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RCIA Bibliography
A Bibliography of Books, Periodicals, Newsletters and Videos
for the Catechumenate

Books
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, Study Edition
This is the rite itself. Everyone working with the Catechumenate needs their own copy.

Handbook for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
produced by the Archdiocese of Detroit.
Contact: (313) 237-5932
Using a question and answer format this handbook answers the most frequently asked questions about the catechumenate process and presents policies of the Archdiocese for the RCIA. Call Office for Christian Worship for a copy.

The RCIA: Transforming the Church. A Resource for Pastoral Implementation
Thomas H. Morris
Paulist Press
Offers general guidelines and practical directions on implementing the initiation process.

Year-round Catechumenate
Mary Birmingham.
Liturgy Training Publications
A year-round Catechumenate may sound overwhelming and unimaginable, but the author shows that it is not only possible, but it is also the best stewardship of the gifts and talents of initiation ministers. This book will help you imagine, envision, understand and implement a year-round Catechumenate in your parish.

A Harvest for God: Christian Initiation in the Rural and Small Town Parish
Michael Clay
Liturgy Training Publications
This book offers practical, step-by-step insights into implementing the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults in a way that is faithful to the rite and respectful of rural culture.

Eucharist as Sacrament of Initiation: Forum Essay #2
Nathan Mitchell
Liturgy Training Publications
In this book Nathan Mitchell argues that the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults presupposes and requires a commitment to the vision of Jesus, whose distinctive ministry of eating anything with anyone at any time redefined the religious and cultural meaning of dining. How is the Eucharist a sacrament of initiation?

The Role of the Assembly in Christian Initiation: Forum Essay #7
Catherine Vincie
Liturgy Training Publications
The liturgical assembly is a united but differentiated body, all of whose members have responsibilities in the celebration of the liturgy. In this book the author examines the introductions and ritual texts of the RCIA, the process of reform that the order of Christian initiation has undergone since Vatican II, and the way the church in the United States has received the revised order.

Liturgical Spirituality and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adult: Forum Essay #5
Shawn Madigan.
Liturgy Training Publications
The author looks at the rites of the Christian initiation as formative and expressive of that spirituality for catechumens, candidates for reception into the full communion of the Catholic Church and the entire assembly.

Images of Baptism: Forum Essay #6
Maxwell Johnson. [Liturgy Training Publications. $9]
Liturgy Training
The author offers catechists, parish liturgists, pastors, religious educators and all who are involved in the church' baptismal ministries a study of some of the key baptismal images and metaphors that scripture and the church's great liturgical traditions hand on to us. These images provide models by which we might glimpse some of the manifold riches that baptism is and offers to us.

The Hallelujah Highway
Paul Turner
Liturgy Training
A history of how the church has initiated adults and children over the centuries, related through the stories of people and documents that played significant roles in developing the rites and recording its development from the earliest days of the church to the present.

The Catechumenate and the Law: A Pastoral and Canonical Commentary for the Church for the Church in the US
John M. Huels
Liturgy Training
Drawing on the various sources of canon law related to Christian initiation, this book treats select canonical issues and pastoral questions that have canonical implications, such as: the rights and obligations of catechumens and candidates, doubts about the validity of baptism or confirmation, the initiation of younger children at celebration of adult initiation, delay of confirmation, marriage cases, etc.

Foundations in Faith: A Complete Resource Library for RCIA
Maureen Kelly, managing editor.
Resources for Christian Living,
contact: 1-800-822-6701
This series provides catechist manuals and participant books for each of the various stages of the initiation process, with detailed sessions for dismissal and extended catechesis. Included with the series are handbooks for inquirers, sponsors, catechists, coordinators and priests.

United States Catholic Catechism for Adults
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
USCCB Publishing
This is a valuable resource for catechists in the process to help them prepare catechetical sessions on The Creed: The Faith Professed, The Sacraments: The Faith Celebrated, Christian Morality: The Faith Lived.

The Mystery of Faith: An Introduction to Catholicism
Rev. Michael Himes.
St. Anthony Messenger Press
Appropriate for inquirers, this book introduces them to the breadth of Catholic doctrine.

Handbook for Today's Catholic
A Redemptorist Pastoral Publication
Liguori Publications
Written in easy-to-read, easy-to-understand language, this book details the essential faith basics of Catholicism.

Discerning Disciples: Listening for God's Voice in Christian Initiation
Donna Steffen
Liturgy Training Publications
An excellent resource to help understand discernment during the whole process of initiation. It describes the decision-making process, and serves to improve the listening skills of guides and helps them ask the right questions at the right time.

RCIA Spirituality: Formation for the Catechumenate Team
Barbara Hixon
Resource Publications
This will inspire and challenge members of the catechumenate team to continue their own spiritual journey even as they lead catechumens to initiation.

Sunday Dismissals for the RCIA
Mary K. Milne
The Liturgical Press
This book provides weekly dismissals from the Sunday liturgies based on the readings of the day.

We Send You Forth: Dismissals for the RCIA
Jerry Galipeau
World Library Publications
This is another book with dismissals from the Sunday liturgies. It also has a CD-Rom attached with texts for dismissals.

One at the Table: The Reception of Baptized Christians
Ron Ockham, with Kathy Browne, Rita Ferrone, Mark Searle and Joseph Favazza
Liturgy Training Publications
This book speaks to the expanding vision of initiation, offering historical, theological and pastoral reflection on this issue. Part II treats Pastoral Implementation, addressing formation of non-Catholics, both uncatechized and catechized Christians, as they prepare for Full Communion.

