Children's Catechumenate Handbook 2021-2022 - Our Lady of Good Counsel Moorestown, New Jersey - Our Lady of ...
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Children’s Catechumenate
Handbook
2021-2022
Our Lady of Good Counsel
Moorestown, New JerseyIntroduction
“I have called you by name; now you belong to me.”
-- Isaiah 43:1
This booklet is meant to assist the child, family, and parish in its process of initiation of children
of catechetical age. Some children will not have been baptized and are preparing for the Sacraments of
Initiation. Others will have been baptized but not catechized; thus they will be completing their initiation.
The 1972 restoration by the Congregation for Divine Worship of a “Rite of Christian Initiation of
Children Who Have Reached Catechetical Age” within the context of the Rite of Christian Initiation of
Adults is therefore no novelty. Modeled after adult initiation and open to adaptation, the children’s
initiation process is deeply rooted in the liturgical traditions of the Roman Catholic Church.
The Rites of Christian Initiation establish that adults and catechetical-aged children are to be
baptized and brought into full communion with the Eucharist at the same celebration, specifically the
Easter Vigil.
At Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, children may be baptized on a given date for children, for
example, a specific Sunday afternoon. First communion will be celebrated on a Sunday morning in May.
Exceptions may be made.
The Period of the Catechumenate extends over the period of one year or more and is oriented so
that the child may be steeped in the faith of the community. The purpose of this period is formation in
four ways: in celebrations of the Word, accommodated to the liturgical year, in catechesis that leads to
acquaintance with dogmas and the mystery of salvation, in worship and sharing in the community’s life,
and in apostolic service. Accompanied by their sponsors, the catechumens remain in the catechumenate
until their conversion is real and their faith is strong. Participation in one complete liturgical cycle is
customary. Throughout the period the children are strengthened by rites and blessings as explained in this
booklet.
Baptized candidates participate in this formation period along with catechumens. The length of
their participation will vary according to their needs. Careful assessment through dialogue is important to
meet the needs of the children; therefore, the role of the family in this initiation process is integral to the
child’s readiness. The priests and initiation team of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish and those adults
specifically involved with the children’s catechumenate are willing and available to help in this process.
We are not alone in community; we belong to God and to one another. It is not God and me, but God and
us. We need to identify with a specific community. We need the public witness and example of one
another to foster an ever-maturing trust and hope in Jesus. Our community also needs us. Our faith and
example can enrich the life of the Church and the life of the world.Initiation Team
The Initiation Team has the responsibility of assisting parents in preparing the
candidate to live the faith of the Christian Community by living lives which profess the
Lord’s presence and salvation in the world.
The Parents of all our catechumenates
The Most Rev. David O’Connell Bishop of Trenton
Very Rev. Christopher Picollo, V.F. Pastor
Rev. Jack Bogacz Parochial Vicar
Deacon Edward Heffernan Deacons
Deacon David Papuga
Deacon John Bertagnolli
Deacon Thomas Kolon
Deacon Thomas D. Begley III
Mrs. Christine Kienzle Director of RCIA / Initiation
Dr. Linda M. Dix Director of Children’s Initiation Team
Mrs. Terry Wiebalck Catechist, Elementary Children
Mrs. Kristin Seltzer Catechist, Elementary Children
Mrs. Cynthia Robinson Parish Catechetical Leader
Ms. Laura J. Kowalick Office Manager / Registrar
Dr. Veronica Lye-McElroy Sacred Music MinistryChildren’s Catechumenate
The link between the adult and the child initiation rites is not new. From its earliest
origins, the initiation of children has always been modeled on the adult initiation
Process and adapted to the faith development of its participants. Preparing a child for
initiation is faithful to the norms established in the reformed Rites of Christian Initiation
of Adults.
We cordially invite you to Family Nights: (parents and children)
Tuesday, October 5, 2021 and November 16, 2021, 7:00P.M., Heritage House
We will review upcoming events and meet our teachers and parish priests.
Rite of Acceptance: Sunday, November 28, 2021, 9:30A.M., Heritage House
Details for Rite of Acceptance will be sent to parents closer to dates listed.
Penance Service: Tuesday, April 5, 2022, 7:00 P.M., Church
(Meet in the Church by 6:45 PM)
The children will celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time. Sponsors do not need be
present but are welcomed and encouraged to attend. Children will be prepared to participate in the
sacrament by knowing the appropriate form of confession and associated prayers. Please also note that
these are printed in this booklet for the information of the parent who may also wish to assist the child in
this preparation.
