Join us for the 2022 National Gathering on Christian Initiation™ on July 13–14 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 two tracks. Parish Leaders and Initiation Ministers will deepen and enrich their work as they gain practical skills, discuss common challenges, and share best practices. Within the Parish Leaders and Initiation Ministers track, one may choose English or Spanish language breakout sessions. Pre-conference distance-learning sessions will be available for new ministers and those interested in exploring the basics of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. Regional or Diocesan Trainers will explore and discuss practical strategies for implementing effective training and formation in their local communities.
The theme for the 2022 National Gathering on Christian Initiation is Evaluating and Revitalizing the RCIA in your Parish. A thorough assessment of our parish’s catechumenal ministry is beneficial for the life and vibrancy of the faith community. The NGCI team members will use the RCIA ritual text and the 2020 Directory for Catechesis to guide participants through an honest evaluation process. While we will celebrate the good work that is being done in the parish community, we will also ask the hard questions and raise the bar as we strive to fully implement the Church’s vision. Finally, participants will have the opportunity to develop a strategic plan that includes a more fruitful collaboration with clergy and full inclusion of the baptized faithful in the initiation process.
Learn more about the 2022 National Gathering on Christian Initiation™ in our Registration Booklet.
Registration for the 2022 National Gathering on Christian Initiation™ is now closed. If you have any questions, please contact us at 800-933-1800.
All cancellations and requests for refunds must be submitted in writing (letter, fax, or e-mail) by Friday, June 10, 2022 for a full refund or by Monday, June 27, 2022 for a 75% refund. Cancellation requests after Monday, June 27, 2022 will not receive a refund.
All attendees of the 2022 National Gathering on Christian Initiation™ must be vaccinated against COVID-19 and will be asked to provide proof of vaccination. Other health and safety protocols, such as the wearing of masks and social distancing, will be announced in June 2022. These protocols will be based on the most current guidance from the CDC, the State of Illinois, the City of Chicago, and the Archdiocese of Chicago. Attendees failing to adhere to these protocols will not be permitted to participate in the event.
| July 12, 2022 | |
|---|---|
| 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM | Optional RCIA Coordinators Forum (Limited Registrations) Catholic Social Teaching and the Catechumenate |
| 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM | Opening Reception Optional. Tickets are $30. Includes an open bar and desserts. |
| July 13, 2022 | |
| 8:00 AM - 8:50 AM | Registration |
| 9:00 AM - 9:30 AM | Welcome, Introductions, and Opening Prayer |
| 9:30 AM - 9:45 AM | General Session Revitalizing the RCIA can Renew the Life of Your Parish |
| 9:45 AM - 10:15 AM | General Session Permission to Dream: The Catechumenal Impact on Parish Life |
| 10:15 AM - 10:30 AM | Break |
| 10:30 AM - 12:15 PM | General Session The Principals for Evaluation ARE Opportunities for Revitalization |
| 12:15 PM - 1:30 PM | Lunch Included in registration |
| 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM | Breakout Session #1 Learning from Experience: Insights from Our Stories |
| 3:30 PM - 4:00 PM | Coffee Break |
| 4:00 PM - 5:15 PM | Breakout Session #2 Clergy and Laity as Co-laborers in Revitalization |
| 5:30 PM - 6:00 PM | Ritual Celebration |
| 6:00 PM | End of Day Dinner and evening on your own |
| July 14, 2022 | |
|---|---|
| 8:00 AM - 8:30 AM | Morning Prayer and Announcements |
| 8:30 AM - 8:45 AM | General Session Moving from Intention to Action |
| 8:45 AM - 10:00 AM | Strategic Action #1 Drafting the Blueprints for Catechumenal Renewal |
| 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM | Coffee Break |
| 10:30 AM - 11:45 AM | Strategic Action #2 Laying a Foundation for Parish Engagement |
| 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM | Lunch Included in registration |
| 12:45 PM - 2:00 PM | Strategic Action #3 Constructing a Renewed Approach for Ministry |
| 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM | General Session Returning with a Plan: Preparing for Fruitful Conversations |
| 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM | Closing |
| August 2022 | |
| Date/Time TBD | Post-Gathering Virtual Follow-Up |
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 Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and the Church’s mission of evangelization, but also because of their vast parish and diocesan experience.
