Jane Waldock still remembers the deep discussions and personal connections that greeted her when she realized she wanted to become a Catholic about 30 years ago.
In 1983, Waldock entered the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults at St. Mark’s College in Vancouver, looking for answers about the Catholic faith. It was remarkable, she said, how much the small group atmosphere and openness to her questions helped her understand what embracing Catholicism was all about.
“The discussion with Catholics who were living their faith was absolutely essential to my conversion,” said Waldock. “It was that personal connection piece that kept me engaged in the faith.”
She was confirmed that October. After she joined the Church, “I moved around to different parishes, but I kept coming back to: this is a lived thing and the core of who I am.”
Now, Waldock is the Director of Faith Formation at Immaculate Conception Parish in Delta. She has seen a movement from lectures to small group discussions in many of the Archdiocese of Vancouver’s RCIA programs and hopes that trend continues.
Churches are stepping “away from a ‘if you complete this course, you’re in’ sort of attitude,” she said.
In her Delta parish, RCIA coordinators use a set curriculum to make sure they cover all the essentials of Catholic faith, and they do follow a textbook. But they use these tools in combination with small group discussions and connections with the wider Catholic community.
“It’s a deeper connection than just listening to a lecture,” she said. “It doesn’t look like a class. It looks more like a faith study.”
Other parishes have tried different approaches. For example, the multicultural St. Paul’s Parish in Richmond has various RCIA groups divided by the languages its members are most comfortable using.
At Holy Rosary Cathedral, Deacon Richard Chau has come up with another approach to help make RCIA more about a faith journey than a checkbox.
“I work out a schedule each year. We start with small groups, and in the first three weeks or so I map out each person’s needs,” he said. “Sometimes I call them up briefly and get to know what they need.”
Then he uses a combination of materials from Catholic Christian Outreach and online videos to introduce RCIA members to Catholic teachings and spark discussions, all the while trying to stay flexible for those who might need more time than others to digest the material.
“My whole aim is to journey with them. Some people are slow and some are faster, but it’s okay because the schedule is there ahead of time. They know they are not walking into it on their own,” he said.
“We have had people who know their faith and come to church, but haven’t been confirmed. This is just a tradition they have been doing all their life. For those, we adjust our schedule to suit them. We have done it in eight weeks instead of a long catechism of 25 weeks.”
Deacon Chau also invites parish groups (for example, the Catholic Women’s League, the Knights of Columbus, or Couples for Christ) to give short presentations about their work in the hopes of settling newly baptized and confirmed Catholics right into the parish community.
But a movement away from cookie-cutter catechism poses real challenge. Waldock and Deacon Chau say while they have seen success in small group discussions and individualized plans, these approaches require a lot of preparation and resources from often siloed RCIA coordinators.
“I always wonder how other people are doing at RCIA,” said Deacon Chau, running the program at the cathedral for five years. He draws on help and advice from a local priest and his community of permanent deacons, but not every RCIA coordinator is so lucky.
This fall, the Archdiocese of Vancouver has invited TeamRCIA, a California-based training program, to offer a two-day conference for anyone involved in welcoming people into the Catholic Church. The two days of training will include practical tips, and chances to meet and learn from other coordinators.
Deacon Chau is looking forward to the event. “It’s a great idea, because a lot of times we want to learn from other people. What’s the best practice or best way of leading the ministry?”
For example, in his experience, small groups of six or so make it easy to manage schedules, meet individual needs, and maintain flexibility. Things get complicated when 20 people sign up; plus, the 28-week format is a significant time commitment that isn’t practical for some would-be Catholics.
“I’m hoping we can work collaboratively,” to find ways to solve problems common to many RCIA coordinators.
There are other resources available for RCIA coordinators in the Lower Mainland, including course materials, biannual networking events, and personal formation classes similar to what permanent deacons and seminarians go through.
For Deacon Chau and Waldock, RCIA is ultimately about leading people to Jesus and to feel welcome in the Catholic community.
Waldock said conferences and resources “give RCIA coordinators the confidence to try something different and supportive of that individual experience,” like the one she had 36 years ago. “Unless we’re accompanying people on their individual journey, the rates of people staying in the Church after the rites of initiation are not great. So what are we doing this for?”
TeamRCIA’s two-day training program is for RCIA coordinators, team members, priests, deacons, and anyone else involved in the process. It will be held at St. Andrew Kim Parish Sept. 13-14. For more resources for RCIA coordinators visit www.rcav.org/rcia.