RCIA Team Book. Peter Gagen and Elizabeth Harrington

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1 RCIA Team Book Peter Gagen and Elizabeth Harrington 1

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3 Contents INTRODUCTION 5 BACKGROUND REFLECTIONS 1. What is the RCIA? 9 2. The people for whom this Rite is intended Pastoral principles underlying the RCIA Overview and structure of the Rite Those who minister Involving the parish Pastoral questions 33 PLANNING OUTLINES 1. The first contact and interview Planning for Inquiry Planning for ministry sponsors and catechists Discernment processes 47 At Inquiry Pre-Lent Post Easter 5. Evaluation(s) 57 PASTORAL EXERCISES 1. Refreshing the vision Clarifying commitment levels Prayerful support Retreat reflections 72 GLOSSARY OF RCIA TERMS 76 RCIA RESOURCES 79 3

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5 Introduction It is the night of the Easter Vigil the mother of all liturgies and the parish community gathers. On this night we use a new fire, a new candle and new water to celebrate that we are being born again into a new people. When the newly-baptized climb from the font, smiling and dripping, we greet them with tears and cheers. We applaud again when our candidates are welcomed into full communion and when all have their sacred journey sealed with chrism. Our hearts burn within us when they come to join us at the table of Eucharist for the first time. Through such powerful moments we come to understand who we are as Church and how these journeys of faith help us to become a new people ; that God s love is poured out so generously upon each of our candidates long before they came to us; that we are all called to conversion to an awareness of God s gracious activity in our own lives; that in ministering to our candidates on their journey, we are, in fact, richly ministered to; that they bring many gifts with them for the building up of the local church. The initiation of catechumens is a gradual process that takes place within the community of the faithful. By joining the catechumens in reflecting on the value of the paschal mystery and by renewing their own conversion, the faithful provide an example that will help the catechumens to obey the Holy Spirit more generously. (RCIA 4) And later: The neophytes are, as the term mystagogy suggests, introduced into a fuller and more effective understanding of mysteries through the Gospel message they have learned and above all through their experience of the sacraments they have received. For they have truly been renewed in mind, tasted more deeply the sweetness of God s word, received the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, and grown to know the goodness of the Lord. Out of this experience, which belongs to Christians and increases as it is lived, they derive a new perception of the faith, of the Church, and of the world. (RCIA 235) All of this brings us to the group in the parish who have been given the task of pastoral oversight of this richly endowed activity the Catechumenate Team. It is our hope that this RICA Team Book will help the members of that Team carry out their task; that it will help them and others come to this new perception of the faith, of the Church, and of the world, as they plan for all the moments in the Catechumenate cycle that precede and follow the Great Vigil. They are insights which the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults wisely named and prepared us for: The rite of Christian initiation presented here is designed for adults who, after hearing the mystery of Christ proclaimed, consciously and freely seek the living God and enter the way of faith and conversion as the Holy Spirit opens their hearts. By God s help they will be strengthened spiritually during their preparation and at the proper time will receive the sacraments fruitfully. (RCIA 1) 5

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7 Background Reflections 7

8 TThe rite of initiation is suited to a spiritual journey of adults that varies according to the many forms of God s grace, the free cooperation of the individuals, the action of the Church, and the circumstances of time and place. N Rite of Christian Initiation 5 8