Complete this sentence: When thinking about this ministry, it’s important to dream big because . . .
“. . . if we don’t dream, we will remain in the same place forever. Dreaming big helps us to vision what could be; maybe not tomorrow or even next year but gives us something to look forward to and keeps us from being stagnant.”
Why are you excited about NGCI? What are you looking forward to?
“I am excited to share and to listen to everyone who gathers at NGCI! We are all coming to learn together; none of us are “experts”; we are all ministers serving God’s People. When we come together and share, we can learn so much from each other. I think, though, I am most excited about meeting people who share a love and enthusiasm for initiation ministry!”
How can Christian initiation ministry (or the vision of the Rite) revitalize a parish?
“Walking together on this mysterious and joyful journey of faith offers us multiple opportunities to experience the many faces of the Divine. . . . Christian Initiation ministry is a vibrant partner for a deepening relationship with the God we already love, whose love shapes whom we are becoming.”
Why are you excited about NGCI? What are you looking forward to?
“Putting our hearts and dreams together in a vibrant bouquet which we then can offer back to our faith communities, takes my breath away. What will God reveal? What will be the new invitation that is laid before us? I can’t wait!”
Why is it important for a parish to enter a process of evaluation and planning?
“At its core, evaluation is about learning from our efforts to achieve important outcomes. Done well, evaluation enables us to identify what works best, what engages people in the process, and what next steps are available. That sort of data makes planning specific, focused, and keyed to real needs and possibilities.”
Why should people come to NGCI?
“Work on this level of significance demands a great deal of those who commit to it. Gathering to share experience and wisdom is a profound way of being renewed for the journey ahead and ensuring that important insights do not get lost—or taken for granted! Each person coming contributes to what we know about the process, the various ways of sustaining it under differing circumstances, and intensifying its role as central to the renewal of the Church for mission in the world.”
How can parish leaders use the vision of the RCIA to make a profound impact on a community?
“Many of us have heard, in these or similar words, that ‘the baptismal catechumenate should inspire all faith formation efforts in the parish.’ Yes! But, can we honestly say that we have taken this seriously? Now is the time we let this model shape all of parish life.”
Why should people come to NGCI?
“For this year’s Gathering, I am envisioning an Upper Room Pentecost moment. Together, a group of disciples will come together—mindful that a mission was placed before them, unsure of the path they must travel, but certain that there will be big challenges ahead of them. There, we will have tough conversations, support each other in our ministry, and pastorally and professionally challenge each other to see things in a different way. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we will be shaken—shaken and set on fire to go forth and make disciples of all nations.”
Wendy Barton Silhavy is the senior coordinator for liturgy and music in the Office for Divine Worship, Archdiocese of Chicago. She received her BM in Church music from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, and her MA in liturgical music from St. John’s University, Collegeville. She brings twenty-five years of experience in parish, seminary, and diocesan liturgy to her work with the archdiocese. Her interests in liturgy include the relationship between liturgy and catechesis and the impact of liturgy on our everyday lives.
Why is it important to evaluate your initiation ministry?
“It’s a natural temptation to rely on old information as the years go by. Taking time to evaluate allows us to reset our expectations and way of doing things. . . . If we stand still in our ministry, the world will change around us and we will not have the same impact, even with approaches that have been successful in the past.”
Why are you excited about NGCI? What are you looking forward to?
“I love the opportunity to gather with colleagues in a relaxed and supportive environment to learn, share, and be inspired. Most of the year is so busy, it’s hard to find time to reflect on ministry. This gathering gives people time to reflect on personal experience and resonate with the experience of others.”