Mystagogy Group help?

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opdsgt

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I’m interested in starting a Mystagogy Group at my local parish. Does anyone have any first hand experience in this? Can you point me to a reference guide, course materials, other helpful instruction?

Apparently, my parish used to offer Mystagogy studies during the 50 day period between Easter and the Pentecost, but participation was horrid and it eventually vanished.

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TIA,

Jeff
 
I think that may have been because no one in the world knows what that is !!! …

What is it ??? :confused:
 
When DH went through RCIA 2 years ago, the Mystagogy group kept meeting for another full year. They went through some of the Beginning Apologetics series books. 👍
 
wcknight said:
I think that may have been because no one in the world knows what that is !!! …

What is it ??? :confused:
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If I am not mistaken, “mystagogy” referes to preparation to receive a sacrament, any sacrament. But I think it implies more than that. It is one of those words that seems to be poorly understood, especially by many who use it. (The OP did seem to use it properly, based on my understanding of the definition.)

I think the idea of a mystagogy group is great! It should be a permanent fixture where people can move through it like kids through grades in school, sort of. But we should probably call it something else; something more people will understand 🙂
 
Mystagogia is Stage Four of the RCIA process.

It’s not for just anybody; it’s for people who have received the Initiation Sacraments at the Easter Vigil (Baptism, Confirmation, and First Holy Communion.)

Former Protestants who were received into the Church through Profession of Faith, Confirmation, and First Holy Communion may attend as guests, but shouldn’t speak very much in the meetings; they should give first place to the newly baptized.

It is an opportunity for the newly baptized to “break open the mysteries” and to be helped to find their place in the Church.

A good Mystagogia course is put out by Liguouri Press, in their RCIA Pamphlet series. I’m sure there are others, as well, but that’s the one that I’m most familiar with.

People who’ve been Catholic all their lives don’t need Mystagogia. An adult Catechism class or a Bible study would probably be more appropriate, in their case.
 
opdsgt said:
Apparently, my parish used to offer Mystagogy studies during the 50 day period between Easter and the Pentecost, but participation was horrid and it eventually vanished.

Jeff
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Hmmmm…I just checked my RCIA schedule. After the catecumans (and us few candidates) go through the Triduum, we are not scheduled for 8 April (Easter Sunday) or 15 April (Divine Mercy Sunday).

Mystagogy starts 22 April and continues for every Sunday until 27 May (Pentacost), except 13 May, which is Mother’s Day. Times listed are 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM. I would think this includes the 11:00 AM Mass.

On Pentacost, we are supposed to bring a dish to share, and celebrate in the Parish Hall.

And that seems to be that

@@@@

As for the horrid attendance rate, I cannot speak for the catecumans. Nor for most of the candidates. But I am wondering how many of the candidates have been as frustrated as me in being forced to go through the RCIA with the catecumans instead of a seperate program with confirmation outside Easter. In my case, perhaps last October.

Once Confirmation is over, it may be that they see no real NEED to go on for another 7 weeks of tedium.
 
Our Mystagogy Groups begin after Easter Vigil and continue for one full year as a way to help the Neophyte become more grounded in their Faith.

As a suggestion, may I point you to the Association for Catechumenal Ministry (ACM.org) as a place to get great material on how to run a Mystagogy course. Good luck and may God bless your efforts!
 
jmcrae said:
People who’ve been Catholic all their lives don’t need Mystagogia. An adult Catechism class or a Bible study would probably be more appropriate, in their case.
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What about someone who is doing alot more than the bare bones approach to RCIA? For instance, I’m reading the bible (just about done with the NT and ready to begin the OT), books on apologetics, the Church Fathers, the Compendium cover to cover (and now about 100 pages into the Catechism), etc.

Should I move forward to a bible study or adult Catechism class instead of Mystagogy?
 
LSK said:
Our Mystagogy Groups begin after Easter Vigil and continue for one full year as a way to help the Neophyte become more grounded in their Faith.

As a suggestion, may I point you to the Association for Catechumenal Ministry (ACM.org) as a place to get great material on how to run a Mystagogy course. Good luck and may God bless your efforts!
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I think this is the link you may have wanted to reference.

acmrcia.org/
 
opdsgt said:
Tedium? I could only pray for another seven weeks of instruction. :whacky:
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Be grateful your RCIA is indeed giving you instruction. Mine isn’t, to me. It may be helping the catecumans, of course. But all I have had in RCIA, be it scriptures or catechism, boils down to “I know that already”. It can get tedious. 😦

Now, I do have my Adult Ed/RCIA class at catechismclass.com 👍

Here I do learn a few new things, but most of it is reinforcement of what I already know. Five days a week, 50 weeks a year. I learn and relearn at my own pace…fast. 😃

Apologies for sounding like an obnoxious know-it-all. :rolleyes:
 
opdsgt said:
What about someone who is doing alot more than the bare bones approach to RCIA? For instance, I’m reading the bible (just about done with the NT and ready to begin the OT), books on apologetics, the Church Fathers, the Compendium cover to cover (and now about 100 pages into the Catechism), etc.

Should I move forward to a bible study or adult Catechism class instead of Mystagogy?
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If you are just completing RCIA, I would tell you to do both, since even though you have it all in your head, you will still have some practical questions - which Confession ritual(s) do we do in our Diocese and how does the Act of Contrition go, again; what prayers do we need to have memorized for the Adoration; do we need them in Latin, or in English, or both - stuff like that, that they won’t normally talk about in Bible study or adult Catechism (and they won’t want to spend a lot of time helping you memorize your prayers, etc.) - but you still need something to challenge your mind, as well, which is why I would say to do both, so that you can get both the intellectual and the practical stuff.
 
rpp said:
Well, it is a relief I don’t know everything! 😛
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Just wait 'til you’ve been Catholic a while - you’ll know even less! 😉

Seriously, the Church is absolutely huge - much larger than I had ever suspected, before I got Confirmed.

I think it really came home to me when they brought in a priest from Spain to be my Spiritual Director on a retreat I made one time. Am I so special? Is he? Not at all - this is nothing, for the Church -things that seem impossible to me are so easy for the Church, just because it’s so huge.
 
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