Why the church isn't dying

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the nation’s largest archdiocese, with over 4.4 million Catholics, celebrated two Rites of Election in order to accommodate all 1,294 catechumens and their sponsors. In addition to the catechumens, nearly 1,500 candidates in Los Angeles will be formally welcomed into the church Holy Saturday.

To read more about the tens of thousands of people who joined the Catholic Church last weekend, click here.

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RCIA resources

In the March 2007 issue of Today's Parish Minister, Paul Turner writes:

To receive a previously baptized Christian into the church in the same ceremony when catechumens are being baptized blurs the nature of the Easter Vigil.

He provides some supporting resources below that back up his statement.

What do you think?

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Johnson, Maxwell E. “Let’s Stop Receiving ‘Converts’ at Easter.” In Worship: Rites, Feasts, and Reflections. Portland: Pastoral Press, 2004, 83–94.

Journey to the Fullness of Life. Washington DC: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2000.

Oakham, Ronald A., ed. One at the Table: The Reception of Baptized Christians. Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 1995.

Sieverding, Dale. The Reception of Baptized Christians: A History and Evaluation. Forum Essays 7. Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 2001.

Turner, Paul. When Other Christians Become Catholic. Pueblo. Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2007.