Easter Vigil Liturgy: Grade 8, High School students and adults
Saturday Evening, April 16, 2022, 8:00 P.M. (Meet in Church by 7:15 P.M.)
Through this celebration, the high school students, along with adults, are welcomed into the family of
God. They are graced with adoption as children of God and are led by the Holy Spirit into the promised
fullness of time begun in Christ and as they share in the eucharistic sacrifice and meal, we all share in the
foretaste of the kingdom of God. High School students and adults seeking Baptism will be baptized at
this liturgy. Those preparing for First Eucharist will receive First Eucharist. Those studying for
Confirmation, will be confirmed. A reception to welcome the children will be held following the liturgy
in Heritage House. All family members are invited to attend.
Sunday Afternoon Baptism: Elementary School students
Date to be determined
Those seeking Baptism for their child are asked to make an appointment with the Parish Office.
Please contact Megan Quigley at 856-235-0181.
Sunday Morning First Communion: Elementary School students
Sunday, May 1, 2022 – 10:00am
(Candidates and families are to be in Church by 9:45 A.M.)
Children in elementary and junior high school preparing for First Eucharist will receive First Eucharist at
this mass. Students will sit with their families in the front pews of church.Sacrament of Reconciliation Form
You say: Bless me Father, for I have sinned.
Father, I…..
For these and all of the sins of my past life,
I am sorry.
Priest says: For your penance…..
(for example: say one Our Father or help your parents today)
You say: Act of Contrition
O my God, I am sorry for my sins.
In choosing to sin,
And failing to do good,
I have sinned against you
And your church.
I firmly intend,
With the help of your Son,
To make up for my sins
And to love as I should.
Priest says: I absolve you of your sins, in the name of the Father
and the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. God bless you.
You say: Thank you Father and God bless you.Sacrament of Confirmation
Renewal of Baptismal Promises
Presider: Do you renounce Satan, and all his works, and all his empty promises?
Candidates: I do.
Presider: Do you believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth?
Candidates: I do.
Presider: Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered death and was buried, rose again from the dead and is seated at the right hand of
the Father?
Candidates: I do.
Presider: Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who today through the
Sacrament of Confirmation is given to you in a special way just as he was given to the
Apostles on the day of Pentecost?
Candidates: I do.
Presider: Do you believe in the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of
sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting?
Candidates: I do.
Presider: This is our faith. This is the faith of the Church. We are proud to profess it in Christ
Jesus our Lord.
Candidates: Amen.
Laying on of Hands
Anointing With Chrism
Presider: (Confirmation name), be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit.
Response: Amen.
Presider: Peace be with you.
Response: And with your spirit.The Role and Eligibility of the Godparent / Sponsor
According to the Diocese of Trenton
(Needed for Baptism and Confirmation)
Role: Individual Godparents / sponsors must be selected. A Godparent / sponsor must be a person who
knows the catechumen / candidate and can help him/her on his/her spiritual journey and can share his/her
own faith. This selection should be indicated at the beginning of the catechumen / candidate’s immediate
preparation. Ideally, it should be someone who has been already involved in the spiritual formation of the
candidate (remote preparation), such as a godparent or member of the local parish.
Opportunity for the inclusion of the sponsor should be provided during the candidate’s immediate
preparation program in order to enhance the sponsor’s role in the final rite.
Eligibility: A sponsor:
Must be sixteen years old.
Must belong to the Catholic Church and have been initiated in the three sacraments of Baptism,
Confirmation, and Eucharist.
Must not be prohibited by law from exercising the role of Godparent / sponsor.
May be the same sponsor the individual had at Baptism.
May be a new sponsor selected specifically for Confirmation.
May be either male or female for any candidate.
If married, must be married in the Church.
Note: Parents are no longer eligible as sponsors. (1983 – Code of Cannon Law.)
Please note: If your Godparent / sponsor is not a member of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish,
he or she will have to obtain a Certificate of Eligibility.
Please do not ask that the certificate be sent to us, but rather have your Godparent / sponsor
send it to you.