The Reception of Baptized Christians, a History and Evaluation: Forum Essay #7
Dale Sieverding
Liturgy Training Publications
The author offers a liturgical study of the ritual and the history of its development in the Western tradition.

Journeybread for the Shadowlands: The Readings for the Rites of the Catechumenate, RCIA
Pamela Jackson
The Liturgical Press
Conversion happens when the Word of God comes alive for people and transforms them. How does this happen in the RCIA? This book shows how the readings for the rites of the catechumenate both describe conversion and help bring it about.

Celebrating the Rites of Adult Initiation: Pastoral Reflections
edited by Victoria Tufano
Liturgy Training Publications
In this collection of essays, nine authors - scholars, teachers and pastoral ministers - offer historical, theological, liturgical, and pastoral perspectives on eleven rites of the process of Christian initiation of adults.

What Jesus said (and why it matters now)
Timothy Fallon
St. Anthony Messenger Press
This book offers a simple, clear and practical guide to understanding and releasing the wonder of God's word and action in our lives. Since the book uses the Lenten Cycle A readings, it would be a valuable resource during Lent for the elect and candidates preparing themselves spiritually for the Easter Vigil.

Breathing Deeply of God's New Life: Preparing Spiritually for the Sacraments of Initiation (Out of Print)
Mark Boyer
St. Anthony Messenger Press
This book helps inquirers, catechumens and initiation teams understand and develop the rich spirituality of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults.

Saying Amen: A Mystagogy of the Sacraments
Kathleen Hughes, RSCJ
Liturgy Training Publications
The author teaches us how to reflect on the experience of sacramental celebrations (the Mystagogical method of understanding sacraments.)

Creating an Effective Mystagogy: A Handbook for Catechumenate Leaders
Dennis Chriszt
Resource Publications
This book tells you how to organize the catechumenal process so that the initiation rites are just a beginning. By using a Mystagogical method within the text itself, the author gives you roadmap through each stage of the process. In the end, you can expect your neophytes to not only stay with the process beyond Easter but to be more engaged in your parish.

Experience the Mystery: Pastoral Possibilities for Christian Mystagogy
David Reagan
The Liturgical Press
This book narrates the ancient history of mystagogy and its timid revival in the 1972 Order for the Christian Initiation of Adults. The author shows that mystagogy is relevant to all areas of the church, especially liturgy, religious formation and inculturation.

Readings in the Christian Initiation of Children
Victoria Tufano editor
Liturgy Training Publications
This book includes 17 articles by various authors on how children of catechetical age are initiated into the Catholic Church.

Issues in the Christian Initiation of Children: Catechesis and Liturgy (Out of Print)
Kathy Brown & Frank Sokol, editors
Liturgy Training Publications
This book includes 12 more articles on how to include children in the RCIA process.

A Child's Journey: The Christian Initiation of Children (Out of Print)
Rita Burns Senseman
St. Anthony Messenger Press

Periodicals, Newsletters
Catechumenate: A Journal of Christian Initiation
published bimonthly by Liturgy Training Publications and features timely articles about the process of the catechumenate.

The Forum Newsletter is published three times a year by the North American Forum on the Catechumenate and is available, free of charge via e-mail, to all interested persons or institutions.
To enroll contact: The North American Forum on the Catechumenate
125 Michigan Ave.,
Washington, DC 20017-1004...
(202) 884-9758

Videos
Come to the Water: The Adult Journey to Baptism - DVD
USCCB, Washington
This video would be a valuable tool for introducing the RCIA to new members of your Catechumenate team. It would also be valuable for other groups of the assembly to help them understand their role in the catechumenal process.

Faith Works: Across the USA - VHS
Faith Works: Across the USA - DVD
USCCB, Washington
This video looks at "typical" days in the lives of several Catholics. This is an excellent resource for RCIA as well as youth and young adult faith formation.

Experiencing God in Daily Life - DVD
Oregon Catholic Press, Portland, OR
In this video, Father Fabing relates our most basic human experiences to those of Jesus, thus making the "examination of consciousness" accessible for everyday use.

Websites, Phone Numbers
for Ordering Books and Videos

Archdiocese of Detroit.
Contact: (313) 237-5932

Catholic Book Publishing Co.
www.catholicbookpublishing.com
Contact: (973) 890-2400

FDLC
www.fdlc.org
Contact: (202) 529-2452

Liguori
www.liguori.org
Contact: (800) 325-9521

Liturgy Training Publications (LTP)
www.ltp.org
Contact: (800) 933-1800

North American Forum on the Catechumenate:
www.naforum.org
Contact: (202) 529-9493

Oregon Catholic Press
www.ocp.org
Contact: (800) 548-8749

Paulist Press
www.paulistpress.com
Contact: (800) 218-1903

Resource Publications
www.resourcepublications.com
Contact: (888) 273-7782

Resources for Christian Living
www.rclweb.com and
www.faithfirst.com

St. Anthony Messenger Press
www.americancatholic.org
Contact: (800) 488-0488

The Liturgical Press
www.litpress.org 1-
Contact: (800) 858-5450

USCCB
www.usccb.org
Contact: (800) 235-8722

World Library Publications:
http://www.wlp.jspaluch.com/
Contact: (800) 566-6150