Holy Saturday Retreat

For those of you involved in RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults), I don’t need to tell you what an important week this is! One of the responsibilities of the RCIA team is to facilitate a Holy Saturday retreat for the Elect (those to be baptized at the Easter Vigil).

Nick WagnerFrom time to time, I get e-mails from folks asking if I have any resources for such a retreat. I do indeed! My friend Nick Wagner over at Team RCIA has put together a Free Holy Saturday Retreat, which includes the Preparation Rites. Here’s what Nick has to say about his retreat:

The retreat I’ve prepared for you includes the Ephphetha rite, the recitation of the creed, and an adaptation of the rite of choosing a baptismal name. The retreat should be adapted according to need in places where the presentation of the creed has not yet taken place, where the presentation of the Lord’s Prayer has not taken place, or where the choosing of a baptismal name is an appropriate addition.

The retreat has four “modules” that can be adapted, interchanged, or used as the basis for creating a retreat suitable to particular groups and circumstances.

The retreat is designed so that it can be adapted to a very small group or even to one person preparing for initiation. Godparents, sponsors, parishioners, and baptized candidates may be invited to be present in support of the Elect who will be participating in the Preparation Rites.

Why reinvent the wheel when you can take advantage of such a quality resource? All you have to do is subscribe to TeamRCIA which, if you are involved in RCIA ministry, is a no-brainer anyway! Thanks for sharing, Nick!

P.S. If you are looking for some great books to give as gifts to your Elect/Neophytes, here are some suggestions:

About Joe Paprocki 2742 Articles
Joe Paprocki, DMin, is National Consultant for Faith Formation at Loyola Press, where, in addition to his traveling/speaking responsibilities, he works on the development team for faith formation curriculum resources including Finding God: Our Response to God’s Gifts and God’s Gift: Reconciliation and Eucharist. Joe has more than 35 years of experience in ministry and has presented keynotes, presentations, and workshops in more than 100 dioceses in North America. Joe is a frequent presenter at national conferences including the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, the Mid-Atlantic Congress, and the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership. He is the author of numerous books, including the best seller The Catechist’s Toolbox, A Church on the Move, Under the Influence of Jesus, and Called to Be Catholic—a bilingual, foundational supplemental program that helps young people know their faith and grow in their relationship with God. Joe is also the series editor for the Effective Catechetical Leader and blogs about his experiences in faith formation at www.catechistsjourney.com.

11 Comments

  1. Thanks for the shout out Joe! In the “where credit is due” department, however, I have to point out that the retreat was written by one of our team members, Sr. Miriam Malone. She’s way smarter than I am and a better retreat leader, so I know folks are going to love it.

    • Hi, Eva. The topics and themes should be drawn from the preparation rites that Nick mentions in his article.

    • Hi, Evangelina. The topics and themes should be drawn from the preparation rites that Nick mentions in his article.

  2. I would like to receive your free Holy Saturday retreat program. I am the deacon at San Ramon parish in Lubbock Texas.

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