New Beginnings…
The Catechumenate is a journey of understanding and experiencing the Christian way of life.  This journey comprises of four steps.

1.  On reaching the point of initial conversion and wishing to become Christian, the candidates are accepted as catechumens by the Church.  This is done during the Liturgy of the Word when the faith community gathers to celebrate Sunday.

2.  Having progressed in faith and almost completed the catechumenate the candidates are accepted into a more intense time of preparation.  This step is called the enrolment of names  and is presided over by the local Bishop usually in the Cathedral.

3.  The third step coincides with the Lenten preparation for Easter and this preparation is a sharing in the death and resurrection of Jesus.  At the Easter Vigil the faith community renew their own baptismal promises, these are the promises that the catechumens will profess for the first time prior to their Baptism.

4.  The fourth step continues through the Easter season.  It is a time for a deepening of their religious experience and for entering more fully into the mission of the local church.