Tweens and Teens in the RCIA
by Clare Schwantes
by Clare Schwantes
Not so many years ago, it was common practice for babies of Catholic parents to be baptised shortly after birth and to grow up accepting the teachings of the Church as a part of their lives. Yet, the cultural shift which has occurred in recent times has been swift and dramatic. Although the Church’s teaching on baptism has not changed, school-aged children and teenagers are being brought for baptism in unprecedented numbers. Perhaps the medical advances of the last few decades have neutralised the traditional sense of urgency about having a newborn baptised. Perhaps the frenetic pace of modern life means that busy parents are unable to attend pre-baptismal preparation sessions and so put off baptising their child for another day which never seems to arrive. Perhaps a greater number of parents are electing to allow their children to decide for themselves whether they wish to be baptised.
Whatever the reasons, many parishes in the Archdiocese of Brisbane have been requesting support in accompanying teenagers and young adults along the path to Christian Initiation. This is understandable when one considers that adolescents, being neither adults nor children, do not fit neatly into an adult RCIA group, nor can their needs be met in a sacramental preparation session for primary school children. The lack of resources in this area means that volunteer catechists and RCIA teams are unsure of where to begin or how best to engage young people on their journey to full initiation.
What would be the scenario if a 15 year old approached your parish asking to become a Catholic? Would s/he be invited to attend the adult RCIA group already operating? Would s/he be incorporated into the sacramental preparation classes being held for children? Would s/he be placed in the care of a catechist who would cover basic concepts and answer questions along the way to initiation? Would s/he be assisted to integrate into the parish community through involvement in social justice groups? Would s/he be connected with another young person in the parish who could act as a friend or mentor throughout the initiation process? Would s/he be referred to a neighbouring parish which could better accommodate a teenager in the RCIA process? Would s/he be introduced the campus minister at a nearby Catholic secondary school and invited to join in faith formation sessions running through the school?
What would be the scenario if a 15 year old approached your parish asking to become a Catholic? Would s/he be invited to attend the adult RCIA group already operating? Would s/he be incorporated into the sacramental preparation classes being held for children? Would s/he be placed in the care of a catechist who would cover basic concepts and answer questions along the way to initiation? Would s/he be assisted to integrate into the parish community through involvement in social justice groups? Would s/he be connected with another young person in the parish who could act as a friend or mentor throughout the initiation process? Would s/he be referred to a neighbouring parish which could better accommodate a teenager in the RCIA process? Would s/he be introduced the campus minister at a nearby Catholic secondary school and invited to join in faith formation sessions running through the school?
The Diocese of Sale has published an extensive resource, Walk With Me, to assist those accompanying secondary school students on the journey towards full initiation in the Catholic Church. Each of the 27 catechetical sessions includes a detailed outline, prayer and blessing rituals, links to contemporary online resources, and a variety of age-appropriate activity ideas. Based on the assumption of a secondary school context, two alternative timelines for the journey to full initiation are proposed:
1. The Liturgical Year Model is based around an Easter Vigil celebration of the sacraments. It takes place across two calendar years beginning with the inquiry period in Term One or Two of the first year, and regular gatherings starting in Term Three. After the Christmas holidays, the Rite of Election at the beginning of Lent leads to the celebration of the sacraments at the Easter Vigil.
2. The Scholastic Year Model limits the inquiry period to Term One with regular gathering sessions beginning in Term Two. The sacraments of initiation are celebrated at the end of Term Three, with Term Four being reserved for the period of mystagogia.
Walk With Me acknowledges that the family is the place where God's love is first experienced, but proposes that the school community is often the place where a young person’s faith is awakened: The Catholic school is a fertile ground for young people to encounter the person and message of Jesus Christ, through prayer and worship, social justice initiatives, religious education and pastoral care.
1. The Liturgical Year Model is based around an Easter Vigil celebration of the sacraments. It takes place across two calendar years beginning with the inquiry period in Term One or Two of the first year, and regular gatherings starting in Term Three. After the Christmas holidays, the Rite of Election at the beginning of Lent leads to the celebration of the sacraments at the Easter Vigil.
2. The Scholastic Year Model limits the inquiry period to Term One with regular gathering sessions beginning in Term Two. The sacraments of initiation are celebrated at the end of Term Three, with Term Four being reserved for the period of mystagogia.
Walk With Me acknowledges that the family is the place where God's love is first experienced, but proposes that the school community is often the place where a young person’s faith is awakened: The Catholic school is a fertile ground for young people to encounter the person and message of Jesus Christ, through prayer and worship, social justice initiatives, religious education and pastoral care.
