RCIA Catechists: Question About BOW (or ROD) Attendance

[Fidelis]

For those who have their BOW (or ROD, as it is sometimes called) during a Sunday Mass, what requirements for attendance do you have and how do you encourage eligible attendees to show up? We currently have 20+ people who are eligible to attend, but we typically only get two folks showing up. As you can imagine, this is very discouraging for all involved. I know there are people that work or travel on weekends or have baby-sitting problems, but all twenty?

Any advice would be helpful (but please don’t turn this into another “I hated my RCIA” horror-story rant). Thanks!

 

[Pug]

We have a seating area just for them at mass, and I or my counterpart sits there with them, so that we all leave together before the creed. This helps, I think. Plus, the biggie is that after BOW, we have a class. So we are joined at the end of BOW by the candidates, etc.

We keep a single sign-up sheet for both. That is, everyone signs in when they arrive. This creates a certain expectation of coming. But we really use it more to know who was there, who we need to contact to see what’s up, who we need to pass out missed materials to next time.

There is one thing I dislike about our system. We need more time than we get. We would get more time for the class on a Tues night, rather than Sun morning.

Our attendance is pretty good, 80% or more, most days 100%. Oh, we do serve coffee, cake, etc. This is a plus and a minus. The minus is that they come out of mass and rather than get right down to a discussion, they gather at the table of food. But on the plus, they do talk with eachother (form community). Just some thoughts.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

For those who have their BOW (or ROD, as it is sometimes called) during a Sunday Mass, what requirements for attendance do you have and how do you encourage eligible attendees to show up? We currently have 20+ people who are eligible to attend, but we typically only get two folks showing up. As you can imagine, this is very discouraging for all involved. I know there are people that work or travel on weekends or have baby-sitting problems, but all twenty?

Any advice would be helpful (but please don’t turn this into another “I hated my RCIA” horror-story rant). Thanks!

Well first of all you have to make sure that the people leading BOW are good and can keep the interest. It generally lasts until the end of Mass and wraps up as soon as Mass is over. So it’s not a long drawn out thing. Everyone is given the readings for the next Sunday before they leave or at the weekday session so that they can pre-read them.

Every Catechumen (those not Baptized) is required to atttend and a sign-in sheet is used. Everyone, Candidates and Catechumens are instructed to arrive at a specific Mass which alternates each month. They all sit together with the team and their Sponsor, spouse and family sit with them. A section is reserved for them. When the dismissal is done those who are leaving get up and go to the front with the team member who is guiding the BOW that week. Candidates and family remain for the rest of the Mass. It is well known that in order to progress through RCIA a person needs to show that they are beginning to LIVE the Catholic life like attending Sunday Mass AND Holy Day Mass. Same applies to HDO, BOW also takes place during the evening HDO Mass. It is made very clear everyone is expected to be there and sit together. I you cannot make the scheduled Mass you are required to call your Sponsor and attend a different Mass with them.