9 1. What is the RCIA? R.C.I.A. is the acronym for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. The RCIA, also called the Catechumenate, is the process by which adult persons are brought into membership of the Roman Catholic Church. Before the reforms of the second Vatican Council, adults were initiated into the Catholic Church after a period of private convert instruction by a priest. Those who had not been previously baptised (and sometimes even those who had been baptised in another Church but whose baptism was considered invalid) were baptised in private, using the same ritual used for infants. They were confirmed and received communion at a usual Sunday Mass with little, if any, special ceremony to mark the significance of the occasion. The revision of the sacrament of baptism was one of the most extensive and intensive undertakings after the Vatican Council. A study text of the new rite for adults was promulgated in 1972 and the approved text for use in Australia was published in The renewed Rite of Baptism for Children was issued in The RCIA can perhaps best be described as a journey of faith which passes through a number of different phases or periods; progression into the next phase of the journey is always marked by the celebration of a liturgical rite. For example, those who are called to enter into the Period of the Catechumenate after the initial Inquiry phase celebrate a public ritual termed the Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens, often called the Rite of Welcoming. A full outline of the structure of the RCIA is described in Chapter 4 of this book. The RCIA places the focus on Jesus in a much more explicit way than earlier rites of initiation. For example, in the final period of Purification and Enlightenment the elect exchange Satan s crushing yoke for the gentle yoke of Jesus (Exorcism, First Scrutiny) and have their spirits filled by Christ the Redeemer (RCIA 130). The prayers for each of the stages repeat phrases about following Christ, knowing Christ and being conformed to Christ. The RCIA also makes clear the connection between initiation and the presence of the Holy Spirit. In the community of the local Church and in the initiation process, the Spirit is central: Pour out the Holy Spirit on these elect who long for your sacraments (Exorcism, Second Scrutiny), The faithful provide an example that will help the catechumens to obey the Holy Spirit more generously. (RCIA 4) The Rite explains that, from the moment someone is received into the catechumenate, he or she becomes part of the Catholic Christian community. It expresses this in warm images of family intimacy: From this time on the Church embraces the catechumens as its own with a mother s love and concern. Joined to the Church, the catechumens are now part of the household of Christ, since the Church nourishes them with the word of God and sustains them by means of liturgical celebrations. The catechumens should be eager, then, to take part in celebrations of the word of God and to receive blessings and other sacramentals. When two catechumens marry or when a catechumen marries an unbaptised person, the appropriate rite is to be used. One who dies during the catechumenate receives a Christian burial. (RCIA 47) It is important to be clear on the purpose of the catechumenate. It is not primarily aimed at making more Catholics to fill up some of the empty seats in our churches. The first paragraph of the RCIA outlines clearly its vision that adults might enter the way of faith and conversion as the Holy Spirit opens their hearts. The chief purpose is conversion of heart and mind to Christ. The Rite emphasises that initiation into the Catholic community does not somehow magically bestow faith on the recipient. It 9

10 acknowledges that God has been at work in the lives of people long before they approached the Church. During the catechumenate period, candidates come to ever deepening faith in Jesus. In baptism they become incorporated into Christ and into the Church. The RCIA calls the candidates to conform to Christ, not to the Church. It also calls us to conversion to a new way of being church. What is our response to the living God? How do we live out our life in Christ? What kind of church are we initiating people into? The RCIA may sometimes appear untidy. This is simply because it involves human lives. The promptings of the Holy Spirit don t fit into our neat categories and parish timetables. We must remember that God is in charge even when the journey does not lead an inquirer to initiation into the Catholic Church. Viewing the RCIA as a program to be followed rigidly may put obstacles in the way. The role of the Team is to remain open to the movement of the Spirit s gracious activity in people s lives and to trust the wisdom of the RCIA process. In summary, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is: A journey of faith. A chance to discover more about who I am as a son or daughter of a gracious and loving God. A time to reflect on what this relationship means to me and what it may ask of me. An opportunity to come to know Jesus Christ. 10

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12 B Be tactful with those who are outsiders, and be sure you make the best use of your time with them. Talk to them agreeably, and with a flavour of wit, and try to fit your answers to the needs of each one. N Colossians 4: 5,6 12