Godparent / Sponsor Eligibility Certificates are due by
January 25, 2022Parent / Guardian Notes
Belonging to God and to One Another
Help your child appreciate his or her special place in your family, and share how his or her gifts
and talents help your family to be happy. Affirm your child’s efforts, big and small, to share himself or
herself with the family.
Your child’s sense of identity with the Church community will be formed primarily by attendance
at Sunday Mass. Regular Mass attendance on Sunday is essential. At Mass, your child can see and
experience people, both young and old, gathering in praise of God who loves them. Help your child
participate in this celebration. Looking up the hymns in the songbook, saying the Lord’s Prayer, sharing a
sign of peace, listening to the Bible stories, watching as the gifts are received and the Eucharist is shared,
all help shape your child’s understanding of what it means to be Church.
Children need to come to know Jesus and to understand the significance of his life. Please read
the Bible stories about Jesus with your child.
Prayer is the heart of the Christian life. Pray with your child every day. The Sign of the Cross and
the Lord’s Prayer are essential. Help your child compose his or her own simple prayers of thanksgiving at
mealtime and bedtime.
Our faith in Jesus Christ should lead all baptized Christians to a new perspective on life. A
Christian’s attitude is one of joy and hope. Our belief in Jesus and our understanding of the significance
of the cross and resurrection lead us to expect that we will not be conquered by the disappointments,
hardships, anxieties, pain, or suffering we endure in life. Rather, the promise of Jesus is that because of
his death and resurrection – his love – we need never despair in the face of our defeats, but, instead, we
can experience joy and new life! That is the mystery of our faith. Through the Sacraments of Initiation –
Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist – we become members in a community whose faith in Jesus
inspires courage and love, and seeks to lift others out of their suffering, their deaths, and offer them new
possibilities and new hope.
We are not alone: we belong to God and to one another. It is not God and me, but God and us.
We need to identify with a specific community. We need the public witness and example of one another
to foster an ever-maturing trust and hope in Jesus. And our community needs us. Our faith and example
can enrich the life of the Church and the life of the world.
Reflection
You have looked deep into my heart, Lord, and you know all about me.
You know when I am resting, or when I am working, and from heaven you discover my thoughts . . . .
Nothing about me is hidden from you! Psalm 139:1-2, 15a
In what ways in your life do you experience
God presence . . .
God’s unconditional love . . .
God’s Spirit of hope . . .
Family at Home
How does your family pray?
Make a commitment to pray together as family . . . at mealtime, at bedtime, and at special times.
Help your children learn some prayers “by heart”.
Teach your children to look for signs of hope in life. Teach them to trust, to love, to hope!Living the Jesus Way of Life
For the Christian, Jesus Christ is the model for behavior. And since we are Christians, Jesus is our
model, our teacher, and our guide.
As his disciples, we follow his values and beliefs and make them our own. Jesus taught that it is
very important that our beliefs and our actions, what we say and what we do, be consistent. Children are
very aware of inconsistency. “You always told me never to lie,” a child might say to a parent, “but you
don’t always tell the truth.” Adolescents in particular are aware of hypocrisy. Hypocrisy or
inconsistency in Church life and religious values is especially upsetting to the adolescent because the
adolescent is developing his or her ideas of justice, honesty, truthfulness, and equity.
Jesus teaches us how to live. Through Christian initiation, your son or daughter makes the
commitment to become a disciple to Jesus. A disciple of Jesus follows his teachings and actions. To do
that, we need prayer – and Jesus taught us a prayer, which we call the Lord’s Prayer, and which has a
central role in our Eucharistic liturgy. Praying helps us live the Jesus was of life. Prayer keeps us in close
touch with God and helps us make important decisions. Family prayer, especially before meals and
before bedtime, connects for your child faith and life, connects what we say with what we do, what we
believe with how we live.
Central to the values of Jesus are the teachings about forgiveness and selfless love. Learning to
forgive others is a keystone to Christian faith. Loving and serving others without expectation of return or
reward is the nature of Christian love practiced by Jesus. Family life is the primary teacher of these key
Christian values of prayer, forgiveness, and selfless love.
Reflection
Does my everyday life of prayer and action reflect my Christian belief in forgiveness and selfless love?
Family at Home
Examine your family practice of forgiveness.
Do we as parents model sincerity and humility by admitting our need for forgiveness?
Are we generous and kind in our willingness to forgive one another as family?
Examine your family practice of serving others.
