What does love for the poor have to do with Christian initiation? According to Pope Leo XIV, everything!

As catechumenate ministers, we are always concerned with handing on the faith, dogmas, and precepts of our Catholic tradition. But if we are not teaching that love for the poor is at the heart and center of the faith we profess, we are not giving our seekers the fullness of our faith. In his first letter to the church, Dilexi te, Pope Leo says, “Love for the Lord is one with love for the poor” (5).

In this short video, Diana gives you some ways to understand why care for the poor is essential for the catechumens’ formation and ability to give authentic worship and how to help them encounter Christ in those most in need.

What are your thoughts?

I’d love to know how this video is helping you. Can you share a word or a phrase about how it resonates with you? Does it speak to your experience? Or challenge you some way? What are other ways you help your catechumens and candidates learn the Church’s teaching on love for the poor? Share your thoughts in the comments box below. Thanks for being part of the conversion!

You’ve no doubt heard the story of the wise man who went to the river to meditate. When he arrived, he found a group of agitated people gathered on the riverbank. As he drew closer, he saw them frantically wading into the water to rescue people from drowning. Every time they pulled someone to shore, more flailing bodies came rushing downstream, crying for help.

After watching for a moment, the wise man asked what they were doing.
“Are you blind?” one of them shouted. “Can’t you see we’re saving people from drowning? We’ve been at this for hours!”

The wise man nodded. “It’s a great thing you’re doing,” he said. “But perhaps it would be even more helpful to send some of your group upstream to find out why people are falling into the river in the first place.”

That, in a nutshell, is the point of Pope Leo’s recent apostolic exhortation Dilexi te (“I have loved you”). 

As I noted in a previous article, the heart of the pope’s message is this: caring for the poor is not merely a consequence of faith—it is a prerequisite of faith and an essential aspect of the church’s mission.

What’s happening upstream?

In my parish, I volunteer with the St. Vincent de Paul ministry. Every Tuesday morning, we sort and pack donations from the local food bank and grocery store. After an hour or two of work, we open the doors, and guests stream in to receive their weekly bags.

Every week, I can’t help but wonder what’s happening “upstream” that keeps pushing so many people into poverty.

Caring for the poor certainly includes giving food to the hungry—but it also means more than that. It means, as Pope Francis says, “fighting against the structural causes of poverty and inequality; of the lack of work, land, and housing; and of the denial of social and labor rights. It means confronting the destructive effects of the empire of money” (Address to the World Meeting of Popular Movements, cited in Dilexi te, 81).

When Pope Leo says that caring for the poor is a prerequisite of faith, he’s not only talking about distributing groceries. He’s saying that disciples of Jesus must go upstream—to uncover the forces that push people into poverty and to challenge the systems that keep them there.

When Pope Leo says that caring for the poor is a prerequisite of faith, he’s not only talking about distributing groceries. He’s saying that disciples of Jesus must go upstream—to uncover the forces that push people into poverty and to challenge the systems that keep them there.

Today’s illusions about poverty

That work is becoming harder. Since the time of the previous Pope Leo in the 1800s, global wealth has grown dramatically. Yet today’s Pope Leo warns that this wealth “is sometimes interpreted to convince us that the situation of the poor is not so serious” (Dilexi te, 13).

Quoting Pope Francis, he reminds us that wealth has increased alongside inequality and that “new forms of poverty are emerging.”

We Christians, he cautions, can easily absorb this secular attitude and conclude that poverty today isn’t so bad. But Pope Leo writes:

The poor cannot be neglected if we are to remain within the great current of the church’s life that has its source in the gospel and bears fruit in every time and place. (Dilexi te, 15)

Because we are disciples of Jesus, we must locate the present-day realities that deepen poverty and work to dismantle them. And we must form our catechumens to do the same.

Helping catechumens go upstream

Identify the key themes of Catholic social teaching

If you’re guiding catechumens in the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, you’re already grounding them in Catholic social teaching. In essence, Catholic social teaching is the gospel’s call for disciples to build a loving and just society that reflects God’s reign.

For a clear overview, see Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching | USCCB.

Reflect mystagogically on actions of mercy

In the apprenticeship of discipleship, seekers learn by doing—and then by reflecting. Mystagogical reflection turns their acts of mercy into lessons in how Christ is at work in the world.

• Step 1: Perform acts of mercy with your seekers. Emphasize that the first task is to listen to the stories of the poor. Remind them that the poor are “teachers of the gospel” who possess “unique insights indispensable to the church” (Dilexi te, 79, 82).
• Step 2: Invite the seekers to recall what they experienced, heard, and learned.
• Step 3: Connect their experiences to the deeper tradition of the church as expressed in Catholic social teaching. Guide them from personal charity to the church’s universal teaching on structural sin.
• Step 4: Encourage seekers to commit to concrete actions that lead to a “progressive change of outlook and morals” (OCIA 75.2) and to work actively to dismantle unjust structures.

Our role as disciples is to live in solidarity with all our brothers and sisters, pursuing peace and justice.

