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The Assocation for Catechumenal Ministry (acmrcia.org) has finally published what I consider to be indispensable materials for the R.C.I.A. process. They are at once affordable, complete, orthodox, dynamic, and visually appealing. In this post, I will cover the four items currently published by A.C.M. through Liturgical Training Publications. If you wish to purchase any of these materials, you will need to go through the L.T.P. website here.

Pictured above is the R.C.I.A. Catechist’s Manual (ISBN: 1-933374-00-4). It includes introductory articles on the R.C.I.A. process. These articles explain the rhyme and reason of R.C.I.A. to the average Joe or Jane, putting the Rites into layman’s terms. Our parish’s assocate pastor is newly ordained and asked me to help him understand the “how” of R.C.I.A., so I purchased him this manual, handed it to him, and asked him to read the articles at the beginning.

The Manual then gives lesson plans for the subjects of the Catholic Faith in two parts. The first part of each lesson plan is a page devoted to catechist preparation, including pertinent Scripture passages, Catechism citations, definitions of Catholic terms, a one-sentence summary of the teaching, and suggested music. The second part is a page with an outline of the essentials of the teaching in bullet point format, including suggested small group questions.

Another gem of the Manual is the collection of appendices in the back. These include suggested curriculums or orders of subjects to be taught, a plethora of excerpts from the Church’s many liturgical sources pertaining to the teaching topics, and a collection of the definitions previously given in each lesson plan. All of this for only $39.95. Unreal.

Pictured above is the R.C.I.A. Participant’s Book (ISBN: 1-933374-01-2). It is not a book as if you purchase one for each candidate. Rather, it is a collection of handouts in both paper form (they come in a box) and in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) form on a compact disc. I have yet to use the paper form. Rather, when I need a handout, I just open the .pdf document on my desktop (I copied the file from the compact disc to my desktop), select what handouts I need, and then print them out. Then, I go to our Xerox machine and copy however many copies I need on whatever color and thickness of paper I desire. Finally, I 3-hole-punch the handouts. Each candidate (and sponsor and team member) is given an empty three-ring binder at the beginning of R.C.I.A. Then, during the R.C.I.A. process, I successively give out the handouts at each session.

The beauty of the financial aspect of the Participant’s Book is that it is a one-time cost of $289.95 with the right to reproduce the handouts as much as you want for as long as you want! So, my R.C.I.A. budget included this for the first year. Ever year afterwards, there is nothing to budget with regard to participant materials other than the binders and anything supplementary I wish to give them (e.g. pamphlets, audio compact discs, etc.)

The handouts are the fruit of thousands of hours of hands-on parish experience and teaching. They are chalk full of citations and references to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Best of all, they are beautiful! Filled with sacred art and professional photography, they are visually appealing.

One wonderful advantage of the Participant’s Book is that I can order the teachings how I want, and I can omit or add topics as I see fit. So, if for instance, I am catechizing baptized Christians who have been fairly catechized in other Christian traditions, I may omit handouts that would be more pertinent to uncatechized catechumens and focus on those Catholic distinctives that serve as roadblocks for them (e.g. Mary, the Papacy, Statues, etc.). Or, if a particular memorial, feast, or solemnity is at hand, I can whip out a handout describing it. There are handouts on Catholic doctrine, peripheral issues such as Catholic disciplines, litanies, Catholic prayers, saints’ lives, and even conversion stories of those who have completed the R.C.I.A. process!

I also use the Participant Book handouts for other adult catechesis such as Infant Baptismal Preparation. For these classes, I use the handouts on forming a Catholic family, sacraments, baptism, and infant baptism. Other ministries in your parish will benefit greatly from the materials included, at no additional cost. This is a catechist’s dream resource.

Pictured above is the R.C.I.A. Leader’s Manual (ISBN: 1-933374-03-9).
(The Leader’s Manual is just being published. When I receive my copy in the mail, I will give an overview of it here)

Pictured above is the R.C.I.A. Overview Chart (ISBN: 1-933374-02-0). If you purchase a copy of the R.C.I.A. Catechist’s Manual, then you will already possess this chart because it is included in the inside front pocket. If you wish to purchase additional charts for your R.C.I.A. team, they are $4 to $6 each (I recommend doing this), depending upon how many copies you purchase.

The Overview Chart is a colorful, handy, fold-out laminated flowchart that puts the fundamental concepts and instructions in the official R.C.I.A. into an easy-to-see visual diagram. No longer do your team members need to shuffle through and try and figure out the rhyme and rhythm of the R.C.I.A. for themselves - this puts everything into place, making it much, much easier to explain the catechumenal process to your team members. Every one of my team members owns a copy of this chart, and I ask them to read through it, to see how the R.C.I.A. fits together.

It is divided height-wise into the various stages of the pre-catechumenate, catechumenate, purification & enlightenment, and neophyte year. The stages are separated by the major rites of the R.C.I.A., or, the gateways, such as the Rite of Acceptance Into the Order of Catechumens and the Rite of Election (to name only two). In each stage, the Church’s responsibilities are laid out according to the candidates’ (1) catechetical, (2) pastoral, and (3) liturgical needs. Finally, it is divided length-wise by the different groups of candidates: (1) the unbaptized, (2) the catechized baptized, and (2) the uncatechized baptized.

Of course, this chart is not a substitute for the actual ritual book itself (i.e., the R.C.I.A.), but it is an excellent visual resource that places everything in perspective and serves as a reminder for what we should be doing when and why.