Liturgy Training Publications
National Gathering on Christian Initiation Hero Image

Join us for the 2024 National Gathering on Christian Initiation® on July 31–August 1 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 National Gathering on Christian Initiation® will have a single track. Parish Leaders and Initiation Ministers will deepen and enrich their work as they gain practical skills, discuss common challenges, and share best practices.

The Theme for 2024 is Evangelization and the OCIA

Join us for the 2024 National Gathering on Christian Initiation® where we will rediscover the evangelizing power of the baptismal catechumenate. Together we will consider how liturgy, catechesis, and the parish community all serve as agents of evangelization. Join us as we explore the distinctive evangelizing tasks of each period of the OCIA and discover strategies that will foster a culture of evangelization across the entire parish!

Goals of the Gathering

  • Determine ways to effectively equip parishioners to evangelize through word and action.
  • Emphasize the importance of apostolic witness, liturgy, and catechesis in the work of evangelization.
  • Consider how evangelization is integral to all four periods of the initiation process, stressing the importance of year-round inquiry sessions.

Registration

Early Bird Registration, by 4:00 PM CT on February 26, 2024$225
General Registration, by 4:00 PM CT on June 17, 2024$275
Group Rate, per person when groups of 4+ register together by 4:00 PM CT on June 17, 2024$250
Late Registration, by 4:00 PM CT on July 12, 2024$300
Beer and Wine Happy Hour – July 30
Optional. 		Free

Register

Registration is also available by phone or mail. Contact Customer Service at 800-933-1800 to register by phone. To register by mail, please download, print, and complete this form. Mail completed forms and payment to LTP at 3949 South Racine Ave, Chicago, IL 60609.

All cancellations and requests for refunds must be submitted in writing (letter, fax, or e-mail) by Monday, July 1, 2024, for a full refund or by Monday, July 15, 2024, for a 75% refund. Cancellation requests after Monday, July 15, 2024 will not receive a refund.

Lodging and Accommodations

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

A limited number of hotel rooms are available at the Hampton Inn Chicago North – Loyola Station for a specially discounted rate of $169.00 per night. This rate is available for those who book before June 28, 2024, for the evenings of July 30th – 31st. To reserve a room at the Hampton Inn Chicago – Loyola Station, please call 800-426-7866 and mention NGCI 2024 (group code 90C) or visit https://group.hamptoninn.com/whlnph.

A limited number of dormitory rooms, apartments, and apartment suites are available on Loyola’s Lake Shore campus. Campus housing is available for those who book before July 26, 2024 for the evenings of July 30th and July 31st. Additional information, including rates and options, is available on our Travel and Accommodations page. To reserve campus housing, visit https://lodging.luc.edu and enter promo code ltp2024.

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 30, 2024
4:30 PM - 6:30 PMRegistration
Early check-in will be provided in the lobby of the Hampton Inn.
4:30 PM - 6:30 PMBeer and Wine Happy Hour
Optional. Pre-registration is required.
July 31, 2024
9:00 AM - 9:30 AMWelcome, Introductions, and Prayer
9:30 AM - 10:15 AMEvangelization 101: A Common Understanding
10:15 AM - 10:30 AMBreak
10:30 AM - 11:45 AMEvangelizing the Evangelizers: A Community-Based Approach
11:45 AM - 12:15 PMDiscussion
12:15 PM - 1:15 PMLunch (Included in Registration)
1:15 PM - 2:30 PMExercise: Encountering Christ in Catechesis
2:30 PM - 3:00 PMCoffee Break
3:00 PM - 4:15 PMExercise: The Evangelizing Power of Liturgy
4:15 PM - 4:30 PMBreak
4:30 PM - 5:45 PMExercise: Apostolic Witness in the Life of the Parish
5:45 PM - 6:00 PMConclusion of Day One
Dinner and evening on your own
August 1, 2024
8:30 AM - 9:30 AMRitual Celebration
9:30 AM - 9:45 AMBreak
9:45 AM - 10:30 AMPurification and Enlightenment: The Evangelizing Nature of the Paschal Mystery
10:30 AM - 11:15 AMMystagogy and the Good News
11:15 AM - 11:45 AMDiscussion
11:45 AM - 12:45 PMLunch
12:45 PM - 2:00 PMPrecatechumenate and Evangelization: The First and Never-Ending Period
2:00 PM - 2:45 PMNext Steps: Returning Home with Tangible Plans
2:45 PM - 3:00 PMConclusion

The 2024 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 Order of Christian Initiation of Adults and the Church’s mission of evangelization, but also because of their vast parish and diocesan experience.

 

Rachel Espinoza

Rachel Espinoza

Rachel Espinoza is an editor and liturgical training consultant at Liturgy Training Publications. Previously, she served for more than a decade as a pastoral associte and parish catechetical leader. Rachel holds an MDIV degree from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, IN.

Rodica Stoicoiu

Rodica Stoicoiu

Rodica Stoicoiu has taught at the graduate and undergraduate levels and her work in pastoral ministry over the last thirty years has focused on liturgy, the rites, and their transformative nature in the lives of communities. Rodica received an MA in theology with a specialty in liturgical studies from the University of Notre Dame and a PHD in systematic theology with a specialty in the theology of liturgy from the Catholic University of America.

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 Church in Chicago. He is the author of Guide for Training Initiation Ministers: An Introduction to the RCIA (LTP, 2018). Michael studied at the Catholic University of America and the Washington Theological Union.

Richard Vega

Fr. Richard Vega

Fr. Richard Vega is the pastor of St. Frances of Rome in Azusa, CA. Previously, he served as president of the National Federation of Priests’ Councils and the chair of the liturgical commission for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Fr. Richard holds an MA from the University of Mount St. Mary’s College and an MDIV from St. John’s Seminary