Category Archives: RCIA

The Only Template?

Posted on 4 March 2022 by catholicsensibility

Father Acker is asking all sort of wrong questions, mainly this one: Is OCIA the only template that one can use to join the Catholic Church? On one hand, the Church has rites and liturgy. The Order of Christian Initiation … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Liturgy, RCIA | 1 Comment

On Acronyms

Posted on 15 November 2019 by catholicsensibility

I recall planning a visit to a midwestern friend in 1983. She was in law school, and I had just quit a dead-end job and had enough money to make a pilgrimage through the spare rooms of family and friends … Continue reading →

Posted in Liturgy, RCIA | Leave a comment

Purification

Posted on 14 March 2019 by catholicsensibility

For the elect preparing for baptism, Lent coincides with their period of Purification and Enlightenment. You can read about the basic considerations here, and don’t forget the Church sees this time of “intense spiritual preparation”  as a vital season in … Continue reading →

Posted in Lent, RCIA, spirituality | Leave a comment

The Armchair Liturgist: Entry Into a Year-Long Catechumenate

Posted on 15 February 2014 by catholicsensibility

My parish’s RCIA director has two people new to the Church entering the catechumenate this weekend. We will celebrate the Rite of Acceptance, always one of my favorite rituals, at 10:30 Mass tomorrow. These folks will be in the catechumenate … Continue reading →

Posted in RCIA, The Armchair Liturgist | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Adapting Catechumenate Rites

Posted on 28 January 2014 by catholicsensibility

A recent comment from Ashwin Acharya got me thinking. His post begs the question: why is a school and not a parish conducting RCIA? He has an intriguing plan for students: (S)everal teenage students will be receiving the Sacraments of … Continue reading →

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Choice of a Baptismal Day

Posted on 19 November 2012 by catholicsensibility

I was noticing up-and-coming blogger, atheist-converted-Catholic Leah Libresco posted on her baptism yesterday. I’m always curious about the choice of a day for adult baptism when it’s off the liturgical year. The Church strongly urges Easter Vigil, of course. It … Continue reading →

Posted in Liturgy, RCIA, The Blogosphere | 1 Comment

Acceptance: The Cycle Begins Again

Posted on 20 May 2012 by catholicsensibility

It was a bonus to come to a parish four years ago that did a year-round catechumenate. What’s that, you ask? Simply that we are focused on evangelization and welcoming twelve months a year. Not just in the Fall. And … Continue reading →

Posted in Liturgy, Parish Life, RCIA | Leave a comment

GDC 88-89: “The baptismal catechumenate: structure and progression”

Posted on 23 December 2011 by catholicsensibility

Nothing really new for those involved in RCIA, or those who followed our analysis of it here on this site. The emphasis of the GDC is on a careful progression for those initiated into the Church: 88. Faith, moved by … Continue reading →

Posted in General Directory for Catechesis, post-conciliar catechetical documents, RCIA | Leave a comment

RCIA Up

Posted on 13 May 2011 by catholicsensibility

The RCIA page at the top of the header is finally done and completely linked. As I was trolling through my old posts, I found two that weren’t properly categorized. So I may have erred somewhere on one of the … Continue reading →

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RCIA Bad and Sad

Posted on 10 February 2011 by catholicsensibility

A tale from the front: A few years ago a colleague of mine had this incident in her parish. She had a baptized Christian in her RCIA group. He was divorced from his wife but had not remarried. The pastor insisted … Continue reading →

Posted in Ministry, RCIA | 2 Comments

RCIA 597: Songs from Ancient Liturgies

Posted on 22 May 2010 by catholicsensibility

This section gives seven “songs” for use in the RCIA. For research on a forthcoming article, I’ve corresponded with a few scholars on these, most notably Msgr Bruce Harbert of ICEL. He noted one was from an inscription at an ancient … Continue reading →

Posted in post-conciliar liturgy documents, RCIA, Rites | 3 Comments

RCIA 596: Hymns in the Style of the New Testament

Posted on 19 May 2010 by catholicsensibility

These two examples are probably mostly ignored by composers. These New Testament hymns are 1 Peter 1:3-5 and a second based on 1 Timothy 3:16. Praised be the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, a God so merciful and kind! … Continue reading →

Posted in post-conciliar liturgy documents, RCIA, Rites | 1 Comment

RCIA 595: Acclamations 5, 8-11

Posted on 16 May 2010 by catholicsensibility

One acclamation from Psalm 34:6 well-suited for acceptance or welcoming: 5. Come to him and receive his light! And Psalm 34 is designated at the Rite of Acceptance for the processional song after the signing of the senses and before … Continue reading →

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RCIA 595: Ephesian Acclamations 4, 6, 7, 12

Posted on 15 May 2010 by catholicsensibility

Four of the acclamations are based on passages from the letter to the Ephesians, a favorite for baptismal and credal theology. 4. There is one God, one Father of all; he is over all, and through all; he lives in … Continue reading →

Posted in post-conciliar liturgy documents, RCIA, Rites | 1 Comment

RCIA 595: Acclamations 1-3

Posted on 14 May 2010 by catholicsensibility

With very little fanfare, RCIA launches into a second appendix of many musical texts, but very little in terms of commentary. Perhaps between you reader and I we can come up with something substantive. RCIA’s Appendix II (the first appendix … Continue reading →

Posted in post-conciliar liturgy documents, RCIA, Rites | Leave a comment