As the U.S. bishops remind us:

We are one human family whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences…. At the core of the virtue of solidarity is the pursuit of justice and peace. Pope Paul VI taught that if you want peace, work for justice. The gospel calls us to be peacemakers. (Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching, USCCB)

Standing where Christ stands

Ultimately, caring for the poor means standing with them as Christ stands with us—at the very heart of the world’s suffering and hope.

When we apprentice catechumens into this work, we are not simply teaching them to “help” others; we are forming disciples who recognize the presence of Christ where the world least expects him.

The river of human need will always flow, but disciples of Jesus are called to go upstream—to uncover the forces that cast people into poverty and to build a community shaped by mercy, justice, and love.

Join the conversation

I’d love to hear your thoughts. How is your parish helping seekers or parishioners move from acts of mercy to confronting the causes of poverty? What practices have helped you or your team “go upstream”?

Share your experiences in the comments below so we can keep learning from one another.

When Pope Leo issued the first major document of his pontificate, he presented a big challenge to catechumenate teams. His apostolic exhortation, Dilexi te (“I have loved you”), is essentially an introduction to the rich tradition of Catholic Social Teaching. This is a teachable moment that we can use to introduce Catholic Social Teaching to our seekers. Unfortunately, however, many Catholics — even seasoned team members — may not know much about the church’s social teaching.

You can, of course, find a lot of YouTube videos that explain the church’s social teaching. And some of them might be helpful for your own background. However, I wouldn’t recommend videos or handouts or a reading list as the primary way to introduce seekers to this crucial aspect of church doctrine. Effective faith formation works best in an apprenticeship model, which means seekers will best learn what it means to be a disciple by imitating other disciples.

How, then, do we introduce the vast principles of Catholic Social Teaching in a way that aligns with the apprenticeship model and ensures seekers receive a foundation suitable for living as missionary disciples?

Establishing the theological framework

Pope Leo XIV intentionally chose his name to honor Pope Leo XIII, who wrote the foundational text for modern Catholic Social Teaching with his 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum.

Pope Leo XIII’s main point in that document is that faith compels us to care about justice and human flourishing in the here and now. He dismantled the false teaching that a fully human life, filled with love, dignity, and joy, happens only in the afterlife. Leo XIII, who lived in a world dealing with the dehumanizing effects of the Industrial Revolution, said that our job as Catholics is to promote the common good, resolving social issues, and helping the weakest and most disadvantaged among us.

Our job as Catholics is to promote the common good, resolving social issues, and helping the weakest and most disadvantaged among us.

Dilexi te: The foundational prerequisite

Pope Leo XIV amplifies that teaching in Dilexi te. His core, simple message is this: Caring for the poor is not merely a consequence of faith, but a prerequisite of faith itself, and an essential aspect of the church’s mission.

This commitment is crucial for seekers because it is rooted in encountering Christ. Pope Leo XIV teaches that our commitment to the poor, including living with them, is the place where we receive revelation and the gospel.

Pope Leo XIV says that contact with the poor, lowly, and powerless is a fundamental way of encountering Jesus Christ.

So here is where apprenticeship formation can come into play. We don’t need to ask the seekers to read Rerum Novarum or Dilexi te to understand what it means to love the poor. They won’t learn to love the poor by watching a video or listening to a lecture. They will learn to love the poor by serving the poor right alongside their fellow parishioners. The action and example of your parishioners will teach the seekers the core principles of Catholic Social Teaching.

Defining poverty broadly

One key element of Catholic Social Teaching, which Pope Leo XIV highlights, is that “poverty” is much broader than material poverty. Those who lack adequate food and shelter have to be at the top of our priority list. But when the church speaks about “the poor,” we also mean those:

• who lack material means of subsistence
• who are socially marginalized and lonely
• who are morally and spiritually poor
• who suffer from cultural poverty
• who lack the means to give a voice to their dignity and abilities
• who have no rights, space, or freedom (see Dilexi te, 9)

This broad understanding is essential because we see Christ identifying with the poor who have been pushed to the peripheries of society. Likewise, the seekers need to learn how to identify themselves with all those in society who are alone, marginalized, or otherwise suffering from a lack of dignity or freedom.

Seekers need to learn how to identify themselves with all those in society who are alone, marginalized, or otherwise suffering from a lack of dignity or freedom.

Connecting to the apprenticeship model

As we said earlier, since the commitment to the poor is a prerequisite for faith, that commitment is established in the lives of the seekers through lived example. It cannot simply be discussed as an abstract concept.

The catechumenate team and the entire parish must embody the spirit of the church. We have to demonstrate our love and compassion even for those whom we have difficulty loving.

We don’t have to be perfect at this, but we do need to demonstrate real, progressive change toward creating a more just and compassionate world — starting with our own hearts. The catechumenate is meant to foster a “progressive change of outlook and morals, [which] must become evident in its social consequences” (OCIA 75.2).

The deepest themes of Catholic Social Teaching — such as justice, solidarity, human dignity, and the necessity of structural change — are only truly clear to seekers after they have embraced this foundational prerequisite of encountering Christ and receiving revelation through caring for the poor.

