Mystagogy

  • Thread starter Thread starter StacyB04
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
S

StacyB04

Guest
In preperation for the upcoming RCIA calendar year, I am desperately looking for a way to encourage our RCIA class to continue coming to class after the Easter Vigil. I am lucky to be a part of a smart, devoted, fun team of people that is looking for a genuine way to study the mysteries or offer something to get them to come back after Easter. We thought maybe we could have a “resource” time with different parish committees coming to our class and discuss thier role in the parish, but that doesn’t really have anything to do with studying the mysteries. Any ideas?
 
I can only say it would be great to continue active involvement with those who have gone through the RCIA process. I’ve heard converts speak of the sense of just being ‘dumped’ after their reception into the Church. My husband was one of those.
 
Instead of doing only RCIA classes afterwards, why not have little RCIA “class field trips”?

If your parish has benediction or Adoration, go to that once a week or once a month as a group, and discuss the experience before or afterwards. If there is a parish rosary, or a legion of mary, or something like that, why not join in on one of their meetings?

Depending on where you are located, maybe there is a national shrine, or a very special relic nearby. Maybe take a pilgrimage to that, and discuss the experience and the important of it to the Church.

Maybe a pilgrimage to the Cathedral, a nearby monastery or convent, a day of volunteer work at the parish soup kitchen…

The specifics depend on where you are, but there are so many great oppurtunities to get involved in a deeply Catholic lifetyle outside of mass. And the good thing is recent converts may have more zeal for such events than complacent cradle catholics. Neophytes would be spirritually enriched, and they would pass on that enrichment and those blessings to the entire parish family they join. What a beautiful thing: new Catholics taking on the fullness of the faith and bringing bountiful blessings to the parish that they reinvigorate with their presence.

Good Luck! 👍
 
I visit the RCIA group after Mass once in a while. And have done this consistently for at least 2 1/2 years. What I’ve been doing is an extensive study on Catholicism and Eastern Christianity.
 
We have never had any problem at all getting people to continue to come after Easter; to begin with, we simply tell them that the program runs from day One through Pentacost. In addition, we have always had people in our classes who are eager to learn, and believe me, they haven’t learned it all by Easter! They know that; and Mystagogia is just a natural part to them.

The bigger problem is how to address their desire that it not stop there.
 
otjm said:
We have never had any problem at all getting people to continue to come after Easter; to begin with, we simply tell them that the program runs from day One through Pentacost. In addition, we have always had people in our classes who are eager to learn, and believe me, they haven’t learned it all by Easter! They know that; and Mystagogia is just a natural part to them.

The bigger problem is how to address their desire that it not stop there.
Click to expand...
That has been our experience when the group is upwards of a dozen people. Somehow when they are much smaller that sense of staying together does not seem as strong, but some still show. The Sunday after the Vigil we show video of the Vigil Mass, then follow on for some weeks with more classes and finally a session on various ways to participate in the parish, followed by a sending forth ceremony and party at Pentecost.
 
This last year (2008 group) we had four join/baptized in the Church, and one who decided he wasnt ready. All 5 continued on right up to Pentacost.

I think part of it may be how the timeline is presented; we present it in a fashion that is it simply expected that all will continue, as all are part of a proicess; that process does not end on Holy Saturday night.

People will generally and usually follow the expectations you set for them. With us, it simply is not a question that we will continue on after Easter.

It is up to the leadership to set the expectations, and to give the direction.

We have a brunch for them on Pentacost, as the final official act of RCIA.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top