However, the school context has its limitations. For example, a Year 12 student would be unlikely to continue attending sessions after graduation to prepare for an Easter Vigil baptism the following year. Clearly there must be room for pastoral flexibility and stronger connections with the candidate’s parish, even where the catechesis is taking place in a school context. Indeed, many inquirers who approach parishes in Brisbane are not attending Catholic schools. In these cases, access to religious education teachers, connection to a Catholic school community and the support of a peer group cannot be guaranteed. The need for a parish-based model to support catechists in accompanying young people on the journey to initiation is irrefutable.
In response to this need, the Archdiocesan Catechumenate Committee in Brisbane established a subcommittee in 2016 to focus specifically on the RCIA for Teens and Young People. A preliminary survey of the existing resources revealed a clear gap in materials available for catechists working with young people in the 9 - 16 year old age bracket. Consequently, the aim was to develop a resource for catechists which would propose a flexible process for presenting key themes, offer contemporary, age-appropriate stimulus materials, pose discussion questions and suggest ways to integrate young people between the ages of 9 and 16 into the life of the parish community.
Now available, CrossroadsRCIA has been designed to provide support to parishes and communities in journeying with young people who wish to explore and develop their faith with a view to receiving the Sacraments of Initiation.
This resource, however, is designed specifically for young people across two age groups: 9 to 12 years and 13 to 16 years, and adapts the principles of the RCIA to be age-appropriate for young people. (See RCIA 242–249).
The sessions contained in this resource will invite young people to enter into this journey of conversion and faith by developing a relationship with Christ, as the Spirit opens their minds and hearts.
In response to this need, the Archdiocesan Catechumenate Committee in Brisbane established a subcommittee in 2016 to focus specifically on the RCIA for Teens and Young People. A preliminary survey of the existing resources revealed a clear gap in materials available for catechists working with young people in the 9 - 16 year old age bracket. Consequently, the aim was to develop a resource for catechists which would propose a flexible process for presenting key themes, offer contemporary, age-appropriate stimulus materials, pose discussion questions and suggest ways to integrate young people between the ages of 9 and 16 into the life of the parish community.
Now available, CrossroadsRCIA has been designed to provide support to parishes and communities in journeying with young people who wish to explore and develop their faith with a view to receiving the Sacraments of Initiation.
This resource, however, is designed specifically for young people across two age groups: 9 to 12 years and 13 to 16 years, and adapts the principles of the RCIA to be age-appropriate for young people. (See RCIA 242–249).
The sessions contained in this resource will invite young people to enter into this journey of conversion and faith by developing a relationship with Christ, as the Spirit opens their minds and hearts.
Of course, any resource will only be useful insofar as it meets the needs of particular catechumens. Some learn experientially and will be inspired through connections with social justice groups in parishes or schools, while others will be hungry for knowledge and information. Some will be inspired by the testimonies of others and will thrive in a group setting, while others will prefer to read and ponder in solitude before engaging in one-on-one discussion with a trusted person. Undeniably, the key resource in any RCIA process is the faithful witness of the catechists themselves as they explore the riches of the Church’s teaching with young people; the development of good relationship and deep rapport is fundamental to ensuring the success of any resource.
Above all, the RCIA process must be understood as an apprenticeship in adopting a Christian way of life, rather than a course of study or a series of liturgical rites. Particularly where school aged catechumens are involved, catechists cannot allow the RCIA process to resemble another classroom style activity which revolves around the comprehensive coverage of predefined catechetical topics. The need to set up a prayerful environment that looks and feels very different to a classroom is imperative. Similarly, while a celebration of the liturgical rites is a pivotal and essential part of the initiation process, this is not the primary aim. Rather, the focus should be on the formation of people who are committed to living as disciples of Christ for the rest of their lives and to carrying out the mission of the Church in the world. This is, after all, the ultimate hope of the journey to Christian initiation and beyond.
Above all, the RCIA process must be understood as an apprenticeship in adopting a Christian way of life, rather than a course of study or a series of liturgical rites. Particularly where school aged catechumens are involved, catechists cannot allow the RCIA process to resemble another classroom style activity which revolves around the comprehensive coverage of predefined catechetical topics. The need to set up a prayerful environment that looks and feels very different to a classroom is imperative. Similarly, while a celebration of the liturgical rites is a pivotal and essential part of the initiation process, this is not the primary aim. Rather, the focus should be on the formation of people who are committed to living as disciples of Christ for the rest of their lives and to carrying out the mission of the Church in the world. This is, after all, the ultimate hope of the journey to Christian initiation and beyond.
Text by Clare Schwantes - Editor, Liturgy Brisbane
Images from Unsplash and Pixabay. Used under license/ with permission.
Images from Unsplash and Pixabay. Used under license/ with permission.