In a future article, we will explore some practical ways for teaching these deeper Catholic Social Teaching principles using the apprenticeship model and mystagogical catechesis, moving seekers from personal charity to addressing structural injustice.

Your input matters!

The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults says that catechumens must be formed to foster a progressive change in outlook and morals, growing accustomed to “showing charity to their neighbor even to renunciation of themselves” (75.2).

Please share your thoughts:

1. What steps are most crucial for helping seekers grow accustomed to “showing charity to their neighbor even to renunciation of themselves” (OCIA 75.2)?
2. Share your comments below on how we can best implement this foundational prerequisite so that the deeper themes of Catholic Social Teaching — such as justice, solidarity, and the necessity of structural change — become clear and compelling to seekers.

I have exciting news to share. Pope Leo XIV has just issued a powerful, timely new resource to help us in our ministry. It is a letter (technically an “apostolic exhortation”) titled: Dilexi te (“I have loved you”).

In the same spirit of Dilexi te, I wrote two letters, one to seekers and the other to catechumenate teams, about this important document from Pope Leo XIV. Find them below. You can copy and adapt these two letters to help anchor your formation firmly in the foundational practices of Christian discipleship outlined in paragraph 75 of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. (If you use the letters outside your parish, please cite Team Initiation as the source.)

Letter to the catechumenate team about Dilexi te

Letter to the seekers about Dilexi te

Here is how you can use these two letters to deepen the conversion journey for both your seekers and your ministers.

1. Using the letter to seekers

The letter to seekers directly introduces Pope Leo’s message to neophytes, inquirers, catechumens, and candidates, framing the conversation around the core message of Dilexi te.

The essential teaching of Dilexi te is that caring for the poor is not merely a consequence of faith, but a prerequisite of faith itself, and an essential aspect of the church’s mission.

When we share this message with seekers, we are reinforcing OCIA 75.2, which instructs catechumens to “grow accustomed to… showing charity to their neighbor even to renunciation of themselves.” This is how we can implement that prophetic message:

• Reframe the encounter: Use Dilexi te to teach seekers that contact with those who are poor, powerless, and suffering is a fundamental way of encountering Jesus and receiving revelation. This goes beyond mere human kindness; it is about recognizing Christ in the marginalized.
• Broaden the definition of poverty: Remind seekers that “the poor” includes those who are socially marginalized, lonely, spiritually poor, or those who lack the means to give a voice to their dignity and abilities. This allows every seeker, regardless of their physical proximity to material poverty, to engage with the document’s call for spiritual poverty and generosity.
• Provide the “so what”: Effective catechesis employs a mystagogical process, which concludes with a “so what?”—for example, asking how their encounter with Christ will change their lives this week. Dilexi te’s call to work actively to solve structural causes of inequality gives seekers concrete direction for applying their new learning in the world.

When we share this message with seekers, we are reinforcing OCIA 75.2, which instructs catechumens to “grow accustomed to… showing charity to their neighbor even to renunciation of themselves.”

2. Using the letter to the catechumenate team

The letter to the catechumenate team shows team members how Dilexi te relates to their mission, specifically focusing on OCIA 75.2 (forming seekers to live in Christian community) and OCIA 75.4 (forming seekers for an apostolic life).

We know that the classroom/lecture model is not the most effective way to form Christian disciples. The most effective way is by example. Pope Leo’s letter is a wonderful tool to revitalize your team’s commitment to living the foundational steps of Christian life.

• Emphasize lived example: Use the letter to the catechumenate team to stress that the catechumens’ conversion is facilitated by the community’s example of prayer, hope, witness, and especially sharing love. Ministers and sponsors must be a good example of Christian living and discipleship.
• Connect charity to mission (apostolic life): Pope Leo’s call for us to commit our lives to the poor is necessary for seekers to live an apostolic life (OCIA 75.4). When your team members embrace the mission to care for the poor, they are modeling how seekers “work actively with others to spread the Gospel and build up the Church by the witness of their lives.”
• Reinforce the apprenticeship model: The core of catechumenate formation is an apprenticeship model, where faith is learned through immersion, participation, and example in the life of the parish. Sharing the message of Dilexi te provides a crucial emphasis on outward witness, showing that the charity instilled must lead to “a progressive change of outlook and morals, [which] must become evident in its social consequences” (OCIA 75.2).

A prophetic challenge for your parish

Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic exhortation is a prophetic challenge to us to ensure our catechesis is suitable for leading seekers to a profound sense of the mystery of salvation in such a way that they become lifelong missionary disciples.

By using the pope’s message and the example letters below, your team can ensure that your parish:

1. Reinforces the dignity of discipleship: It reaffirms that our deep concern for the weakest among us is part of the great Tradition of the church.
2. Focuses on conversion, not just concepts: It reminds us that doctrine is learned more holistically—through immersion, example, and communal life, rather than solely through classroom instruction.
3. Encourages missionary action: It pushes the whole community to move beyond spiritual worldliness—where religious practices are separated from actively helping the poor—and embrace genuine charity.

Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic exhortation is a prophetic challenge to us to ensure our catechesis is suitable for leading seekers to a profound sense of the mystery of salvation in such a way that they become lifelong missionary disciples.

Letter to the catechumenate team about Dilexi te

Dear Catechumenate Team,

I am writing to let you know that I will be sending the attached letter to all neophytes, inquirers, catechumens, confirmation candidates, and candidates for reception into full communion in our parish. This letter introduces Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic exhortation, Dilexi te (“I have loved you”).

It is important that we share this document because its core message speaks directly to the foundational Christian disciplines we are helping the seekers to learn.

Dilexi te and Christian living

Dilexi te is the first major document of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate, emphasizing continuity with Pope Francis. Its essential teaching is that caring for the poor is not merely a consequence of faith, but a prerequisite of faith itself and an essential aspect of the church’s mission.

This focus directly aligns with the fundamental training for Christian life outlined in the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), paragraph 75.

Specifically, Dilexi te’s message echoes our teaching around OCIA 75.2, which says that catechumens must “grow accustomed to… showing charity to their neighbor even to renunciation of themselves.”

The call in Dilexi te to encounter Christ in the marginalized, to practice spiritual poverty, and to work actively to solve structural causes of inequality is the concrete expression of this core requirement for discipleship. As we accompany our seekers, we want to help them remember the following:

1. Encountering Christ: Contact with those who are poor, powerless, and suffering is a fundamental way of deepening our encounter with Christ.
2. Lived example: The seekers’ conversion is facilitated by the community’s example of prayer, hope, witness, and especially sharing love. This loving example of the community leads the seekers to “a progressive change of outlook and morals, [which] must become evident in its social consequences” (OCIA 75.2).
3. Apostolic life: This commitment is necessary for our seekers to live an apostolic life of witness (OCIA 75.4). By our example, we show our seekers that our deep concern for the weakest among us is part of the tradition of the church handed down to us by the first apostles.

I don’t expect that most of the seekers will actually read Dilexi te. But if we can read it and take Pope Leo’s words to heart, we can provide a prophetic, timely message to our seekers that reinforces the self-sacrificing love required of all who strive to live as missionary disciples.

Thank you for your dedication to this important ministry.

Sincerely in Christ,

Nick

Letter to the seekers about Dilexi te

Dear friends in Christ,

I am excited to share with you a special message from Pope Leo XIV. As you continue your journey toward deeper faith—whether you are a new Catholic, or inquiring, or preparing for baptism, or preparing for confirmation, or seeking full communion—Pope Leo’s message is crucial for finding and knowing Christ.

The letter is called an Apostolic Exhortation, titled Dilexi te, which is Latin for ”I have loved you.” Pope Leo begins and ends his message with those words of Jesus to the church. The pope wants you to imagine Christ speaking those very words directly to you.

The last word of Pope Francis and the first word of Pope Leo XIV

This document has an interesting history: it was started by Pope Francis and completed by Pope Leo XIV. In a way, it is the ”last word” of Pope Francis and the “first word” of Pope Leo, emphasizing a strong continuity between their papacies. Pope Leo insists that every Christian must recognize the close connection between Christ’s love and the call to care for the poor. We are walking the same path.

Why our faith journey starts with the poor

The core message of Dilexi te is simple: caring for the poor is not just a nice thing to do, it is a prerequisite of faith itself. If we truly love God, we must love the poor. The commitment to the poor is an essential aspect of the mission of the church.

When we talk about “the poor,” we are not just talking about those who have no money. Pope Leo says that poverty also includes those who are socially marginalized, lonely, spiritually poor, and those who lack the means to give a voice to their dignity and abilities.

Pope Leo tells us that our deep concern for the weakest among us is part of the great Tradition of the church, stretching back through history, all the way to the first disciples.

Concrete takeaways for your life in Christ

As you continue to live as a new Catholic or as you prepare to embark on a journey of deeper faith, Pope Leo has some clear guidance on where to focus your energy:

1. The poor hold the true gospel. ”The poor are not there by chance or by blind and cruel fate,” wrote Pope Leo. “Nor, for most of them, is poverty a choice.” The pope tells us that the poorest among us are “teachers of the gospel.” In the poor, we see Christ revealed in their suffering flesh. Pope Leo reminds us of what Jesus said: “Just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me” (Mt 25:40). An important point here is that, according to the pope, Jesus is not merely asking us to be kind to the poor. It is a revelation of who God is. Knowing and loving the poor is a fundamental way of encountering Jesus in our lives today.
2. Go out and listen. We know that we don’t know everything. And so, when we go out to the poor, we have to go with listening ears. Pope Leo says, “Their experience of poverty gives them the ability to recognize aspects of reality that others cannot see.” If we realize that the poor have something to teach us, we will be more clearly acting as disciples. Pope Leo is convinced that truly opening our ears to the poor will renew both the church and society “if we can only set ourselves free of our self-centeredness.”
3. Don’t just talk—act. We must do more than merely talk about charity and commit to concrete actions that dismantle oppressive structures. Pope Leo cites Pope Benedict XVI who said that hunger exists not because there is a shortage of food. Rather, there is a shortage of desire to change structures that keep people hungry. “What is missing,” said Pope Benedict, “is a network of economic institutions capable of guaranteeing regular access to sufficient food and water for nutritional needs.”  Our faith in Christ demands that we work toward creating such networks.

