RCIA

The RCIA process (the rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) is “designed for adults who, after hearing the mystery of Christ proclaimed, consciously and freely seek the living God and enter the way of faith and conversion as the Holy Spirit opens their hearts. By God’s help they will be strengthened spiritually during their preparation and at the proper time will receive the Sacraments fruitfully”

(Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, study edition – also known as the Rites Book).

The RCIA process is divided into four periods:

1.  Pre-Catechumate/Evangelization

2.  Catechumenate

3.  Purification and Enlightenment

4.  Mystagogy

Neophyte Year

RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) Resources

The Diocese of La Crosse RCIA Catechist Manual

The Diocese of La Crosse offers the RCIA Catechist Manual to all involved in the process of the adult catechumenate. Based on the ACM model of the Catechumenate—which emphasizes the pastoral, liturgical, and catechetical aspects—the manual offers 41 teachings for a nine-month formation process, beginning with the pre-catechumenate through the period of mystagogy following Easter. Each of the 41 lessons contains three parts: tools for Catechist Preparation, the teachings for the Catechetical Session, and a Participant Handout. Based on the holy Scriptures and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, each lesson begins with prayer (hymn and Scripture readings), is followed by an explanation of the topic at hand, asks pertinent questions about how the teaching relates to the Christian life, and concludes with prayer. These sessions are not meant to be a lecture-style, classroom teaching. Rather, they allow for a process of conversion that invites questions from the participants, and provides questions for small group discussion in order to answer the participants’ particular questions. $10.00.

ACM/RCIA Leaders Manual

This book’s all-embracing contents include, for example, how to facilitate an evangelizing and welcoming mentality in the parish, how to recruit and train RCIA teams and sponsors, discerning the signs and stages of conversion, handling annulments and issues of baptismal validity, etc. Practical appendices contain an immense variety of useful forms, sample letters, and sample retreat formats, all copyable from the enclosed CD. The book also contains the entire set of full-color handouts used in ACM’s popular seminars.

ACM/RCIA Catechists Manual 

This newly-revised, spiral-bound book is designed to be a practical help to catechists by offering a structured yet highly-flexible way of preparing for and presenting the catechetical portion of Christian initiation sessions. Together with the companion Participant’s Book, this best-selling resource allows catechists to prepare thoroughly for each meeting, and to present the faith both systematically and organically. This Manual provides users with 60 session plans, with full Scripture and Catechism references, definitions of key terms participants need to know, suggestions for music and prayers, discussion questions to use at each session, and helpful supporting appendices.

ACM/RCIA Participants Manual 

The 2nd edition of this acclaimed resource still features the content-rich, beautifully illustrated, and endlessly copyable collection of 380 handouts, but is now packaged even more affordably in a convenient and compact CD format, with all navigation tools, tables of contents, and indexes now bound together in a small saddle-stitched booklet. Browse this astounding collection of handouts on doctrine, lives of the saints, conversion testimonies, liturgical year pieces, prayers, psalms, and other topics, at home or anywhere a computer is accessible without the hassle and bulk of carrying around all the printed copies.

AMC/RCIA Godparent and Sponsor Handbook 

This inexpensive and succinct booklet provides a straightforward and practical aide to those serving as sponsors or godparents in the Christian initiation process. It is pragmatic, spiritual, down-to-earth, and easy to read. A unique feature of this fullcolor booklet is a home retreat for godparents and sponsors based on encountering Scripture through a highly-accessible form of Lectio Divina. This new resource enables parish RCIA leaders to provide a high-quality means of effectively communicating the Church’s intentions for this crucial ministry of companionship and conversion in the catechumenate.
 

(General Directory for Catechesis, 90)