13 2. The people for whom this Rite is intended The opening paragraph of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, with broad strokes, describes those who are the focus of the Rite: The rite of Christian initiation presented here is designed for adults who, after hearing the mystery of Christ proclaimed, consciously and freely seek the living God and enter the way of faith and conversion as the Holy Spirit opens their hearts. (RCIA 1) When we reflect on all the people we have known who consciously and freely sought the living God at some point in their lives, we realise that this is a very broad category of adults, even in today s highly secular culture; it may describe each of us, too, when, in the face of high joy or deep sorrow, we have sought God as the Holy Spirit opened our hearts, and so deepened our faith. It is a common experience, for all its richness. The paragraph goes on to define more specifically who we are dealing with: By God s help they will be strengthened spiritually during their preparation and at the proper time will receive the sacraments fruitfully. (RCIA 1) So, while all of us, at various times, have had our hearts opened by the Holy Spirit, the rite is here concerned with those who are open to, or on the way to, receiving the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist) within the Catholic tradition, in response to the promptings of that same Spirit. They may have come to this position from a wide range of backgrounds: some have been baptised into another Christian tradition, but have had little further contact; others have been closely identified with a Christian tradition for most of their lives and now seek full communion with the Catholic Church; some have been baptised Catholic but remain uncatechised and without Confirmation and Eucharist; some come from a religious tradition that is not Christian; some have no previous religious experience at all. As well as a wide range of backgrounds, these inquirers or searchers come with a variety of motives: some have experienced hospitality or genuine friendship from members of the Catholic Church and want to become more closely involved; some look for ways in which they can be more united as a family and see praying together as a key aspect of that; others have seen this community at prayer (at a wedding, a funeral, a baptism), are impressed and feel drawn to learn more; others have been part of the community for years but have only now decided the time is right to become a Catholic ; others admire the stance a community may have taken on some issues and feel moved to a closer identity with that community. Whatever their background or motive, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults provides the framework for respectfully attending to their inquiries and continuing to minister to them lovingly if their journey leads them towards Christian initiation within the Catholic tradition. Here are some of the more common groupings of persons we can expect to meet in our RCIA ministry. Unbaptised adults These are the persons who are the defining focus for the Rite, with all of Part I (the first half) given to an outline of the initiation process that is to be used in ministering to them. It is important to keep this in mind, particularly as, in this nominally Christian country, the majority of presenting candidates are already baptised. However, as it is no longer the conventional thing to christen infants, this situation may gradually change. So, while the unbaptised adult is not our typical inquirer, the first part of the Rite assumes that he/she is; for the baptised inquirers we always need to make the necessary adjustments. More on this later. 13

14 Of the unbaptised, some will have had no religious upbringing and carry minimal religious knowledge, though they may have experienced significant times of God-awareness in their lives. Others of the unbaptised who come to us will be deeply religious, be familiar with sacred writings (the scriptures or other holy books) and have prayerful habits. While the outline and the rites presented in Part 1 will be the norm we follow with them, it will always be with a respectful sensitivity to their different experiences and needs that we carry out our ministry. Circumstances may even lead the bishop to decide that the candidate may receive baptism without delay in light of the candidate s depth of Christian conversion and a degree of religious maturity. (RCIA 307) Unbaptised children Chapter 1 of Part II of the Rite is addressed to children who have reached catechetical age (seven years of age) and who seek Christian initiation either at the direction of their parents or, with parental permission, on their own initiative. They are capable of a personal faith but are still strongly influenced by their companions and their social surroundings. (RCIA 242) The Rite presumes a wide range of ages and levels of maturity among these children, and stresses the need for a pastoral awareness of the influence (and participation) of their parents and their peer group companions in their formation. (RCIA 243, 244) This formation will vary greatly, as it stays attentive to the conversion of mind and heart that is personal and adapted to their age. (RCIA 243) Baptised adults seeking full communion with the Catholic Church As with the unbaptised, this group encompasses a wide range of people and backgrounds. (a) Those baptised in other Christian traditions (eg Anglican, Uniting, Lutheran) who have had very little contact with that Church since baptism; not catechised, and not reared in an actively christian family, they have had little opportunity for their baptism to bear fruit in a living faith. (b) Those baptised in another Christian tradition who have been raised in a religious environment and well catechized in the christian faith. While it is most important that we respect the baptismal status of these people, it is obvious that our respectful ministry towards them will have very different expressions, as we stay attentive to their different backgrounds. Our ministry to those in category (a) can be guided by what the Rite has in Part II, Chapters 4 and 5. These Chapters note that: their conversion is based on the baptism they have already received, the effects of which they must develop (RCIA 376) catechesis suited to their needs, contact with the community of the faithful and participation in certain liturgical rites are needed in order to strengthen them in the Christian life. (RCIA 377) Much of what is suggested here would be quite inappropriate for those in category (b). What may rather be called for is spiritual direction or pastoral counselling, an introduction to the community and its life of worship and ministry, and a limited catechesis whatever the individual s background or current need calls for. With both groups, we recognize their special status because they are already baptised (RCIA 378) and respect and value the gifts they bring with them. Baptised adult Catholics seeking confirmation and eucharist Part II Chapter 4 begins: The following pastoral guidelines concern adults who were baptised as infants but did not receive further catechetical formation nor, consequently the sacraments of confirmation and eucharist. Their status differs from that of catechumens since by baptism they have already become members of the Church and children of God. Hence their conversion is based on the baptism they have already received, the effects of which they must develop. (RCIA 376) 14

