponsor Information Form
• Certificate to Serve as a Godparent or Sponsor
• Sample Letter to a Potential Godparent or Sponsor
• Sample Job Description for a Godparent or Sponsor
• Sample Outline of Godparent/Sponsor Training Session(s)
• Handout on Some Practical Suggestions for Godparents and Sponsors

Appendix III: Items for Teams

• Interview Questions for a Potential Team Member
• Evaluation Form for a Team Member
• Sample Letter to Call Together Members of an RCIA Team
• Sample Agenda for an Initial Team Meeting
• Sample Job Description for a Specific Role on the RCIA Team
• Sample Questions That Could Be Used to Evaluate the Parish RCIA Process
• Handout on Giving a Personal Testimony (Witness)

Appendix IV: Items for Advertising

• Sample Personal Letter to a Potential RCIA Inquirer
• Sample Advertisements for Newspapers, Penny Savers, and Other Secular Venues
• Sample Advertisements for a Parish Bulletin

Appendix V: Items for Bulletins

• A Walk Through the RCIA Process in the Parish Bulletin
• A Walk Through the Calendar Year in the Parish Bulletin
• Requests for Letters of Good Standing

Appendix VI: Items for Liturgies

• Prayers of the Faithful by RCIA Event
• Prayers of the Faithful by the Calendar
• Liturgy Preparation for the Combined Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens and Rite of Welcoming of Candidates
• Liturgy Preparation for the Combined Rite of Sending Catechumens and Candidates
• Liturgy Preparation for the Penitential Rite (for Baptized Candidates Only)
• Liturgy Preparation for the Scrutinies (for the Unbaptized Elect Only)
• Liturgy Preparation for the Presentation of the Creed
• Liturgy Preparation for the Presentation of the Lord’s Prayer
• Liturgy Preparation for the Sacrament of Reconciliation (for Baptized Candidates Only)
• Liturgy Preparation for the Preparation Rites on Holy Saturday
• Liturgy Preparation for the Celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil

Appendix VII: Items for Apostolic Activities and Retreats

• Suggestions for Corporal Works of Mercy That Can Be Explained and Initiated
• Suggestions for Spiritual Works of Mercy That Can Be Explained and Initiated
• Suggestions for Places to Visit as Part of a Retreat or an Independent Field Trip
• Suggestions for Different Kinds of Testimonies or Witness Talks
• Suggestions for Different Subjects for Guided Meditations
• Suggestions for Different Forms of Prayer in a Retreat Setting
• Suggestions for Other Create Retreat Elements
• Suggestions for Small Group Formats During Retreats

Section Three: Seminar Handouts

The seminar handouts are not intended to be an integrated part of the preceding two sections of the RCIA Leader’s Manual.  Instead, they are provided for those who take advantage of the Association for Catechumenal Ministry’s (ACM) Team Training and Catechist Training Seminars, or who view them in a recorded format.  These highly practical handouts are also used to complement ACM’s RCIA distance-education modules (to be published soon), which are designed for those who cannot attend ACM’s live seminars or who do not have access to a recorded version.

The twenty Team Training handouts provide a comprehensive and highly detailed walk through the three aspects (liturgical, catechetical, and pastoral) of the Christian initiation process.  The seventeen Catechist Training handouts break down the work of the catechist into three parts – method, content, and themes for each of the periods of the RCIA process – providing an in-depth picture of what it means to teach for conversion, and how that teaching serves the liturgical and pastoral aspects of passing on the faith.