Do we as family serve those in need within our community? Within our family?Sharing New Life in Jesus
“Life is difficult,” begins Scott Peck’s book, The Road Less Traveled. These three words help
capture the reality of our struggles and the suffering, grief, and loss with which all people live. Suffering
is hard to accept, hard to understand. We often confront illness or loss with questions of “Why?”
Understanding something gives us a measure of peace about it. To have no reasonable answer to the
question of why leaves us powerless. It is within this crucible of pain and disillusionment that faith leads
us to hope, and hope leads us to trust in God’s promise of new life.
Children and their families are well acquainted with the pain and suffering shouldered by friends,
by family members, by our communities, and by our world. Separation and loss are common realities in
life. Christian believers count on their faith and the supportive faith of others in their Church community
to sustain them in times of trouble and death. The hope we share through our Baptism is hope in Jesus.
Through his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus overcame sin, frailty, and death. Through Baptism,
we share in the victory of Jesus over sin and death; we share in his promise of new life. Through God’s
Spirit, we experience that fullness of life in our present life transformed by grace.
As Christian families, we testify to our belief in the cross and resurrection of Jesus, and we do this
through our lives of hope and faith. How?
By admitting our weakness and asking forgiveness of one another
By encouraging and supporting family members and others in times of stress, anxiety,
loneliness, or pain
By affirming the goodness in family members and others
By loving one another
By strengthening our faith through prayer
As parents, our lives of faith, hope, and love teach our children to trust confidently in
God’s promise of new life, and to live as Jesus lived.
Reflection
God’s grace lifts us out of the crucible of despair and darkness and allows us to see the light of hope.
Who has brought you the light of Christ’s love in times of darkness?
Family at Home
Does your family strengthen its faith and confidence in God’s love through regular attendance at the
Sunday liturgy?Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist: Path to Christian Initiation
“Forever” is a reality seldom experienced by any of us. So often, our human experience is one of
limits, betrayals, disappointments, and loss. However, our Christian lives challenge that reality. Baptism
challenges that reality. The Church challenges that reality. The Sacrament of Baptism celebrates a
forever – God’s love and promise of life forever!
Then, through the Sacrament of Confirmation, we celebrate the full power of the Holy Spirit in
our lives. Confirmation celebrates our openness to God’s Holy Spirit to empower, strengthen, and guide
our lives along a path of justice, peace, and love.
It is the intention of the Christian community to make God’s love alive in the hearts and lives of
all people. The Sacrament of the Eucharist feeds our hearts and our bodies with the food of God’s love –
Jesus. Receiving Jesus in the Eucharist enables us to recognize the gifts we are and the opportunities we
have for sharing our resources and energy with all those in need.
Through Christian initiation, your child becomes a member of a Christian community that intends
to model God’s love by unselfish service and by love of all people. Through initiation, your child
becomes incorporated into a community that is interdependent – we depend on the gifts, love, talents, and
time of all our members, to bring God’s love into the lives of all people. Finally, through initiation, your
child becomes incorporated into a community that relies on God’s Spirit to invigorate its energy,
challenge its standards, and guide its efforts to begin to experience God’s eternal love now.
These three sacraments:
Baptism
Confirmation
Eucharist
. . . initiate us into a Christian community identified with Jesus, empowered by the Spirit,
and reflecting the love of God in its mission of serving one another.
Reflection
Is my life of service to others a reflection of my belief in God?
Family at Home
Examine belonging to your family:
Are the unique gifts and differences of our family members accepted by each of us and the
family together? Celebrated by each of us and the family together?
Are we good and just stewards of our family time together?
Are our family meals examples of love shared, at least some of the time?The Sacraments of Initiation
Human beings are symbol makers. Our everyday lives are filled with symbolic rituals, gestures,
objects, and words. On special occasions like a birthday or an anniversary, or at a special season like
Thanksgiving and Christmas, we become more aware of those symbols. Getting dressed up in our best
clothes symbolizes the importance of the moment; gifts or flowers symbolize the love or friendship
people have for one another; and the repeated and familiar rituals celebrate something deep, mysterious,
and enduring.
The deepest experiences of our lives require expression in symbols. Birth, passage from
adolescence into adulthood, love, marriage, and death are surrounded by symbols and rituals. Many of
these symbols and rituals are secular. A birthday person negotiates an important passage in life with the
support of friends and family. The birthday cake, the gifts, and the attention are part of the ritual. Our
gifts symbolize our love and affection for that person.
