PARISH MINISTRY RESOURCES

RCIA

FORMED Helps Your Catechumens Not Just Reach the Easter Vigil—But Become Lifelong Disciples

“When our parish converted to the Formed platform, it opened up even more resources for our candidates and catechumens.
The visual presentation, graphics, and speakers deliver information in a way we never could before.”

–Becky, Ohio

Faithful and Engaging Content for Every Stage of the RCIA Process

Your RCIA catechumens and candidates need solid and engaging content that not only explains the “big picture” of the Catholic Faith but also helps them live out their faith and encourages them in their journey into the Church. FORMED brings some of the best Catholic content into your RCIA process with dynamic and inspiring content that can be used in different stages of the journey. FORMED provides the content you need to help your catechumens and candidates not just reach the Easter Vigil but also to become life-long witnessing disciples.

Precatechumenate

Inspiring Content for Your Inquirers

Lighthouse Audio Talks
eBooks
Full Length Catholic Movies

Catechumenate

Dynamic Resources That Present the Big Picture of the Catholic Faith

Symbolon: The Catholic Faith Explained
Opening the Word: Exploring the Sunday Readings

Purification & Enlightenmen

Prayerful and Insightful Content forDeeper Conversion

Lectio Prayer
Opening the Word: Exploring the Sunday Readings

Mystagogy & Neophyte Year

Rich Content That Encourages Deeper Faith

Lectio Eucharist
Hearts Afire Programs

Catechesis in the Precatechumenate

The Gospel is the Content of Catechesis

What should we proclaim in the Period of Evangelization and Precatechumenate? We proclaim the greatest love story ever told—and that they are a part of it! Everything about the Catholic Faith makes sense in light of the story of God, who is Love, creating us and saving us.

Apologetics in the Precatechumenate

“Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope.”

—1 Peter 3:15

Catechesis in the precatechumenate includes answering the questions that the inquirers have about the Faith. This helps us to get to know them, to speak to them about the Gospel in a personal way, and to remove potential blinders that might prevent them from hearing the Gospel with open ears.

FORMED Resources for the Precatechumenate

Lighthouse Talks Audio Library
FORMED provides a comprehensive library of engaging audio presentations perfect for the precatechumenate including apologetics, conversion stories, and other great topics on the Catholic Faith.

E-Books and Movies
FORMED also allows your inquirers access to great Catholic books and movies to introduce them to the Catholic Faith, conversion stories, details of Church history, the lives of saints, and much more.

Catechesis in the Catechumenate

The Period of the Catechumenate is the period of RCIA when the participants receive formal and complete catechesis of the
entire Catholic Faith, which allows them to fully embrace Christ and his Church.
RCIA paragraph 75.1 calls for a “suitable catechesis provided by priests or deacons, or by catechists and others of the faithful”
that is:

gradual and complete
accommodated to the liturgical year
Biblical and liturgical
oriented toward “a profound sense of the mystery of salvation in which they desire to participate”

FORMED Resources for the Period of the Catechumenate

Symbolon: The Catholic Faith Explained
Designed specifically for the period of the catechumenate, Symbolon: The Catholic Faith Explained contains 20 visually stunning sessions that present the “big picture” of the Catholic Faith. Symbolon not only presents to your candidates and catechumens the essential content of the Faith in an engaging and dynamic way, but also calls them to lifelong conversion.

“Symbolon is the heart and soul of our RCIA program. Participants find it very engaging. It’s more like an invitation to the Truth rather than an imposition.”

—Father Jason Bedel, Ohio

Opening the Word
Opening the Word was designed specifically for the RCIA dismissal session to help catechumens and candidates more deeply understand the Scriptures and apply them to their daily lives. Each session provides a five-minute inspiring video reflection on the Sunday readings as well as a Leader’s Guide and Participant Journals to facilitate discussion on the readings.

Catechesis in Purification and Enlightenment

Catechesis in the Period of Purification and Enlightenment is “a period of more intense spiritual preparation, consisting more in interior reflection than in catechetical instruction to purify the minds and hearts of the elect as they search their consciences and do penance” (RCIA 139).
Therefore, catechesis in this period is not a systematic presentation of the Faith but is more reflective, centered on the Gospel readings of Lent and focused toward encountering Christ.

FORMED Resources for Purification and Enlightenment

Opening the Word
Opening the Word is the ideal resource for catechesis during Purification and Enlightenment. It can be used as your primary resource for your catechetical sessions helping your elect and candidates come into a deeper relationship with Christ through the study and prayerful reading of the Sunday readings of Lent, especially the Cycle A readings. The Participant’s Journal also helps your participants take the Sunday readings with them all throughout their week so that they are daily journeying with Christ.

Lectio: Prayer
Lectio: Prayer is another great resource for Purification and Enlightenment that can help your elect and candidates learn how to pray, especially with Sacred Scripture. With six sessions, this resource is perfect for the season of Lent and is a great compliment to Opening the Word in accompanying your elect and candidates in their journey towards deeper communion with Christ in preparation for the Easter Sacraments.

Catechesis in Mystagogy and the Neophyte Year

Catechesis in the period of Mystagogia is centered on a deeper understanding of the Paschal Mystery as it pertains to the call to discipleship and mission to the world:

“The neophytes are, as the term ‘mystagogy’ suggests, introduced into a fuller and more effective understanding of the mysteries through the Gospel message they have learned and above all through their experience of the sacraments they have received… . Out of this experience, which belongs to Christians and they derive a new perception of the faith, of the Church, and of the world.”

—RCIA 245

Catechetical instruction and formation does not end for the neophytes at Pentecost, but should continue to some extent until the anniversary of their initiation:

“After the immediate mystagogy or postbaptismal catechesis during the Easter season, the program for the neophytes should extend until the anniversary of Christian initiation, with at least monthly assemblies of the neophytes for their deeper Christian formation and incorporation into the full life of the Christian community.”

—National Statutes for the Catechumenate, 25

FORMED Resources for Mystagogy and the Neophyte Year

The Wild Goose
The Wild Goose is about discovering a deeper relationship with the Holy Spirit. God is Love and the Lord’s Love is perfect, passionate, and unconditional. We are able to come to experience the beauty and freedom of God’s Love by the Holy Spirit.

Lectio Series: Unveiling Scripture and Tradition
Highly engaging and inspiring, these studies can help your neophytes more deeply know and live out their faith as witnessing disciples.