Team Training Handouts

The Vision for Christian Initiation – Entrance into Christ

• The Modern Catechumenal Proces: A Modern Restoration of an Ancient Practice
• A Rite of Passage: A Fourth Century Easter Vigil
• Ordo Initiationis Christianae Adultorum: The Practices of the Early Church
• The Conversion Process: Three Approaches
• Participation in God’s Life: The Four Means of Entrance into Christ’s Life

The Liturgical Aspect of Christian Initiation

• Liturgy: Communion with God
• Liturgy of the Word: Using a Celebration of the Word of God in a Catechetical Setting
• Liturgical Components of the Process: Gateways and Sources of Grace for Conversion
• Living the Liturgy in the Christian Initiation Process: Fostering Intimacy with Christ and the Church

The Catechetical Aspect of Christian Initiation

• Catechesis: Echoing What God Has Revealed
• Catechetical Components of the Process: Illuminating and Securing the Path of Faith
• Scripture: The Feast of the Word
• Truths of the Faith: Lights for the Path

The Pastoral Aspect of Christian Initiation

• The Challenge of Charity: Life in the Family of God
• Pastoral Components of the Process: From Initial Motivation to Firm Conviction to a Catholic Worldview
• Signs and Stages of Conversion: Coming to Conversion
• Companions on the Journey: Godparents and Sponsors
• The Clergy-Laity Relationship: A Microcosm of the Church
• The Evangelizing and Welcoming Parish: The Role of the Parish in the Christian Initiation Process
• Seven Principles Found in the Order of Christian Initiation

Quantity Discount Pricing
2-19 – 16.67%
20-49 – 25.00%
50+ – 33.33%

Available in both Spanish and English, this color-coded, foldout overview chart shows the entire catechumenal process at a glance.  It highlights the liturgical, catechetical, and pastoral aspects of each of the 4 Periods of the RCIA and shows the different paths of the unbaptized participants, baptized uncatechetized participants, and the baptized catechized participants within the process.

This reference tool is ideal for training RCIA team.  Each 7.5″ x 10″ panel features one of the 4 periods of the process: (1) Evangelization and Precatechumenate, (2) Catechumenate, (3) Purification and Enlightenment, and (4) the Neophyte Year.  Each period is separated by a column describing the Major and Minor Liturgical Gateways between each period: Acceptance/Welcoming, Blessings, Exorcisms, Anointings, Election, Call to Continuing Conversion, Penitential Rite, Scrutinies, Presentations, Preparation Rites, and the Sacraments of Initiation.

Most of the chart is composed of quotations taken directly from the RCIA ritual book with complete citations, to show you where to look in the ritual book for that particular item.  This incredible resource will help you and your team members memorize and understand the RCIA process with greater depth and clarity!

This inexpensive and succinct booklet provides a straightforward and practical aide to those serving as sponsors or godparents in the Christian Initiation processes in their parish. It is pragmatic, spiritual, down-to-earth, and easy to read. It enables parish RCIA leaders to provide a high-quality means of effectively communicating the Church’s intentions for this crucial ministry of companionship and conversion in the catechumenate.

Each section in this beautiful small booklet is preceded by a full-color photograph and a quotation from one of the saints. For example, “What is RCIA?” is preceded by the quotation: “How sweet is the way of love. True, one can fall or commit infidelities, but, knowing how to draw profit from everything, love quickly consumes everything that can be displeasing to Jesus; it leaves nothing but a humble and profound peace in the depths of the heart” (St. Therese of Lisieux, Story of a Soul, Ch. VIII).

Unique terms to the RCIA process are given definitions, pithy suggestions worth their weight in gold are solicited, and a Home Retreat coupled with Lectio Divina provide food for the soul. It is recommended to give one of these handbooks to every Godparent/Sponsor within your parish RCIA process.

Table of Contents:

Introduction: You Have Been Chosen

PART I

What is “RCIA?”

Why an RCIA Process?

What is a Godparent? What is a Sponsor?

What are My Responsibilities?

What If the Person I’m Serving…?
Frequently Asked Questions

What are Some Common Pitfalls I Should Avoid?

PART II

Home Retreat for Godparents and Sponsors

• Prayer
• Sin and Its Effects
• Knowledge of Scripture and Doctrine
• The Virtue of Faith
• The Virtue of Hope
• The Virtue of Christian Love
• The Virtue of Obedience
• The Virtue of Humility
• The Virtue of Detachment
• Redemptive Suffering

A Few Helpful Suggestions for those New to Lectio Divina

Lectio Divina: Praying Daily with Scripture