Summary of Bishops' Survey of RCIA
183 Responses as of May 2000
162-Diocesan Bishops* + 8-Auxiliary Bishops + 3- Retired Bishops
4-Eastern Rite + 6-Administrators
*55 Diocesan Bishops responded to reminder mailing.
- What is your overall impression of the RCIA implementation in your diocese?
Poor implementation
Fair implementation
Good implementation in many parishes
Good implementation in most parishes
Well implemented in many parishes
Impressive enthusiasm among all associated with the RCIA
Limited staff and resources (rural dioceses)
Full-time diocesan coordinators
Wish more parishes would use the rite
Pastoral leadership is very familiar with the RCIA
Some pastors not supportive of implementation
Concerned about content
Diocese provides training workshops
Need to provide more training
Quality of program and quantity of participants increasing each year
It is a great source of renewal for the parish
Taken advantage of training by North American Forum on the
Catechumenate
Rite is a great blessing to the parishes |
7
13
40
54
15
20
7
8
15
12
9
10
17
11
22
23
9
39 |
Other comments
- Often takes priority over other parish catechetical programs-1
- Inter-parochial programs seem feasible but not acceptable to the nurturing communities-1
- Effective as a means of evangelization-3
- Need better evangelization for implementation-1
- Need for clearer Catholic identity-1
- Labor intensive-3
- Considerable diversity about length-3
- Good in larger parishes, difficult in rural parishes-2
- Should be two-year process-2
- Adaptations of RCIA for children are being explored-1
- Confusion between catechumens and candidates-2
- Evaluations may be too discouraging at this time, more time needed-1
- Sometimes the priest is not involved enough-1
- Some parishes celebrate the rites but have not implemented a communal catechetical method-1
- What is your experience of the Rite of Election in your diocese and how many celebrations are there?
A liturgical highlight of the year for me and others
Good contact with the bishop and appreciation among elect
Each year we have more and more elect and candidates
Great enthusiasm among elect and candidates
Most unique sense of universal church
(These celebration include one at the cathedral)
Two celebrations in the diocese
Three celebrations in the diocese
Four celebrations in the diocese
Five celebrations (Rural)in the diocese
Six celebrations (Rural) in the diocese
Eight celebrations in the diocese
Fifteen celebrations in the diocese
Two celebrations at locations other than the cathedral
One or more celebrations in language other than English
One celebration outside of the cathedral, due to large number
One celebration in the cathedral
Two celebrations in the cathedral
Three celebrations in the cathedral
Four celebrations in the cathedral
Five celebrations in the cathedral
Call to Continuing Conversion at other times
Plan to increase number of celebrations in 1999
Auxiliary bishop or other delegate presiding |
108
45
21
24
9
21
20
14
4
2
1
1
1
2
3
41
26
12
4
3
6
24
8 |
Other comments
- Great opportunity for evangelization-3
- Some parishes insist on having their own-1
- Possibility of celebrating one only during jubilee outside the cathedral-1
- In last few years trying to make ceremony more welcoming and warm-1
- In parishes where the RCIA is being implemented well, do you believe it has the power to transform parish life?
It has the power to transform parishes when implemented as the rite is intended in the parishes
It helps parish life, but does not transform alone
Transformation is a slow process but it is beginning to work
Those involved in RCIA are transformed
It has the power to reawaken evangelization
It has influenced sacramental catechesis |
116
31
13
25
29
12 |
Other comments
- Has been helpful in forming small faith communities which nurture the ongoing conversion of the newly baptized-3
- New members choose to involve themselves in a parish ministry-3
- Needs to be a more structured and deliberate follow-up with the newly baptized-1
- RCIA is powerful, why low attendance at Easter Vigil-1
- Newly baptized are living audio-visuals for the rest of us-1
- It is not perceived with the power to transform parish life as much as it is seen as a program-1
- Easter Vigils more meaningful since rite implemented-4
- What do you believe are the challenges today to the RCIA in your diocese?
Need to fine-tune family initiation/reception
Need to get all parishes
involved with the RCIA
Need to bringer greater uniformity
throughout the diocese
Provide more training for
RCIA teams/clergy
Getting pastors to abandon the
old format of initiation
Provide more catechesis
Need to balance process with
content of belief and Catholic
identity
Need to find ways to keep newly
baptized in the community
Need to continue the energy
around RCIA as an effective
evangelization tool
Need to reduce confusion between
catechumens and candidates
Need to have an effective mystagogia
Need more personal interviews to
eliminate marriage conflicts
Need to get out of the nine month mentality
Need to address cultural diversity |
8
26
11
39
26
28
36
36
23
12
34
10
6
12 |
Other Comments
- Need to deal with distance problems for Rite of Election-3
- Keep our smaller parishes involved in the RCIA-4
- Evangelization efforts are thwarted by irregular marriages, etc.-5
- More careful in researching validity of Baptism of candidates-1
- Special age groups need extra time-1
- Have a RCIA team in every parish-2
- To keep pastors/priests involved-3
- To get more people involved-1
- Not to see RCIA as a program-3
- Same challenges that exist for the church in general: individualism, consumerism, the sexual revolution
- Need to challenge parishes who do not want to come to the cathedral-1
- Need to create more small faith communities-3
- Need to secure better sponsors-1
- Materials from the Conference could be of great assistance-1
- Need to get out of the school year mentality-2
Catechumenate for children is a major challenge at this time-4
- Parish priest take his rightful role as head of the RCIA team-1
- Need to address pastoral implications of the RCIA in the seminary-1