Two sessions to choose From
Tuesday, March 25, 2025 St. John the Evangelist (West Chester)
Wednesday, March 26, 2025 St. John the Baptist (Tipp City)
9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
For OCIA team members, pastors, vicars, deacons, Directors of Evangelization, Directors of Worship, pastoral musicians, and anyone else involved in helping others become Catholic.
Join fellow adult initiation ministers for a day with Fr. Paul Turner – theologian, pastor, and author – focused on the Christian initiation of adults! We’ll explore the new OCIA and the new National Statutes on the Christian Initiation of Adults, their implications for how we accompany those seeking to become Catholics, and special topics of interest to initiation ministers.
Topics include:
- New norms on sacramental record keeping
- How to implement a year-round initiation process
- Tips for more dynamic catechesis
- Celebrating the rites of initiation
- Initiation ministry in a Family of Parishes
- And much more!
Speaker Fr. Paul Turner
Fr. Paul Turner is pastor of Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Kansas City, Missouri and director of the Office of Divine Worship for the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St Joseph. He holds a doctorate in sacred theology from Sant’ Anselmo in Rome. He is a consultor for the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
His publications include Ars Celebrandi: Celebrating and Concelebrating Mass (Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2021), Words Without Alloy: A Biography of the Lectionary for Mass (Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2022), and Present for God’s Call: An Overview of the Rites of Institution and Ordination (Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 2022), and dozens of other titles. He wrote the introduction, emendations and annotations for the reprint of The Liturgical Year by Adrien Nocent (Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2013).
He is a former president of the North American Academy of Liturgy, a member of Societas Liturgica, and the Catholic Academy of Liturgy. He is the recipient of the Jubilate Deo Award from the National Association of Pastoral Musicians and the Frederick McManus Award from the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions. He serves as a facilitator for the International Commission on English in the Liturgy.
As pastor of diverse parishes, he spent many years ministering in a state prison, serving a hispanic and multi-ethnic community, and providing assistance to the homeless. He plays harpsichord, piano and organ. He enjoys the Kansas City Symphony and the Kansas City Royals.
schedule and breakouts
8:30a
- Check-in, Breakfast
9:00a
- Welcome, Introductions, Prayer
9:15a
- Keynote Address: Fr. Paul Turner
- The new OCIA & National Statutes
- Reception into Full Communion
BREAK
-
- Overview of 4 stages and 3 rituals of the catechumenate
11:00a
- Updates to Archdiocesan Policies re: Christian Initiation
- Catechetical Texts
- Sacramental Recordkeeping Changes
- Marriage Cases
11:30a
- Q&A with Panel
- Fr. Paul Turner, Nicholas Hardesty (Evangelization), Deacon Rich Hobbs (Tribunal), Jeremy Helmes (moderator)
Noon LUNCH
12:50p Breakout 1
- Celebrating the Rites, Part 1: Entrance, Liturgies of the Word with anointing, & Scrutinies (for clergy and liturgists, with Fr. Paul Turner)
- Join Fr. Paul to discuss the ars celebrandi of these rites of initiation. Priests and deacons who preside, liturgists, and parish musicians will take a look at these rites and how to better celebrate them.
- Dynamic Catechesis (Nicholas Hardesty)
- Learn a 5-step method of catechesis that brings dynamism and genuine learning into the catechetical sessions of your initiation process.
- Team-Based Approach to Initiation in a Family of Parishes (Jeremy Helmes)
- How to best form teams of initiation ministers to serve a Family of Parishes united in adult initiation ministry. We’ll discuss team formation and roles and best practices for formation and celebration in the Family context.
1:50p BREAK
2:00p Breakout 2
- Celebrating the Rites, Part 2: Handings On, Holy Sat Preparatory Rites, Easter Vigil (for clergy and liturgists, with Fr. Paul Turner)
- A continuation from Part 1, for clergy, liturgists, and parish musicians
- Kerygmatic Catechesis (CNE Parish Support Team)
- Learn what kerygmatic catechesis is, why it’s important, and how to make your catechetical sessions more kerygmatic so that people are hearing the Good News no matter what you’re teaching them!
- Year-Round and Year-Long Catechumenate (Nicholas Hardesty)
- There’s no one way to move to a year-round initiation process or a year-long Catechumenate period, but there are some basic techniques that can be helpful. Let’s discuss this together and learn from each other! If you already have a year-round process or a year-long Catechumenate, you are especially invited!
3:00p End