15 These people, baptised Catholic, but never confirmed nor ever receiving Communion, have much in common with those in category (a) above, and would normally share the same process of preparation. They, too, require catechesis suited to their needs plus whatever else is discerned as necessary to rekindle the grace of their baptism. "Roaming Catholics (Catholics returning to the Church) These are people who have received the Sacraments of Initiation baptism, confirmation and eucharist and have been catechised but have, for a time, wandered away from the Church or left it for a particular reason. Now, for a variety of motives, they seek to return to the practice of their faith. While much of what is offered to other candidates will form an appropriate process for these returnees, it is not recommended that they join with the others in that process. Returning is a different process from joining, and has its own needs for healing, reconciliation and re-entry. These needs are better addressed in a separate group altogether. 15

16 3. Pastoral principles underlying the RCIA A right understanding and practice of the RCIA involves our being aware of, and faithful to, its key principles. These principles characterise the Rite throughout its rich expression in our community and in the lives of all those touched by it. 1. Conversion is the heart of the RCIA God s call to us and our response to that call will have different expressions for different people, precisely because we are different and God deals lovingly with that difference. For some, the focus for their conversion is an awareness of the holy mystery in their lives, a sense of the holy or sacred deeply present there. For others it means coming to a stunning awareness of the person and presence of Jesus in their lives like Paul, flattened outside Damascus. For others, again, it is a focus on their deeply felt need to be a part of community to be part of this worshipping, teaching, ministering community to become church in this place. (They will often express this in terms like a need to worship together as a family ). For others it is a response to a call upon their conscience a call to live their life more authentically in the confused complexity of life today. For some it will be a sometimes slow and difficult process of the mind not just of getting the answers, but of coming to a liberation and an integration of the mind. So the track of one s conversion could be: religious - a turning to the holy; Christian - a turning to Jesus as the Christ; ecclesial - a turning to community moral - a turning to values; intellectual - a turning to truth and wisdom. Or one s path to conversion may follow several of these tracks at different times or, indeed, at the same time. One of the tasks of the initiating community is to be aware of the variety of ways in which a loving God can call people to come and see. The Rite puts it this way: The rite of initiation is suited to a spiritual journey of adults that varies according to the many forms of God s grace, the free cooperation of the individuals, the action of the Church, and the circumstances of time and place. (RCIA 5) or again, in the magnificent opening paragraph: The rite of Christian initiation presented here is designed for adults who, after hearing the mystery of Christ proclaimed, consciously and freely seek the living God and enter the way of faith and conversion as the Holy Spirit opens their hearts. (RCIA 1) And, as well as being aware of God s gracious presence at work in the lives of the catechumens and candidates, the Rite requires us to have a constant willingness to undergo conversion in our own lives in all kinds of different ways. The Rite reminds us: By joining the catechumens in reflecting on the value of the paschal mystery and by renewing their own conversion, the faithful provide an example that will help the catechumens to obey the Holy Spirit more generously. (RCIA 4) The more open and attentive we are in our ministry to candidates, the more open we will be to the Spirit at work in us. The better our ministry, the more we are ministered to. 16

