One of the greatest gifts that the Second Vatican Council gave to the Church was the restoration of the Catechumenate—the ancient rite by which people are fully initiated in the Catholic Church and receive the sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation at the Easter Vigil. We also call this the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)
The restored Catechumenate provides that these persons are nurtured along by the entire community, the people of the parish where this is happening. This can takes months or years, depending on where each person is in the process of becoming Catholic. But how many people in the pews each Sunday really understand the Rite? How many know that we all have a part in the Rite, that we all have a role to play in the formation of candidates and catechumens before and after they are initiated?
That's why I am letting you know about the Archdiocesan RCIA Forum, which takes place on Saturday, Nov. 12, at Keating Hall on the Fordham University Rose Hill campus in the Bronx. The Forum is sponsored by the Archdiocesan Catechetical Office, the Archdiocesan Office of Liturgy, Fordham University Graduate School of Religion and Religious Studies, and Liturgical Training Publication. It's a great opportunity to learn about or refresh your memory on the RCIA
Father Ronald Lewinski, co-director of the Department of Parish Vitality and Mission for the Archdiocese of Chicago, will give the keynote. He will talk about Pope Francis and the pope's vision of what it means to be a Catholic Christian, to belong to a Church that takes its missionary vocation very seriously. How does this affect our preparation of catechumens and candidates for Christian initiation? What are the implications for the parish as a whole?
Four workshops on specific aspects of the Rite will follow the keynote. It will be a great learning experience for all, not just those in the parish who coordinate the Rite
I hope you will come, learn and be inspired. The price of $30 per person includes morning hospitality and lunch. Just visit the Catechetical Office website, www.nyfaithformation.org, to register