Join us for the 2023 National Gathering on Christian Initiation® on August 1–3 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 2023 National Gathering on Christian Initiation® is an opportunity to recalibrate your ministry—not only considering what has been done, but where the Church wants us to go. The forthcoming implementation of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) invites us to breathe new life into parish ministry. We will all better exemplify Church if we take to heart what the OCIA teaches us about our life in Christ and our vocation to be Christ’s missionary disciples. Join us in August as we all have the opportunity to BEGIN ANEW!
We invite you to join us as we examine the model of how the early Church formed catechumens. Together we will walk the path of the catechumen through the periods and rites of the Christian initiation process. We will experience and be inspired by ritual so that we can rekindle the fire in our ministry and bear witness to how the rites echo our faith.
For an overview of the steps and stages of the catechumenal process, visit the Catechumeneon Beginning Anew webpage for a series of free videos and discussion guides.
The 2023 gathering is sold out.
All cancellations and requests for refunds must be submitted in writing (letter, fax, or e-mail) by Friday, June 30, 2023, for a full refund or by Monday, July 17, 2023, for a 75% refund. Cancellation requests after Monday, July 17, 2022 will not receive a refund.
For more information on hotels, visit https://www.ngci.org/travel#hotel.
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 31, 2023 | |
|---|---|
| 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM | Registration Early check-in will be provided in the lobby of the Hampton Inn. |
| August 1, 2023 | |
| 9:00 AM | Registration |
| 10:00 AM | Welcome, Introductions, and Opening Prayer |
| 10:30 AM | Our Foundation for Ministry: An Evangelizing Parish |
| 11:15 AM | The Period of the Precatechumenate |
| 12:30 PM | Lunch (Included in Registration) and Travel to Chapel |
| 1:30 PM | Ritual Celebration: Adapted Rite of Acceptance |
| 2:45 PM | Reflection on the Rite |
| 3:30 PM | The Roles and Ministries of Christian Initiation |
| 4:00 PM | Coffee Break |
| 4:30 PM | The Period of the Catechumenate (part 1) |
| 6:00 PM | End of Day Dinner and evening on your own |
| August 2, 2023 | |
|---|---|
| 9:00 AM | Prayer and Q&A |
| 9:30 AM | The Period of the Catechumenate (part 2) |
| 10:45 AM | Break |
| 11:00 AM | Ritual Celebration: Liturgy of the Word with Dismissal |
| 11:15 AM | Fishbowl Experience: Dismissal Session |
| 11:45 AM | Discernment |
| 12:30 PM | Lunch (Included in Registration) and Travel to Chapel |
| 1:30 PM | Ritual Celebration: Adapted Rite of Sending |
| 2:45 PM | Reflection on the Rite |
| 3:30 PM | The Period of Purification and Enlightenment (part 1) |
| 4:15 PM | Coffee Break |
| 4:45 PM | The Period of Purification and Enlightenment (part 2) |
| 6:00 PM | End of Day Dinner and evening on your own |
| August 3, 2023 | |
| 8:30 AM | Ritual Celebration: Adapted Scrutiny |
| 9:15 AM | Coffee Break |
| 9:45 AM | Reflection on the Rite |
| 10:15 AM | Preparation Rites |
| 10:45 AM | The Sacraments of Initiation (part 1) |
| 11:15 AM | Lunch (Included in Registration) |
| 12:15 PM | The Sacraments of Initiation (part 2) |
| 1:15 PM | The Period of Mystagogy |
| 1:45 PM | Closing Prayer and Concluding Remarks |
| 2:00 PM | End of Day |
| Fall 2023 | |
| 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.