Pope Leo’s final words in his letter are addressed directly to you and me:

“Through your work, your efforts to change unjust social structures or your simple, heartfelt gesture of closeness and support, the poor will come to realize that Jesus’ words are addressed personally to each of them: ‘I have loved you’ (Rev 3:9).”

I hope Pope Leo’s words inspire you as much as they do me. Each of you is a revelation of Jesus and a true face of Christ to the world.

Sincerely in Christ,

Nick

Last week, I was meeting with a new inquirer in the Sr. Thea Bowman Room at our parish. Somehow, we started talking about the Christmas season. I quickly realized we were talking about two very different things. I meant the time between December 25 and January 6. She meant the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

There happened to be a colorful liturgical year calendar on the wall behind her, and I took the opportunity to provide a quick overview of how the church views time.

I’m sure many of you have had similar moments. Seekers often don’t know that “church time” and “secular time” overlap but carry very different meanings and rhythms. And they almost never know that the liturgical year is more than a schedule of feast days. It is a sacred journey through the story of Christ and the mystery of salvation. Immersing seekers into the rhythm of the liturgical year is an essential part of their formation.

Not just dates on a calendar

Even lifelong Catholics sometimes think of the church year as a list of holy days: Sundays, Christmas, Easter, and maybe Ash Wednesday. But the liturgical year is more like a sacred itinerary—a journey with a destination.

An itinerary takes us somewhere. The liturgical year leads us through the saving work of Jesus Christ. Unlike a tour of ruins in Greece or masterpieces in France—moments in history preserved for tourists—the itinerary of salvation is happening here and now. The gospel stories proclaimed each Sunday are not only about the past. The liturgy announces them as events of today.

• Today Christ is born for us
• Today believers pass with Christ from death to life.
• Today is the day of salvation.

Seekers whom we accompany on this sacred itinerary journey walk with us into a more intimate communion with and deeper conversion to Jesus Christ. Week by week, season by season, we follow the Cross through death into life.

Seekers whom we accompany on this sacred itinerary journey walk with us into a more intimate communion with and deeper conversion to Jesus Christ.

Why this matters

For seekers, nothing shapes faith more deeply than celebrating the liturgical year. It is through the liturgy, lived as an itinerary, that they begin to learn the way of missionary discipleship.

Presence

This is true because of a central teaching about the liturgy — it is where we encounter the real presence of Christ:

• in the Eucharist, broken and shared,
• in the priest who presides,
• in the word proclaimed,
• and in the gathered assembly of God’s people. (see Constitution on the Liturgy, 7)

Universal membership

The liturgical year also forms seekers as members of the Body of Christ. It is not just our parish that is celebrating the 28^th Sunday or Ordinary Time or the Third Sunday of Advent or the Fifth Sunday of Easter. It is the universal church, the Body of Christ, that is united together as one in prayer and worship.

Salvation

And perhaps most importantly, they discover that salvation is now. It is not a distant promise of a heaven we might reach someday. God breaks into our lives today. Today is the day of salvation. Today God liberates, rescues, and frees us to live forever in Christ.

When seekers embark on this sacred itinerary, they begin to see their own lives as part of salvation history. Ordinary Mondays are no longer ordinary. A hard day at work is no longer completely dispiriting. Even tragedy and heartbreak no longer carry the weight of despair. Every moment takes on sacred meaning, because it belongs to the same journey Christ is walking with the church.

Practical impact

It is easy, of course, to simply substitute the church’s calendar for the secular calendar. Advent can become just a time when we light four candles on a wreath. Lent can devolve into just giving up candy or alcohol as if on a diet plan.

That’s not what I want for the seeker I met last week in the Sr. Thea Room. I want her to see Advent as a plan for living in hope and vigilance. I want her to have a goal for Lent — a goal of real conversion and scrutiny about living in light of the gospel mission. I want the Easter Vigil to be both a destination and a launching of dying to her old self and rising to new life in Christ. I want her to find in Ordinary Time the extraordinary joy of a steady, lifelong mission of discipleship.

New catechists often ask me for a resource they can hand seekers to explain all this—a book, a video, a handout. I tell them that’s impossible. Explaining the liturgical year on paper is like explaining your love for your spouse or your child with a fact sheet. You can’t do it.

If you want me to understand your marriage, invite me to your 40th anniversary party. If you want me to understand your love for your child, invite me to their graduation or their starring role in the school play. If you want seekers to understand the liturgical year, you can’t just point them to a colorful calendar on the wall. You have to invite them into the life of the church.

