This book provides a powerful road-map for your parish catechumenate team to examine their ministry -- not only in terms of how it is being implemented for the inquirers, but also how it is transforming team members individually, the team as a whole, and ultimately the parish. This is an essential resource to be used alongside the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults in forming or revitalizing your catechumenate team.

An Introduction to the RCIA: The Vision of Christian Initiation serves as a basic primer for those involved with Christian Initiation ministry. Written by Fr. Ron Lewinski, this resource provides an overview of the four stages of initiation and their accompanying rituals as well as questions for discussion and reflection.

The revised second edition of the award-winning The RCIA: Transforming the Church incorporates new insights in liturgical catechesis and ritual celebration that have emerged since the original edition. The changed format includes an expanded commentary on each of the periods of the rite, expanded sections, all-new sections, practical guidelines, and suggestions for using the rite with children.Again divided into three parts, this resource first looks at foundational issues for implementing the rite, including underlying theological issues and ministries in initiation. The second section looks at each stage in the rite following a four-step process. The third section examines pastoral issues such as annulments, ecumenical sensitivity, discerning valid baptism, etc.

From his self-described spiritual fence to the source and summit of faith, Steve McCoy-Thompson takes us on a personal journey of conversion that is moving, funny and very practical. RCIA Journey is a joyful, challenging, sometimes painful story of his year as a candidate experiencing the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. Throughout this journey, the Nicene Creed serves as a touchstone to ask and ultimately answer the fundamental questions many of us have when approaching the Catholic faith. With sections like Steves First Letter to the Pasadenians (to his parents) and a fresh perspective on timeless questions of free will, heaven, prayer, miracles and the meaning of the sacraments, RCIA Journey is the perfect book for everyone on the journey to a deeper faith.

This resource aims to recognize and acknowledge that children of varying ages and states of faith formation undergo a variety of paths to Christian initiation. However, using the rite itself as a backbone, this new book will help RCIA coordinators, catechists, and DREs with suggestions on how to adapt the rite for children. The book will document the author's expertise and experience in ushering children through the process and offers readers practical suggestions to help children and families, and at the same time, helps to underscore that the Rite should be their foundation for how they will do this.

This easy-to-use resource provides initiation ministers with the pastoral tools needed to lead dismissal sessions with adults preparing for Baptism. Through reflection and discussion, each dismissal session guide helps to develop the catechumen’s relationship with Christ, self, and neighbor by internalizing the Word, concentrating their prayer around the Scriptures, and becoming familiar with the teachings of the Church. The step-by-step format makes leading the dismissal an easy and prayerful experience. The Living Word™: Leading RCIA Dismissals, Year A includes: - Guides for dismissal sessions for every Sunday and Holyday of Obligation of Year A - Seasonal overviews, Scripture backgrounds, and preparation materials for catechists - Seasonal dismissal texts for the priest celebrant - Complete reflection texts with discussion sparkers on the readings of the day - Centering ideas and closing prayers - Suggestions for additional catechetical topics that are connected to the readings of the day - An appendix with dismissal guides for the Rite of Acceptance, Rite of Sending, Rite of Election, and the three Scrutinies

At last! A hands-on, comprehensive, enjoyable, and affordable guide to everything you want or need to know about the catechumenate process. This is exactly what team-trainers have been looking for: a resource packed with advice, tips, techniques, and tools to help them start or sustain the catechumenate in their parishes. It includes advice for every aspect of the rite: starting a team, running a catechetical session, finding sponsors, heading up the childrens RCIA, and celebrating the rites. This is THE perfect resource for everyone who is responsible for guiding catechumens and candidates on their conversion journeyfrom the pastor to catechists to sponsors and godparents. It will completely transform the way initiation happens in a parish!

We all agree that the community needs to be involved in the RCIA. So we make bulletin and Mass announcements explaining the rites and the RCIA process, hoping the parishioners will “get” their responsibility to initiate these seekers. Then, although catechumens, candidates, sponsors, and team members form a tight-knit community, parishioners still wonder who these people are with their rituals that make the Mass long and most of the newly initiated still disappear from the parish after Easter. Taking to heart what the United States bishops said in their document on adult faith formation—“While the parish may have an adult faith formation program, it is no less true that the parish is an adult faith formation program” —Diana Macalintal argues that we have to stop trying to get the parish involved in the RCIA and start getting the catechumens and candidates involved in the parish. In this book, readers will discover:1. why doing the RCIA in the midst of the community not only forms seekers into disciples but renews the conversion of the entire parish; 2. what parishioners can do to take responsibility for the initiation of adults, without adding another meeting to their lives; 3. how to use the four key areas of parish life and the liturgical year to introduce seekers to Christ and train them in the Christian way of life; 4. the three levels of catechesis and how to use mystagogical reflection on parish life to provide a systematic and complete catechesis appropriate for each level. When you make your parish the RCIA curriculum, you will be shaping not just a group of people but an entire community into lifelong disciples.

Intro -- Titlepage -- Copyright -- Contents -- Introduction -- Chapter 1 The Purpose of Inquiry -- Chapter 2 Adapting Contract Learning for Faith Formation and Conversion -- Chapter 3 The First Question: Where Have You Been? -- Chapter 4 The Second Question: Where Are You Now? -- Chapter 5 The Third Question: Where Do You Want to Get To? -- Chapter 6 The Fourth Question: How Are You Going to Get to Where You Want to Go? -- Chapter 7 The Fifth Question: How Will You Know You Have Arrived? -- Chapter 8 Creating a Faith Formation Plan -- Chapter 9 Implementing the Plan -- Chapter 10 Discernment for Readiness -- Chapter 11 The Ideal Catechist -- Conclusion What Could Happen? -- Appendix 1 A Model Calendar for a Formation Plan for Seekers -- Appendix 2 Goal-Setting Worksheet for Becoming a Disciple -- Appendix 3 Catholic Prayers -- Bibliography

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is an essential element in the life of every parish; when implemented well, the process transforms a parish community while forming new disciples. Q&A on the RCIA: A Guide to Understanding Christian Initiation is an easy-to-use resource that will assist RCIA teams, catechists, liturgists, priests, and deacons as they navigate the initiation process. Pastorally and succinctly, this resource answers many frequently asked questions about the process of Christian initiation and its rites. This book: - provides a quick reference for any member of the RCIA team and parish staff - is divided by the four periods of the catechumenate process for easy reference - contains over 100 of the most frequently asked questions - gives practical guidance and wisdom to help direct initiation ministers