Sacraments of Initiation
Part 3 The Rite for Adults and Children
Chapter i32 The Period of Evangelization
Preliminary QuestionsBibliographyPre-catechumenate |
The Rite of Acceptance Into The Order Of Catechumens |
Dismissal of the CatechumensTo Think About |
Preliminary Questions
Bibliography
Encyclical on Evangelization
Pre-catechumenate
1. Period of Evangelization "This is a time, of no fixed duration or structure, for inquiry and introduction to Gospel values, an opportunity for the beginnings of faith." p 48.
Vocabulary: sympathizer, precatechumenate, initiation, inquirers, sponsors, evangelization.
Evangelization: the activity of the Church whereby a first proclamation of the Gospel is made to those persons inquiring about the faith.
Purpose: Awareness of basic meaning of Christianity
- (sympathizers)
- No rites (blessings)
- Inquiry Classes:
- Time Frame
- Time Frame — Some parishes have a year round inquiry class. People can drop in for adult education, etc. Then in the fall of the year (everything in the United States seems to be based on the School Year) some of the members of the inquiry class decide, with the help of the catechist, to enter the Order of Catechumens. This happens either mid November or at the beginning of Advent.
- Pre-catechumens are not members of the Church. [Catechumens are.]
The Rite of Acceptance Into The Order Of Catechumens
"This is the liturgical rite, usually celebrated on some annual date or dates, marking the beginning of the catechumenate proper, as the candidates express and the Church accepts their intention to respond to God’s call to follow the way of Christ." p. 48.
1. Gathering (Receiving the Canidates)
Greeting, come forward, Name, questions
Question: First acceptance of the gospel
Affirmation by the Sponsors and the assembly
Signing of the candidates with the cross
giving of cross
Opening Prayer (concluding Prayer-Concludes the Gathering rites)
2. Story Telling
invitiaon
readings
homily
presentation of a bible
Intercessions for the Catechumens
invitation
intentions--prayer
presider's prayer--prayer over the catechumens
dismissal of the Catechumens [TO a reflection on the word.]
3. Meal Sharing
4. Commissioning
Dismissal of the Catechumens
(at [Sunday] Eucharist) — This is a special case. We have grown in our understanding through our pastoral practice.
Stage one: It’ll never work. Everybody comes to Mass: friends, visitors, etc. But let’s put in the Rite because of the tradition.
Stage two: Some (USA) try it. It works great! Other activities are planned for the catechumens, usually reflection on the Liturgy of the Word. This is more "reasonable"; why come to the table when you can’t eat? Americans are always very practical! It also gives continual visible expression to the catechumenate throughout the year. And puts a real responsibility on the people who remain for the Eucharist. Why Are I different from them?
Stage three: What does the fact that the catechumens leave say about the meaning of the Eucharistic Prayer? Lex orandi. Should people who are not invited to eat be invited to the table for the meal prayer?
Stage four: Rethinking of others (other than catechumens) who are there but cannot eat: infants, ecumenical marriages, divorced and remarried, priests who are resigned active ministry, etc.
Inactive Catholics
USCC lists 6 major types of Catholic dropouts:
- Catholics married to non-Catholics and go to the Church of their spouse. [Marriage is both the biggest source of people entering full communion and leaving the Roman communion.]
- Catholics who found the Church boring.
- Catholics who experienced tension in their parental families and rebel against both family and Church.
- Catholics with a lifestyle in conflict with the Church’s moral teaching.
- Catholics who find their spiritual needs are not met by the Catholic Church.
- Catholics who find there are too many changes in the Church and Catholics who find there are too few changes in the Church.
- The six above are the principle reasons for leaving. Other reasons: ineffective preaching, moving to a new town; personal or family quarrel; deterioration of family life; impersonal nature of a large parish; anger with God because of a tragedy in the family; impact of consumer society.
40% of the 15,000,000 inactive Catholics in the United States today (1985) are seriously thinking about returning to the practice of the faith. That equals 6,000,000 inactive Catholics waiting for the invitation and the help to come back home! (Rev. Alvin Illig, director, Paulist National Catholic Evangelization Association, 3031 Fourth Street, N.E. Washington, DC 20017. Phone 202-832-5022. Quoted from Fr. Illig’s Christmas letter of 1985.)
To Think About
© Copyright: Tom Richstatter, Franciscan Province of St. John the Baptist, Cincinnati Ohio, Order of Friars Minor. All Rights Reserved. This page was created by Fr. Thomas Richstatter, O.F.M. Every effort has been, and is being made, to acknowledge sources when the ideas are not my own. Any failure to comply with the United States Copyright Act (Title 17, United States Code) will be corrected immediately should I become aware of it. This site was updated on 08/26/07 . Your comments on this site are welcome at webmaster2@tomrichstatter.org.