17 2. Conversion is known through discernment In the catechumenate this journey of conversion is understood and explained more clearly through the process of discernment. Discernment is a prayerful process that helps us recognize and become more aware of the presence and action of the loving God in our lives. The practice of discernment is thus of vital importance to those who enter the way of faith and conversion as the Holy Spirit opens their hearts. (RCIA 1) All those involved in the catechumenate are asked to practise discernment. While the word itself is not used in the RCIA text, its reality is clearly indicated in several places. Before the Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens (the Rite of Welcoming) we find: Before the rite is celebrated, therefore, sufficient and necessary time, as required in each case, should be set aside to evaluate and, if necessary to purify the candidates motives and dispositions. (RCIA 43) Later, when considering the discernment before the Rite of Election, these words occur: Before the rite of election the bishop, priests, deacons, catechists, god-parents, and the entire community, in accord with their respective responsibilities and in their own way, should, after considering the matter carefully, arrive at a judgment about the catechumens state of formation and progress. (RCIA 108) How this serious reflection is carried out is left for individuals to determine: If circumstances suggest, the group of catechumens may also take part. The deliberation may take various forms, depending on local conditions and pastoral needs. (RCIA 109) As team members (and other ministers) are continually alert to the presence and action of God in the life journeys of the candidates, this practice of attentiveness discernment will more easily be picked up and practised by the candidates themselves. Catechumens and candidates can be encouraged to ask at various stages of this journey such questions as Do I feel God s loving presence in this group? Am I finding it easier to name my experience of God in this place? Do I feel called by God to continue my search in this place, in this community, at this time? Keep in mind that the practice (or the habit) of discernment will not just happen. It needs collaborative action. (How else will they learn to get in touch with their own wisdom and God s hand in it?) It needs an attitude of prayer and it takes time. 3. The setting for RCIA is community In Made, Not Born (1976) Benedictine liturgist Aidan Kavanagh wrote of the RCIA: I would hazard that this document may well appear to a writer a century from now as the most important result of the Second Vatican Council for the life of the Church. I hazard this because of the concrete, robust and disciplined vision it projects of the Church as a community of faith lived in common. To people who grew up with the notion of Church as a place where Father did all the important things, the RCIA proposed a model of Church that was vastly different. Quoting from two Council documents, the Rite says: The people of God, as represented by the local Church, should understand and show by their concern that the initiation of adults is the responsibility of all the baptised. Therefore the community must always be fully prepared in the pursuit of its apostolic vocation to give help to those who are searching for Christ. In the various circumstances of daily life, even as in the apostolate, all the followers of Christ have the obligation of spreading the faith according to their abilities. Hence, the entire community must help the candidates and the catechumens throughout the process of initiation. (RCIA 9) 17