When the symbols and rituals are expressing our deepest experience – our experience of God’s
presence and love – we participate in religious symbolism and ritual. As all religions do. Christians use
symbolic language. God’s love is described as the affection of a spouse or a father or a mother for a
child. The kingdom of God is described by stories, called parables, that show the kingdom to be full of
surprises. The psalms describe God’s power and presence through poetic prayer.
Sacraments involve us in symbolic actions with symbolic language. Basic to sacraments is “the
stuff or real life” – water, oil, bread, wine, touching, loving, birth, sickness, death, change, and renewal.
Sacraments put us in touch with God’s love in an active and conscious way. Sacraments use symbols at
several levels: symbolic words (Scripture and prayers), symbolic gestures and postures (kneeling,
standing, sitting, processing, touching, anointing, pouring, breaking), and symbolic materials (water, oil,
bread, wine, vestments). We are active participants in sacraments, not just passive observers. We get
caught up and involved in the mystery of God’s love.
At Baptism, your child is given a white robe to wear as a reminder of his or her Christian dignity.
Your child will also receive a candle lit from the Easter candle, as a symbol of the light of Christ bringing
brightness to his or her life and as a reminder of his or her call to be a light to the world.
The celebration of Initiation continues with the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Your child will receive
Jesus in the Eucharist for the first time. Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist celebrate the initiation of
your child. If your child is already baptized, his or her profession of faith (Creed), Confirmation, and first
celebration of the Eucharist welcome him or her into the family of faith in the Catholic Church.
Reflection
What are some of the ways you symbolize your love, affection, and respect to your children, your family,
and your friends?
Family at Home
Family rituals communicate family values.
What family values are celebrated in your family rituals?
Do your family rituals include symbols of faith?Catholic Prayers to Know Our Father
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Sign of the Cross hallowed be thy name;
In the name of the Father, thy kingdom come;
and of the Son, thy will be done on earth
and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
Angel of God and forgive us our trespasses
Angel of God as we forgive those
My guardian dear, who trespass against us;
To whom God’s love and lead us not into temptation,
Entrusts me here, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Ever this day be at my side,
To light and guard,
Hail Mary
To rule and guide. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with you!
Blessed are you among women,
Act of Contrition and blessed is the fruit
O my God, I am sorry for my sins. of your womb, Jesus.
In choosing to sin, Holy Mary, Mother of God,
And failing to do good, pray for us sinners,
I have sinned against you now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
And your church.
I firmly intend,
Peace Prayer
With the help of your Son, Lord, make me an instrument
To make up for my sins of your peace.
And to love as I should. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Grace Before Meals Where there is despair, hope;
Bless Us O Lord and these thy gifts Where there is darkness, light;
which we are about to receive And where there is sadness, joy.
from thy bounty
through Christ Our Lord. Amen. O, Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled, as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
It is in dying
that we are born to eternal life.Children’s Initiation Sacramental Register Form
Name:
_________________________________________________________________________________
First Middle Last
Sacrament(s) to be received: ____ Baptism _____ First Eucharist _____ Confirmation
Age on date Receiving Sacrament(s): _________
Residence: ___ Moorestown, NJ ___ Mt. Laurel, NJ Other: ______________________
Record of Birth:
City / State of Birth: ______________________________________________________
Date of Birth: ___________________________
Father: (Legal Name): ______________________________________________________
Mother: (Include Maiden Name): ________________________________________________
Record of Baptism:
Church of Baptism: ______________________________________________________
City / State: ______________________________________________________
Date of Baptism: _________________________
If parish other than Good Counsel, please attach Baptismal Certificate
If receiving Confirmation – please list Confirmation Name: ______________________________
Sponsor for Initiation (Baptism and Confirmation): _____________________________________
Sponsor is not needed for First Eucharist
Sponsor’s Parish: _______________________________________________________
If parish other than Good Counsel, please attach Certificate of Eligibility
Parent / Guardian Signature: _______________________________________________
The above information is complete and accurate
All information, baptismal certificates (if applicable) and Godparent or Sponsor Eligibility Certificates
are due to Dr. Dix by Tuesday, January 25, 2022.
Office Use
BC Verified SE Verified Date of Sacrament(s): ____________________ Presider: ________________________________
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