RCIA Newsletter
December 2023
Dear Coordinator of the Catechumenate (RCIA),
His Eminence Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan invites those catechumens (the unbaptized) who participated in their parish Catechumenate (RCIA) process and are ready to celebrate the three sacraments of Christian initiation this coming Easter Vigil to formally celebrate the Archdiocesan Rite of Election on the First Sunday of Lent, February 18, 2024, at 2:30 PM at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City.
All the catechumens, along with their godparents, of the Archdiocese of New York are invited to attend the Archdiocesan Rite of Election at the Cathedral. According to the Rite, paragraph #121: “Admission to election therefore belongs to the bishop, and the presiding celebrant for the rite of election is the bishop himself.”
You must register your Catechumens in advance. Online Registration opens on January 1, 2024.
The preparation for this celebration is extensive so you must register by Friday, February 2, 2024.
If your parish registration is not in by the 2nd of February, we will not be able to include your parish name in the program booklet and the names of your Catechumens will not be called at the Archdiocesan Rite of Election.
There will be reserved seats for parish groups at the Cathedral. We respectfully ask that all other guests find their seats in the unreserved pews of the Cathedral. We also invite each parish attending the Cathedral Rite to send a parish hospitality volunteer to assist at the Rite. Please note that the parish Hospitality Volunteer should not be a Godparent.
To assist in your preparations for this Rite, we have attached these two links that should be helpful to you, namely:
General Instructions for the Archdiocesan Rite of Election
Liturgical Instructions for the Archdiocesan Rite of Election
Liturgical Instructions for the Archdiocesan Rite of Election
Parish-baptized RCIA candidates who are ready for their Confirmation and First Holy Communion this coming Easter season, may celebrate the Rite of Calling the Candidates to Continuing Conversion at any of the parish Sunday Masses on the First Sunday of Lent, February 18, 2024.
For more information go to this link: Rite of Calling the Candidates
Finally, as a means of ongoing support, we are inviting all parish Catechumens and Candidates who will be celebrating their sacraments of Christian initiation during this coming 2024 Easter season to participate in any of the Archdiocesan Lenten Retreat Days for all the Elect and RCIA Candidates, godparents, sponsors, and RCIA team members. For more information and registration go to this link: RCIA Lenten Retreat Days
If you need any further assistance with any of these upcoming Archdiocesan RCIA events, please feel free to contact us at 646-794-2574 or by e-mailing us at: RCIA@archny.org.
Please know that if you have any question concerning the Catechumenate (RCIA), you can reach us at rcia@archny.org or at 646-794-2574.
Oscar Cruz
Director of the Catechumenate (RCIA)
Archdiocese of New York
