CNE Newsletter - Sept. 21

NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR

We are excited to introduce our newly hired Managing Director of College and Young Adult Evangelization, Fr. Matthew Summe, LC.

Fr. Matthew comes to us with extensive experience in forming and supporting apostolic communities, mentoring people in the life of discipleship, and helping people discern and live out their vocation. This experience is well suited for our vision for college and young adult evangelization efforts. Fr. Matthew is joined by Paco Patag on our College and Young Adult Evangelization Team.

Welcome Fr. Matthew!

Sean Ater

Director, Center for the New Evangelization
sater@catholicaoc.org

Fr. Matthew Summe, LC (msumme@catholicaoc.org)
Managing Director of College and Young Adult Evangelization

We are excited to welcome Fr. Matthew to the CNE! His role will be to first understand and then foster the current young adult communities in the Archdiocese, as well as develop more regional outreach to the young adult communities in the respective deaneries of the Archdiocese.

Fr. Matthew said his focus will be to help young adults discover their unique God-given calling to transform the local community and Church for Christ.
He is available for support to foster the young adult communities in your parish family, as well as help provide formation for your young adult leaders to help them nourish their communities.

Fr. Matthew is one of ten children from a large Catholic family and has over 40 nieces and nephews. He grew up in Fort Mitchell, KY at Blessed Sacrament Parish, and went to Covington Catholic High School. He discovered his vocation to priesthood and religious life in the Legion of Christ in college while studying Chemical Engineering at the University of Kentucky.

His seminary studies and internships took him to study in New England, Brazil, and Rome, and he worked in evangelization and building faith communities around the US. His ministry included directing and chaplaincy in schools, men's and women's groups, marriage ministry, as well as youth and young adult ministry.

Fr. Matthew moved back to the Greater Cincinnati area in 2012 where he has dedicated his ministry to evangelization and the formation of lay people and seminarians, collaborating on projects for strengthening Catholic identity in education institutions, as well as being the chaplain for Regnum Christi and the Cana Family Institute in the Cincinnati area.

In his free time, Fr. Matthew enjoys hobbies like walking, hiking, swimming, reading, and other cultural activities. A few of his favorite saints include St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Edith Stein, St. Paul, and Pope St. John Paul II.

Welcome to the CNE, Fr. Matthew!

For this edition of the RCIA Corner, I’m sharing my answers to some recent questions I’ve received.

Q: Am I correct that the Rite of Acceptance/Welcoming, the Rite of Sending, and the Rite of Election should be done with each RCIA group?

A: It depends on the baptismal status of the people in your group. All of the Periods and Steps of the process are optional for candidates (RCIA, National Statutes, 31). The Rite of Sending is optional for both catechumens and candidates (RCIA 106, 530). For catechumens, the Rite of Acceptance and the Rite of Election are required (RCIA 41, 121). Since Acceptance and Election formally admit catechumens to a new Period of the process, I don’t see how they could be optional for catechumens.

Q: Can candidates join catechumens for the Dismissal/”Breaking Open the Word” during the Catechumenate stage?

The Dismissal, which is often commonly referred to as “Breaking Open the Word,” is primarily for catechumens (RCIA 75.3, 83.2). However, it appears that uncatechized candidates (persons who were baptized but received no Christian upbringing or education) may join the catechumens for the dismissal when this involves a “Celebration of the Word of God” (RCIA 406; National Statutes 31). Candidates who have received a Christian upbringing should not participate in the Dismissal, since every attempt should be made to avoid confusing them with catechumens (RCIA, National Statutes, 30), and because they have the right, as baptized Christians, to attend the entire Mass, even if they can’t receive the Eucharist.

Do you have a question about the RCIA process? Email me at nhardesty@catholicaoc.org.

The Peace of Christ to you,
Nicholas Hardesty
Assoc. Dir. of Adult Evangelization and RCIA

Re-Ignite is a retreat designed for all parish evangelists to take a break and re-ignite their relationship with Jesus. The retreat is focused on human and theological formation, and includes two days and one night of rest, prayer, and community.

Details:

Location: Maria Stein Spiritual Center, Maria Stein, OH
Date and Times: Monday, Oct. 23rd at 9:30 a.m. - Tuesday, Oct. 24th at 3:30 p.m.
Cost: $50 for evangelists who work within the Archdiocese of Cincinnati; $100 for evangelists outside the Archdiocese of Cincinnati (invoiced to your parish).

For more information, see the flyer below and click here to register.

The Archdiocese is currently piloting ARK in Catholic parishes and schools. ARK will replace ACRE as the required Religious Education Assessment for all Parish Religion Programs beginning August of 2024.

We invite you to consider joining the ARK pilot this current school year. ARK pilot parishes will not be required to administrate ACRE during the pilot phase. The Archdiocese will subsidize the cost of ARK in the pilot phase.

ARK is the first comprehensive assessment of Catholic Religious Education.

ARK Features:

Individual reporting to see change over time and see unique needs
Aggregate data to see trending and general success
Annual data normalization for national comparison
Easy rostering and administration to allow you to focus on teaching

To register as a ARK pilot parish please complete the following registration form below by Friday, Sept. 29, 2023.