She will begin to understand when she sits next to us in the pews. And then again next Sunday. And the next, and the next. Surrounded by a parish community that lives the liturgical year, seekers are swept up into the mystery the liturgy proclaims. And in that mystery, they find Christ.

Explaining the liturgical year on paper is like explaining your love for your spouse or your child with a fact sheet. You can’t do it.

Join the conversation

How have you helped seekers step into the rhythm of the liturgical year in your parish? What worked—and what didn’t? Share your stories and ideas in the comments below. Your experience might be the encouragement one of your colleagues needs right now.

As we enter into the last part of the liturgical year, this is a good time for catechumenate ministers to think about how to help catechumens, candidates, and all the faithful understand time in a new way. Because as Christians, we encounter “God’s time” in a different way than we do with our everyday activities.

That difference can be described as “chronos” time versus “kairos” time. And the heart of that difference is the promise of hope that we have received in Christ.

In this short video, Diana gives you an easy way to describe this difference to your catechumens and candidates so that they can learn to see every moment of their days as God’s time filled with that promise of hope.

What are your thoughts?

I’d love to know how this video is helping you. Can you share a word or a phrase about how it resonates with you? Does it speak to your experience? Or challenge you some way? What are other ways you use the liturgical year to deepen the faith of your catechumens and candidates? Share your thoughts in the comments box below. Thanks for being part of the conversion!

We just finished our webinar on finding and preparing sponsors and godparents (Team Initiation members can view the recording here), and I’ve been reflecting on the experience.

We can do all the planning, preparing, training, and strategizing we want—but at the end of the day, the Holy Spirit is running things.

Right now, our parish has a seeker I’ll call Hildegard. She was raised in the Jehovah’s Witness tradition but was never baptized. Shortly after meeting her, I took her to a Knights of Peter Claver pancake breakfast and introduced her to some parishioners. She immediately connected with a woman I’ll call Abigale. They talked for nearly an hour, long after the breakfast was over and chairs were being stacked away. I prayed a quick “thank you” to the Holy Spirit—Abigale would be the perfect sponsor.

The next day, when I asked, Abigale was honored but declined. She was leaving for six months abroad.

I prayed again, asked around, and kept coming back to another parishioner, Janice. She wasn’t the perfect sponsor, but she was faithful, thoughtful, and grounded. Janice too was honored but turned me down. She had knee surgery coming up, and just too much “life” going on right now.

The perfect “no”

Meanwhile, the Holy Spirit provided sponsors for two other seekers, no problem. One sponsor said “yes” even before I could finish asking for help. But for Hildegard, weeks passed without a sponsor.

Then one Sunday, Hildegard’s growing curiosity about the Rosary led me to introduce her to Betsy, our parish’s “Rosary Queen.” Another hour-long conversation bloomed, and I thought we finally had it. But Betsy too turned me down. This time, though, I felt an unexpected calm. I told Betsy her “no” was okay—God must have someone else in mind. Saying those words out loud helped me believe them.

An unexpected yes

The following week, after Mass, I saw Carmen talking with our choir director. I hadn’t considered her—she often has grandchildren in tow, and she isn’t at Mass every Sunday. I wasn’t sure she’d have the time needed to give to Hildegard.

When I asked, she carefully explained her boundaries and reluctance to overcommit. I braced for another “no.” Then she asked who the seeker was.

“Hildegard?!” she exclaimed. “I already know her! I’m a definite yes!”

My heart almost burst with joy at how joyful Carmen was. Once again, I was reminded that the Spirit never works on my schedule—but always acts.

What I have to remember for next time is simply to keep showing up, making introductions, asking questions, and then letting go. The Spirit takes care of the rest.

What I learned

Here are some lessons I learned — or relearned — in all this.

1. The Holy Spirit is in charge, not us. We’re called to do the legwork, but God makes the match.
2. A “no” is not a failure. Every “no” clears the way for the right “yes.”
3. Sponsors don’t need to be “perfect.” God works through the gifts and limits of ordinary parishioners.
4. Patience is part of the process. The Spirit works in God’s time, not ours.
5. The seeker’s journey is shaped by relationships of accompaniment. The right sponsor is someone who already shares life and faith, not just someone filling a role.
6. Our job is to trust. God’s plan often unfolds in surprising ways.

Finding Hildegard’s sponsor wasn’t up to me. I keep making that mistake. God already had a companion for her. My job was to wait on the Spirit to weave relationships in ways I could never have orchestrated. What I have to remember for next time is simply to keep showing up, making introductions, asking questions, and then letting go. The Spirit takes care of the rest.

What about you?

Have you ever had a moment where the Spirit surprised you in finding the right sponsor, godparent, or mentor? Share your story in the comments. I’d love to hear how God has worked in your parish.

One of Pope Francis’s last official acts was to inaugurate a year of jubilee. We are still in that year (2025), which has been designated a Holy Year of Hope. Pope Francis invited all of us to live this year as “Pilgrims of Hope.” 

What does it mean to be a pilgrim of hope?

