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About the National Gathering on Christian Initiation®

The National Gathering on Christian Initiation® is an annual conference for parish Christian initiation ministers and diocesan catechetical, liturgical, and evangelization leaders.

Steeped in the vision of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, the National Gathering on Christian Initiation® seeks to promote the vision of the Church as constantly evangelizing, catechizing, and initiating disciples. Liturgy, evangelization, and catechesis are the foundational elements of the gathering. Throughout the conference, participants will explore the theoretical and practical aspects of initiation ministry, learn from interactive multimedia presentations, engage in prayerful reflection on the liturgies of the RCIA, and share their knowledge and experience with initiation ministers from around the country.

 

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History & Vision

When the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults was promulgated, it was received in this country and others with great enthusiasm as a vision for the Church as one that would constantly evangelize, catechize, initiate, and make disciples. In the years following the initial promulgation, a great deal of energy went into training people for the ministry of initiation. Universities, seminaries, and ministry formation programs educated a generation of leaders on the importance of Christian initiation. Dioceses and national organizations offered practical training, and many publishers provided printed and video materials to support those who taught and worked in initiation ministry. Liturgy Training Publications was especially active in providing these materials.

In commemoration of our fiftieth anniversary in 2013, Liturgy Training Publications committed to explore ways to recover our roots in training and formation. As we began to develop and implement both in-person and virtual distance learning workshops, it quickly became clear that Christian initiation would be an important area of focus. The National Gathering on Christian Initiation® was a natural outgrowth of this commitment. It is the result of two smaller gatherings over the summers of 2015 and 2016 that brought together experienced ministers of initiation, both catechetical and liturgical.

In the first gathering, in 2015, participants engaged in conversation and selected speakers to examine the elements of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, paragraph 75, which describes the elements of training in the Christian life, including catechesis that is “gradual and complete in its coverage, accommodated to the liturgical year, . . . leads . . . to an appropriate acquaintance with dogmas and precepts but also to a profound sense of the mystery of salvation.” Participants in that gathering expressed a desire for a larger event that would provide training and support for ministers and leaders.

The second gathering, in 2016, focused directly on the content of the first National Gathering on Christian Initiation®: Disciples Making Disciples (2017). Beginning with the goals set forth at the 2015 discussion, the second gathering determined the specific topics, issues, or concerns that needed to be addressed in order to achieve these goals.

NGCI History of Themes

  • 2023: Beginning Anew: The Vision of the OCIA
  • 2022: Evaluating and Revitalizing the RCIA in Your Parish
  • 2021: Implementing the RCIA Adapted for Children
  • 2019: The Year-Round Catechumenate
  • 2018: To Emmaus and Back: Liturgy and Catechesis
  • 2017: Disciples Making Disciples

Initial Goals

  • Participants will understand that the vision of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is that of the parish as a community of disciples.
  • Participants will better understand their own call to discipleship.
  • Participants will understand the role of the baptismal catechumenate as the process for forming disciples.
  • Participants will hone and develop the skills needed to lead groups in discussion and faith-sharing as they discuss creative ways to relate their own stories and the catechumens’ stories to the Paschal Mystery.

Each year, a different team of presenters will work together with an LTP representative to plan the major addresses and breakout sessions of the event. Team members have been invited, not only because of their understanding of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and the Church’s mission of evangelization, but also because of their vast parish and diocesan experience. As a true collaboration, the individual gifts and ministerial experience of each team member will shape the NGCI experience. During the planning meetings for the NGCI, the team has reflected upon the ‘principles for conducting adult faith formation’ as found in Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us (81-83).

The National Gathering on Christian Initiation® will focus on:

  • Using the catechumenate as an inspiring model for all catechesis.
  • Respecting the different learning styles and needs of participants, treating adults like adults, respecting their experience, and actively involving them in the learning process.
  • Engaging adults actively in the actual life and ministry of the Christian community.
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The Host

Liturgy Training Publications is an agency of the Archdiocese of Chicago. Founded in the wake of the Second Vatican Council, we are devoted to the promotion of liturgical formation as outlined in the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy.

Our Mission

To promote the liturgical formation "of the faithful and also their active participation in the liturgy both internally and externally, taking into account their age and condition, their way of life, and their stage of religious development" so all the faithful may "become thoroughly imbued with the spirit and power of the liturgy." —Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 19, 14

Why host the NGCI?

Liturgy Training Publications is hosting the National Gathering on Christian Initiation® to promote the full implementation of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. LTP has long been a leader in promoting the baptismal catechumenate through our publications, in line with our mission. As we expand our work to fulfill our mission through the support and training of ministers, we continue to promote the catechumenate through both virtual and in-person training sessions.

Why the focus on Christian initiation?

  • Making and baptizing disciples is the essential mission of the Church.
  • The restoration of the baptismal catechumenate is a mandate of the Second Vatican Council, addressed in the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (64) and Ad gentes (13-14).
  • Christian Initiation is primarily a liturgical act, and our mission is devoted to promoting the liturgical formation of the faithful (CSL, 19).
  • The vision of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults has yet to be fully understood and implemented.
  • The baptismal catechumenate is the source of inspiration for all catechesis (see Directory for Catechesis, 61–65).