Invite kids and families to the Easter Vigil

Perhaps the simplest way to improve children’s RCIA is to personally invite parish children and their families to the Easter Vigil. The more children and families we have at the Easter Vigil, celebrating the Sacraments of Initiation with children in the RCIA, the richer and better our celebrations will be. More children and families at the Vigil is not only a testament of gladness and support to the RCIA families, it’s a way to deepen the faith of our Catholic families.

When more kids and parents are at the Vigil, they experience the power of the liturgy, the sacraments, and the RCIA. This not only heightens awareness of children in the RCIA, it makes more parish children, and families want to be a part of it.

In order to make this happen effectively, you will have to do some advance planning.

Start early

Perhaps the most important this is to begin inviting early.

• Issue your first invitation shortly after the Christmas season so families can start planning ahead.
• Follow up your verbal invitation with an e-mail or a written note that includes all of the details of time and place.

Repeat your invitation

• Plan to reinvite everyone at least three times.

You may think you are being a pest, but people really do forget. Or they just put off answering. Keep asking until you get a definite no.

• Always impress on the invitees how important the role of their children will be at the Vigil.

Let the kids help

If possible, give the parish children significant roles at the Vigil.

• For those that stood with the catechumens at the Rite of Acceptance, they might also stand with them at the font as there are baptized.
• Other children might serve as greeters or hand out candles and worship aids.
• Some might serve as towel bearers as the neophytes emerge from the font.
• Some of the children might help out in the changing rooms.

Be creative in finding ways to significantly involve the parish children in the Easter Vigil.