So what does it mean to be a Pilgrim of Hope? I am inspired by Pope Leo XIV, who did not know he would become pope when this year of jubilee started. As I write this, Pope Leo has just concluded a meeting with all the new bishops, which is an event that had been previously scheduled by Pope Francis as part of the jubilee year. 

Pope Leo said to the assembly of new bishops before him:

Perhaps some of you are still saying: how come I was chosen? At least, I ask myself this. Service is neither an external characteristic, nor a way of exercising a role. On the contrary, those whom Jesus calls as disciples and proclaimers of the Gospel, in particular the Twelve, are required to have inner freedom, poverty of spirit and readiness to serve, which are born of love, to embody the same choice made by Jesus, who made himself poor in order to enrich us (cf. 2Cor 8:9). To new Bishops and to Bishops of mission countries (11 September 2025)

Companions for those who seek hope today

Now you and I are not bishops, but we are called “as disciples and proclaimers of the Gospel.” And what we proclaim is a gospel of hope. I think of the inquirers in my parish right now; what each and every one of them needs is hope. To be a Pilgrim of Hope, then — especially to the seekers — is to do what Pope Leo asked of the new bishops:

I ask you, therefore, always to keep watch and to walk in humility and prayer, to make yourselves servants of the people to whom the Lord sends you. 

Our seekers need more than words about a distant promise. They need companions who walk with them in the present, who notice their pain, and who help them find a path forward.

This understanding of hope is echoed by Jürgen Moltmann, a German Reformed theologian who, as a prisoner of war during World War II, experienced a profound conversion to Jesus Christ. Moltmann came to see that hope is not an abstract idea—it is grounded in God’s concrete, provable promise of liberation and justice. In Jesus’ suffering on the cross, God identifies with our own pain and with the suffering of those we accompany. In their struggle, they are not alone; God is always present. 

However, as Pilgrims of Hope, we are not passively waiting for liberation and justice in a distant future. Our hope is an active, performative expectation that God is acting now to heal and transform the world. 

This is good news to our seekers. They cannot wait; telling them that their hope will be fulfilled “someday” is not good enough. Keeping watch and walking with them is not merely “tagging along.” We are actively working with them — through the power of the Holy Spirit — to construct the world that is promised to us. 

This means our task in the catechumenate is not just to teach doctrines, but to ignite a “creative and militant hope in history” (An Eschatology of Hope). It calls us to recognize the suffering and injustice in the world and to become agents of healing and justice in the world, here and now. 

As Pilgrims of Hope, we are not passively waiting for liberation and justice in a distant future. Our hope is an active, performative expectation that God is acting now to heal and transform the world. 

Hope is restless, active, creative

Moltmann insists that faith, when it develops into hope:

…causes not rest but unrest, not patience but impatience. It does not calm the unquiet heart, but is itself this unquiet heart in man. Those who hope in Christ can no longer put up with reality as it is, but begin to suffer under it, to contradict it. Peace with God means conflict with the world, for the goad of the promised future stabs inexorably into the flesh of every unfulfilled present” (Theology of Hope: On the Ground and the Implications of a Christian Eschatology, 21). 

Changing ourselves and the world

Pilgrimages are not just long walks. A pilgrimage changes the pilgrim as well as the world that the pilgrim walks through. Our seekers can no longer put with reality as it is, and neither can we. 

During this year of jubilee, even as we wonder why we were chosen, let us keep watch, walk in humility, and serve our seekers faithfully. Together, let us accompany them—and one another—as we ignite a “creative and militant hope.” Let’s go change the world.

Share your thoughts

How are you called to be a pilgrim of hope this year? Share your hopes, challenges, or stories below—we’d love to hear from you and encourage one another on the journey!

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Don’t miss our next online training webinar!

Our next FREE webinar — Prepare sponsors and godparents for a journey of accompaniment — will show you how to change that. Discover how to prepare and nurture sponsors and godparents to fulfill their mission of truly accompanying seekers on the journey of faith and into deeper conversion to Christ.

Register now

Free Discussion Guide: Enacting Pope Leo XIV’s Vision in Catechumenate Ministry

Yesterday, I asked Betty, our parish secretary, if she would consider sponsoring one of our inquirers. Most people feel honored when asked to serve as a sponsor, even if they eventually say no. Not Betty. She seemed a little perturbed—but didn’t say no.

I tried to explain the role of a catechumenate sponsor over the background thrum of the photocopier, the vacuum in the hallway, and the phone ringing at the next desk. Betty seemed more interested in managing the office chaos than guiding the spiritual journey of someone she barely knew. I thanked her for considering it and promised to follow up with an email detailing the responsibilities.

So, what does a sponsor actually do?

Here’s what I shared with her:

• Be a friend in Christ: The primary role of a sponsor is to be a spiritual companion. An unbaptized inquirer often has few, if any, spiritual friends. Sponsors share their own faith experiences and ask questions that help the seeker reflect on their journey.
• Show up for rites: Sponsors attend significant rituals—from the Rite of Entrance to blessings, minor exorcisms, and anointings—and accompany their catechumen to Sunday Mass. Presence matters; it models living in Christian community.
• Affirm and discern: Before the Rite for Entrance, the sponsor spends time getting to know the seeker, so they can authentically present them as ready to begin a life of Christian discipleship.
• Guide in Christian disciplines: While not catechism teachers, sponsors support their seekers in four areas of faith formation and Christian discipline:
  • encountering Christ in Word and tradition
  • encountering Christ in the Christian community
  • encountering Christ in prayer and worship
  • encountering Christ through apostolic witness. 