18 This is a far cry from an older practice of simply handing out a book. It tells us that it is a living faith into which we welcome new members, a faith that is lived out, exemplified, and shared around by fellow believers in the midst of life today. What happens in the liturgical rites of the RCIA journey is powerful and important only to the extent that the candidates and catechumens are listened to by others on the journey, have learned to turn more readily to God in prayer as they pray with the community, have walked with catechists and sponsors to come to a profound sense of the mystery of salvation, and have learned how to work actively with others to spread the Gospel and build up the Church. (RCIA 75) The Rite tells us that, far from initiating people into a theory or a catechism, we are initiating them into a community of believers who express their belief in the lives they lead and the liturgy they celebrate together. It is beautifully expressed in the Rite where, speaking of the Rite of Election, and the involvement of the entire community, it goes on: After the election, they should surround the elect with prayer, so that the entire Church will accompany and lead them to encounter Christ (RCIA 108) The Rite goes on to say that the Easter time: Is a time for the community and the neophytes together to grow in deepening their grasp of the paschal mystery and in making it part of their lives through meditation on the Gospel, sharing in the Eucharist, and doing the works of charity. (RCIA 234) 4. RCIA is nourished by catechesis We have seen that Conversion is the heart of the RCIA as well as being the basic dynamism in the life of the Church and that fostering conversion is the task and mission of the entire Community; this task is helped by the process of Discernment. What we now turn to is the notion of Catechesis. Someone has succinctly put it that catechesis is conversion therapy. The Rite puts it this way: The time spent in the catechumenate should be long enough several years if necessary for the conversion and faith of the catechumens to become strong. (RCIA 76). While the Rite goes into considerable detail about the ways in which the candidates are given suitable pastoral formation and guidance (RCIA 75), it is important that all those who have a part in ministering to them (catechists, sponsors, team, pastor, community) keep a clear focus on this conversion. They need to stay mindful of the fact that this is God s work, and that God s gracious activity will be occurring at different times and places in different ways in each candidate s different journey. It is a reminder to stay attentive to these journeys and their transformations and not to become too focussed on timetables and dates, or on progress through texts and programs. Bearing this in mind, it will be helpful for all involved to spend time reflecting on the four dimensions of catechesis spelled out in the Rite: The catechumenate is an extended period during which the candidates are given suitable pastoral formation and guidance, aimed at training them in the Christian life. In this way, the dispositions manifested at their acceptance into the catechumenate are brought to maturity. This is achieved in four ways. (1) A suitable catechesis is provided by priests or deacons, or by catechists and others of the faithful, planned to be gradual and complete in its coverage, accommodated to the liturgical year, and solidly supported by celebrations of the word. This catechesis leads the catechumens not only to an appropriate acquaintance with dogmas and precepts but also to a profound sense of the mystery of salvation in which they desire to participate. Catechesis is one of the constant features of conversion, naming as it does the activities, elements and aspects of conversion as they happen. 18

19 (2) As they become familiar with the Christian way of life and are helped by the example and support of sponsors, godparents, and the entire Christian community, the catechumens learn to turn more readily to God in prayer, to bear witness to the faith, in all things to keep their hopes set on Christ, to follow supernatural inspiration in their deeds, and to practise love of neighbour, even at the cost of self-renunciation. Thus formed, the newly converted set out on a spiritual journey. Already sharing through faith in the mystery of Christ s death and resurrection, they pass from the old to a new nature made perfect in Christ. Since this transition brings with it a progressive change of outlook and conduct, it should become manifest by means of its social consequences and it should develop gradually during the period of the catechumenate. Since the Lord in whom they believe is a sign of contradiction, the newly converted often experience divisions and separations, but they also taste the joy that God gives without measure. (3) The Church, like a mother, helps the catechumens on their journey by means of suitable liturgical rites, which purify the catechumens little by little and strengthen them with God s blessing. Celebrations of the word of God are arranged for their benefit, and at Mass they may also take part with the faithful in the liturgy of the word, thus better preparing themselves for their eventual participation in the liturgy of the eucharist. Ordinarily, however, when they are present in the assembly of the faithful they should be kindly dismissed before the liturgy of the eucharist begins (unless their dismissal would present practical or pastoral problems). For they must await their baptism, which will join them to God s priestly people and empower them to participate in Christ s new worship. In more summary form, a little later the Rite expresses it this way. The instruction that the catechumens receive during this period should be of a kind that while presenting Catholic teaching in its entirety also enlightens faith, directs the heart toward God, fosters participation in the liturgy, inspires apostolic activity, and nurtures a life completely in accord with the spirit of Christ. (RCIA 78) 5. The RCIA is celebrated in ritual In the Rituals richly dispersed throughout the catechumenate cycle, we celebrate the Conversion that is Discerned at this time in our candidates lives, and we do so in the midst of this caring faith Community, a community which has been so carefully attentive to the stories told and the mystery met during Catechesis. The rituals mark what is already happening in the lives of the candidates and bless and strengthen this; as a community, we rejoice in this. As key parts of the Church s worship, these rituals remind us, deeply and powerfully, that a gracious God is among us, working to save us, drawing us ever deeper into the mystery of salvation. (4) Since the Church s life is apostolic, catechumens should also learn how to work actively with others to spread the Gospel and build up the Church by the witness of their lives and by professing their faith. (RCIA 75) 19

20 E Evangelising is, in fact, the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity. She exists in order to evangelise. N Paul VI On Evangelization in the Modern World (14) 20