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Join us for the 2023 National Gathering on Christian Initiation® on August 1–3 at the Loyola University Chicago Lakeshore Campus, located in the Rogers Park neighborhood.

The National Gathering on Christian Initiation® invites parish leaders, initiation ministers, and regional or diocesan trainers to come together to explore the theoretical and practical aspects of initiation ministry. Through interactive sessions, meetings, and prayer opportunities, participants will understand more deeply that the vision of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is the vision of the parish as a community of disciples.

The Theme for 2023 is Beginning Anew: The Vision of the OCIA

The 2023 National Gathering on Christian Initiation® is an opportunity to recalibrate your ministry—not only considering what has been done, but where the Church wants us to go. The forthcoming implementation of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) invites us to breathe new life into parish ministry. We will all better exemplify Church if we take to heart what the OCIA teaches us about our life in Christ and our vocation to be Christ’s missionary disciples. Join us in August as we all have the opportunity to BEGIN ANEW!

We invite you to join us as we examine the model of how the early Church formed catechumens. Together we will walk the path of the catechumen through the periods and rites of the Christian initiation process. We will experience and be inspired by ritual so that we can rekindle the fire in our ministry and bear witness to how the rites echo our faith.

For an overview of the steps and stages of the catechumenal process, visit the Catechumeneon Beginning Anew webpage for a series of free videos and discussion guides.

The 2023 NGCI will provide an opportunity to ...

  • Walk the path of the catechumen through the periods and rites of the process.
  • Encounter the beauty and evangelizing spirit present in the vision of the OCIA.
  • Meet others in this ministry - laugh with them, cry with them - and be reminded that this is where you belong.
  • Revive your ministry, and form the next generation of catechumenal leaders.

Registration

The 2023 gathering is sold out.

All cancellations and requests for refunds must be submitted in writing (letter, fax, or e-mail) by Friday, June 30, 2023, for a full refund or by Monday, July 17, 2023, for a 75% refund. Cancellation requests after Monday, July 17, 2022 will not receive a refund.

Lodging and Accommodations

For more information on hotels, visit https://www.ngci.org/travel#hotel.

Schedule


The schedule for the National Gathering on Christian Initiation® has been intentionally designed to offer an engaging balance of presentations, prayer, fellowship, discussion, and focus on the needs and challenges of our specific ministries.

 

July 31, 2023
5:00 PM - 7:00 PMRegistration
Early check-in will be provided in the lobby of the Hampton Inn.
August 1, 2023
9:00 AM Registration
10:00 AM Welcome, Introductions, and Opening Prayer
10:30 AM Our Foundation for Ministry: An Evangelizing Parish
11:15 AM The Period of the Precatechumenate
12:30 PM Lunch (Included in Registration) and Travel to Chapel
1:30 PM Ritual Celebration: Adapted Rite of Acceptance
2:45 PM Reflection on the Rite
3:30 PM The Roles and Ministries of Christian Initiation
4:00 PM Coffee Break
4:30 PM The Period of the Catechumenate (part 1)
6:00 PMEnd of Day
Dinner and evening on your own
August 2, 2023
9:00 AM Prayer and Q&A
9:30 AM The Period of the Catechumenate (part 2)
10:45 AM Break
11:00 AM Ritual Celebration: Liturgy of the Word with Dismissal
11:15 AM Fishbowl Experience: Dismissal Session
11:45 AM Discernment
12:30 PM Lunch (Included in Registration) and Travel to Chapel
1:30 PM Ritual Celebration: Adapted Rite of Sending
2:45 PM Reflection on the Rite
3:30 PM The Period of Purification and Enlightenment (part 1)
4:15 PM Coffee Break
4:45 PM The Period of Purification and Enlightenment (part 2)
6:00 PMEnd of Day
Dinner and evening on your own
August 3, 2023
8:30 AM Ritual Celebration: Adapted Scrutiny
9:15 AM Coffee Break
9:45 AM Reflection on the Rite
10:15 AM Preparation Rites
10:45 AM The Sacraments of Initiation (part 1)
11:15 AM Lunch (Included in Registration)
12:15 PM The Sacraments of Initiation (part 2)
1:15 PM The Period of Mystagogy
1:45 PM Closing Prayer and Concluding Remarks
2:00 PM End of Day
Fall 2023
Date/Time TBDPost-Gathering Virtual Follow-Up

 



The 2023 NGCI Team

Each year, a different team of presenters work together with an LTP representative to plan the major presentations 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.

 

Clare Colella

Clare Colella

Clare Colella is a master catechist, chair of the diocesan liturgical commission, and facilitator in Christian initiation formation in the Diocese of San Bernardino. She served as a team member for the North American Forum on the Catechumenate and served on the Forum’s board. Clare is a contributor to The Catechumen’s Lectionary (Paulist Press), and has written for The Catechumenate: A Journal Of Christian Initiation (LTP). She earned her master of religious education degree at Seattle University.

Ronald A. Oakham

Ronald A. Oakham, O.CARM

Ronald A. Oakham, a Carmelite priest, has served in parish ministry and as the diocesan director of the catechumenate for the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey. He was a team member for the North American Forum on the Catechumenate and served on the Forum’s staff. Ron is the author of The Reception of Baptized Christians: Pastoral and Practical Approaches (LTP). He holds a master’s degree in theology from Washington Theological Union in Washington, DC.

Michael Ruzicki

Michael Ruzicki

Michael Ruzicki is the training and events manager at Liturgy Training Publications and the director of sacred music and liturgy for St. Mary of the Lake and Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Chicago. Previously, he served as a parish pastoral associate and diocesan coordinator of adult and sacramental formation in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Michael is a former team member of the North American Forum on the Catechumenate. He is the author of Guide for Training Initiation Ministers: An Introduction to the RCIA (LTP). Michael studied at the Catholic University of America and the Washington Theological Union.