The sponsor’s role is not to be a “Catholic expert” or a teacher of catechism, but rather a good Catholic who lives the faith outwardly in their daily life, willing to share that journey and offer support to their seeker.

The sponsor’s role is not to be a “Catholic expert” or a teacher of catechism, but rather a good Catholic who lives the faith outwardly in their daily life, willing to share that journey and offer support to their seeker.

What about a godparent?

I didn’t ask Betty to be a godparent. That role is different: it’s a permanent, lifelong commitment that begins at the Rite of Election. Sponsors, by contrast, serve temporarily—from the Rite for Entrance until the Rite of Election—guiding the inquirer on their first steps in the faith.

Unlike sponsors, godparents are chosen by the catechumen themselves. By the time of election, catechumens, having deepened their discipleship, are expected to know what qualities make a good godparent. The catechumen may choose their sponsor to be their godparent, but the roles are distinct. 

Godparents have key responsibilities:

• Presence at rites: From the Rite of Election onward, godparents participate in all rites—including the scrutinies, handing-on rites, the preparation rites on Holy Saturday, and the celebration of initiation sacraments.
• Assuring readiness: Ritually, the godparent assures the bishop and the community that the catechumen is truly ready to advance to the sacraments of initiation. This requires the godparent to have had some role of accompaniment with the catechumen even before the Rite of Election to genuinely know their readiness.

Canonical requirements:

Godparents also have to meet specific canonical requirements (see Cannons 874, 892, and 893):

• They must have the intention to fulfill their role to the best of their ability and be actively living the four areas of Christian discipline (word, community, worship, and witness).
• They must be at least 16 years of age or older, though exceptions can be made by a bishop.
• They must be Catholic, baptized, confirmed, and regularly sharing in the Eucharist. They are expected to be good role models, striving for holiness, but not necessarily perfect.
• Their marriage must be regular, and they must not have any lifestyle obstacles that prevent them from being a good example of Christian living.
• The parent of the person being baptized cannot also be their godparent. While technically a spouse could serve, that is usually not a good idea.
• If there are multiple godparents, there can be at most two – one male and one female.
• Ideally, godparents would be from the same parish or geographic region, though this is not a canonical requirement.

A godparent is a permanent, lifelong commitment that begins at the Rite of Election. Sponsors, by contrast, serve temporarily—from the Rite for Entrance until the Rite of Election—guiding the inquirer on their first steps in the faith.

Why this matters

Too often, sponsors and godparents are just ceremonial stand-ins. But for seekers to truly encounter Christ, these roles must be active and authentic. They’re meant to be living examples of faith, offering guidance and friendship as the inquirer grows into a lifelong disciple.

That’s why I asked Betty to be a sponsor. Despite her sometimes brusque outward demeanor, she has a deep faith and a missionary spirit. She’ll probably say no; most people do. But that’s okay. If Betty isn’t the right fit, it just means God has someone else in mind to walk alongside our inquirer. Whoever it is, I’m excited to see how Christ will work through them, helping a new member of our parish discover the joy of living a life of faith.

Join the conversation

Have you served as a sponsor or godparent, or seen one in action? Tell us about it in the comments section—your insights could inspire others!

Don’t miss our next online training webinar!

Our next FREE webinar — Prepare sponsors and godparents for a journey of accompaniment — will show you how to change that. Discover how to prepare and nurture sponsors and godparents to fulfill their mission of truly accompanying seekers on the journey of faith and into deeper conversion to Christ.

Register now

Free download: 5 essential elements of a sponsor’s job description

Catechumenate ministers often ask us what the best resource is for teaching catechumens and candidates. And the answer we give might be surprising! The best and perhaps least utilized resource for teaching our faith is the liturgical year. And this year, we have two great, unique opportunities to encounter Christ in the cross and the font.

In 2025, we get to celebrate two feast days that usually happen during the week but this year fall on a Sunday: the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 14; and the Solemnity of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome on November 9.

As you think of how you will be training your catechumens in their Christian life of discipleship, don’t overlook these two amazing feast days because the resources you need are already in your church spaces, namely your Cross and your font.

In this short video, Diana looks at some of the areas for catechesis that pour out of these two significant dates in our liturgical year and how you might catechize through the liturgical year and your liturgical spaces in more engaging and creative ways for all the faithful.

What are your thoughts?

I’d love to know how this video is helping you. Can you share a word or a phrase about how it resonates with you? Does it speak to your experience? Or challenge you some way? What are other ways you use the liturgical year to deepen the faith of your catechumens and candidates? Share your thoughts in the comments box below. Thanks for being part of the conversion!