The period of the catechumenate immerses the catechumens in the gospel Word that leads to faith and Christian life. As we have seen, celebrations of the Word of God—in addition to ongoing catechetical instruction—feed and structure that immersion, along with various ritual acts that apply the Word to the lives of the catechumens. These include: […]
As I mentioned last week, the Catechumenate stage in the RCIA is filled with a number of minor rites in addition to the Celebrations of the Word of God. The rites include: Minor Exorcisms; Blessings of the Catechumens; and Anointings of the Catechumens. They all flow from and lead back to the service of the […]
The Catechumenate stage in the RCIA is filled with a number of minor rites, minor in comparison to the major rites by which catechumens move from one stage to the next, such as the Rite of Election. These minor rites include: Celebrations of the Word of God; Minor Exorcisms; Blessings of the Catechumens; and Anointings […]
Over the last several weeks we have explored in detail the Rite of Welcome/Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens. Once the inquirers cross this ritual threshold they enter into a new status in the church. They are now officially catechumens, intentionally committed to exploring the faith of the church and life within the […]
In last week’s video excerpt Rev. Dr. Dien Ashley Taylor spoke about the anointing of the senses in the Rite of Acceptance as practiced at Redeemer Lutheran Church in The Bronx. In this excerpt from the same conference conversation, Pastor Taylor discusses other aspects of the Rite of Acceptance: The use of a recurring musical […]
As I mentioned last week, the most significant aspects of the welcome rite are the presentation and dialogue with the candidates, the signing with the cross and of the senses, the presentation of a Bible, and the prayer and blessing of the candidates. We’ll take up the signing along with a brief video discussion of […]
A Ritual Journey: Welcome of Inquirers to the CatechumenateIn the process of faith formation the stage of Inquiry leads into the stage of the Catechumenate (this term can be used to denote both the entire process of faith formation and more narrowly the second stage of the process). We’ll explore the stage of the Catechumenate […]
As I indicated last week faith formation is structured on two paths: the Ritual path and the Catechetical path. The catechetical path is less structured than the ritual path since it is dependent upon the degree of faith formation of each individual catechumen. The ritual path is more structured since rites punctuate ones process through […]
This week I am beginning an ongoing exploration of the rites of faith formation. In order to explore the rites that can be used as a central experience of faith formation, I need to outline the structural process of the catechumenate. So, for those for whom this may be an elementary review, my apologies. As […]