This page on Christian initiation is offered in each issue of The Sower as an on-going way to address specific questions that do not necessarily get addressed in more general articles and training resources. The questions all come straight from the field, and have two sources: 1) from readers like you; 2) from issues raised during seminars conducted by the Association for Catechumenal Ministry (ACM) over the past ten years in various dioceses.
The following questions are addressed in this issue.
Q A sponsor has proven to be problematic during RCIA sessions. In her small group the sponsor tries to smooth over or minimize issues and situations having to do with the Church that seem to present difficulties for her candidate. You learn that outside the sessions this sponsor tries to put her own ‘spin’ on some of the points taught by the RCIA catechist. Her candidate rarely asks questions during small group and never during the general teaching. What can the sponsor coordinator or RCIA leader do about this?
Q. To whom is the term ‘convert’ appropriately applied?
Q. Who may read the Gospel in a Celebration of the Word during a catechetical session?
Q A pastor of a 90-family rural parish wants to implement the RCIA process, but he is the only one with any theological or catechetical training in the parish, and he can’t afford a DRE or an RCIA director. What is the Church asking of him?
This article is from The Sower and may be copied for catechetical purposes only. It may not be reprinted in another published work without the permission of Maryvale Institute. Contact [email protected]