Indeed, the focus of the Catechumenate is Baptism and the preparing of catechumens for their baptisms. As we prepare catechumens, all of us – catechists, sponsors, candidates for Confirmation, clergy, the whole parish as it prays – grow more deeply in the understanding and living out of our own baptisms. And what is more important than growing into the mystery of our dying and rising with Christ?

    Every year about one-tenth of our active church membership is involved directly in the catechumenal process, as catechumens or candidates for Confirmation, as catechists or clergy, or as sponsors or "travelling companions." Most of the people involved change from year to year, so over several years most of the people at St. Timothy’s have been involved, sometimes several times. The rest of the parish participates in the rites along the way and prays for all who are involved.

    Every candidate is assigned a sponsor who will accompany the person throughout the journey and beyond. Sponsors must be active, confirmed members of the parish. At times, a family member or a friend will also be a sponsor, but this would ordinarily be in addition to the sponsor who is a member of the parish. Sponsors serve as an important link for the candidate to the parish, and they also are important in simply "being there" for the candidate. They participate in the rites, are invited to all sessions, and are expected to meet with their candidate at least weekly. They are strongly encouraged to plan to spend time with the candidate after the catechumenal process is over, as an ongoing support and to help incorporate the person into the life of the parish.

    The Catechumenate is intended to be lay-led. Currently, three catechists share the work of teaching and organizing the process. The Rector leads the rites in the process, helps with administrative and pastoral issues, and occasionally teaches a session. The catechists are mentors as well as teachers and are chosen for their spiritual maturity and ability to lead and teach. It is good for the catechist team to be diverse in order to better minister to the varied situations of people who go through this process.

    The Catechumenate is intended to be ongoing, with candidates being able to join at any time through the year. In practice, the first stage, a seven-week series teaching newcomers about Christianity and the Church, is when most people get involved. The newcomers’ classes are publicized widely in the parish, and every person who is new to the parish in the last year is personally invited to come to some or all of the sessions. Toward the end of this stage, the group is introduced to the Catechumenate and each person is invited to move from the newcomer stage into the Catechumenate proper. Our experience is that most people continue on in this process, preparing for Baptism, for Confirmation, or (for the already confirmed) renewal of baptismal vows before the Bishop, or reception into "the fellowship of this Communion."

    While newcomers’ classes focus on providing information about Christianity, the Anglican Way, and the manner of our worship, the catchumenal process is about formation, so there is less emphasis on providing answers and more on exploring questions. It is a time to talk about our stories and how we ended up at St. Timothy’s. The sessions start with Evening Prayer and center on the lectionary for the previous Sunday, especially the Gospel. The catechist responsible for the particular week will ask questions to generate discussion about the meaning of the readings in our own lives and will teach about the themes of these readings. Our only curriculum is the Scriptures, organized by the Sunday lectionary. Obviously, the round of the Church Year colors and guides our process, and it provides the opportunity to discuss all the major facets of Christian theology. Perhaps most importantly, the Catechumenate becomes an extension of the Sunday Eucharist, where all the faithful gather to worship. Worship, learning, and living are seen as one, and we meet to learn from one another what the Good News is all about.

    The usual Catechumenate group meets weekly (currently Wednesday nights from 7:15 to 9:00 PM) and includes all the catechists, the candidates and their sponsors, and usually one or two people "just along for the ride," usually people coming back after going through the process the year before. Often we do not have a true Catechumen (an adult preparing for Baptism), but when we do, we draw a clear distinction between the process for that person and the process for preparing for Confirmation, Reaffirmation, or Reception. Baptism is the central rite and the pivotal one in our lives, so if we have a Catechumen, the focus is on the preparation of the Catechumen for Baptism, and the other candidates join the catechists in the role of helping prepare the Catechumen. Of course, much of the time, baptized newcomers are in just as much need of learning the faith as unbaptized ones, and they go through the same process of spiritual growth during this time. But it is very important to emphasize the centrality of Baptism.

    The Book of Occasional Services contains rites appropriate for both candidates for Baptism and for those preparing for Confirmation. The rites are distinctive for each, and they occur at different times. For example, the Rite of Enrollment of a Catechumen occurs on the First Sunday of Lent, whereas the corresponding rite for already-baptized participants is on Ash Wednesday. There are rites to mark the different stages of the journey for both groups. To the greatest extent possible, we follow the experience-reflection model, in which participants experience the rites first and then are helped to "unpack" them afterwards.

    The event toward which we journey all year is Holy Week and especially the Great Vigil of Easter. It is crucial for an effective Catechumenate process to have the Holy Week liturgies in place. At St. Timothy’s, the candidates have their feet washed, along with other members of the congregation, on Maundy Thursday. They are expected to also be at the Good Friday liturgy, after which we go on an overnight retreat until mid-afternoon Saturday. During the retreat, we reflect in greater depth on Baptism and particularly on the Renunciations and Affirmations which are a part of the Baptismal service. We share a liturgy with some Roman Catholic parishes on Holy Saturday to help give our candidates a sense of this process occurring in the wider Church.

    The Lord's Resurrection is the heart of the Church's life, and the Vigil of Easter is its liturgy. At St. Timothy’s, it is celebrated, beginning at 9 in the evening, with great solemnity, may last three full hours, and is usually remembered as the most formative event of the year.

    In our parish, Catechumens are baptized with full immersion, and this "robust symbolism" has an impact that has to be experienced to be understood. It is the center of our parish life and our individual lives as Christians. At the Agape Feast afterwards, the newly-baptized, with the candidates for Confirmation, are "guests of honor" with special place settings and gifts.

    Confirmation and Reaffirmation occurs at a service as close to Pentecost as possible. The the Bishop meets with the candidates beforehand (often he has taught at one of the sessions prior to Confirmation) and the time when we have a reception afterwards to honor those who have gone through this process. Our weekly sessions end at this time, and we usually meet only occasionally during the summer, mostly for social purposes.

    The Catechumenate at St. Timothy’s has become the way in which newcomers are welcomed and taught, and the way unbaptized persons are formed and prepared for Baptism. Catechumens, as they prepare to be baptized, model to all in the parish our need to reflect on our own baptisms. The Catechumenate, by God’s grace, changes the lives of those who journey through it, and they in turn, by their work and their witness, transform their community.