Christian Initiation presentation with Gerard Ausitn, O.P

Christian Initiation - Fr. Gerard Austin, O.P.
Saturday, February 4, 2006
9am-12 noon
Dowling Catholic
High School Media Center

($20 suggested donation but no one will be turned away)

The sacraments of Christian initiation whereby one becomes a Christian - baptism, confirmation, and first communion - have undergone significant changes throughout the Church's history.We will begin by examining the roots of Christian initiatory practice in the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament and the unified rite of the early Church, including the catechumenate and the question of infant baptism.
The unified rite of the early Church, however, suffered disintegration: communion was separated from initiation, the interval between birth and baptism was significantly shortened, and the interval between baptism and confirmation dramatically increased.
The liturgical reforms of the twentieth century renewed the catechumenate as the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), but questions remain concerning the sacrament of confirmation, the present attempt at "Restored Order," and what role the eucharist will play in future developments in Christian initiation.

Fr. Gerard Austin, a priest of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans), holds a doctorate in liturgical studies from l'Institut Catholique de Paris. He teaches at The Rice School for Pastoral Ministry in the Diocese of Venice in Florida. Previously he taught for thirty years at The Catholic University of America. Fr. Austin is a past president of the North American Academy of Liturgy and the 2002 recipient of the University of Notre Dame's Michael Mathis Award. He is the author of Anointed with the Spirit: The Rite of Confirmation (Liturgical Press/Pueblo Books, 1986), and editor of Fountain of Life: NPM Studies in Liturgy and Church Music (Pastoral Press, 1991), as well as numerous book chapters and articles concerning the sacraments of initiation and ministry.