On weekend evenings in downtown San Jose, there will often be a bearded man on top of a two-step stool shouting at passersby about being cast into hell if they don’t repent. Occasionally, a group of college students exiting from one of the nearby bars will shout back at him, and they enter into a …
The new translation of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (which is not yet published), will make an interesting change to the ritual text in English. The current translation says that before inquirers can celebrate the Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens, “sponsors, catechists, and deacons, parish priests (pastors) have the responsibility …
Are we supposed to judge the seekers’ intentions in the catechumenate process?
Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions. (Mt 19:21-22) The gospel story about the …
Why discernment—from the very beginning—is so important in catechumenate ministry
Years ago, I volunteered for a parish catechumenate team. After several e-mails and voice mails went unanswered, I just showed up at one of the team meetings. There were about six people sitting around a cafeteria table, and they were surprised to see a new person. I told them I was interested in helping out. …
On the Third Sunday of Advent, I went to a church where a friend of mine is the pastor. I arrived a few minutes late, and I was surprised the liturgy hadn’t started yet. The Mass was being celebrated in the church basement because the church itself was being renovated. And the renovation was four …
Why conversion is so important in the Rite (Order) of Christian Initiation of Adults
In a previous post, we talked about the worldwide process Pope Francis has inaugurated to dream about the future of the church. I think all catechumenate teams should take this seriously. The church that we are initiating the seekers into today will not be what the church looks like in the future. The pope and …
Why dreaming together about the future is important for RCIA teams
Pope Francis wants to know what your dreams are for the church of the future. Seriously. He wants to know what you, personally, have to say. He has put into motion all the energy of the Vatican and called upon the worldwide bishops to set up listening sessions to hear from the People of God. …
I’ve seen a lot of pictures lately of priests standing in front of homes blessing the members of the household as they gather on the front porch or steps. I think that’s great! But we don’t have to wait for the pastor to come by to celebrate blessings. Blessings come in many, many forms. A …
It took me a long time to think of myself as a catechist. When I was growing up, a catechist was essentially a religious education teacher. I never wanted to be a teacher. I’ve substituted for classroom teachers twice in my life, and I failed both times. I’ve never had formal catechist training. And I …
The first sentence of Pope Francis’s letter announcing the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy is, “Jesus Christ is the face of the Father’s mercy” (1). As catechists, this sentence is the key to understanding what the church means by “mercy.” For most people in the world, mercy is an optional act of leniency toward an offender. …
