They also acted as instructors or catechists of the catechumens of the church.
It is conjectured that this was for the purpose of allowing the catechumens to hear the public instructions of the faithful without witnessing the celebration of the sacraments.
Deaconesses and aged women acted as instructresses of their own sex; and one of these was always present during the questioning of the female catechumens by the male catechists.
The catechumens turned to the west in pronouncing this; then turning to the east they recited the creed.
Baptisteries belong to a period of the church when great numbers of adult catechumens were baptized, and when immersion was the rule.
There followed an act of unction, made in the East with the oil of the catechumens blessed only by the priest, in the West with the priest's saliva applied to the lips and ears.
The preparatory fasts of the catechumens must have helped to establish the Lenten fast, if indeed they were not its origin.
The catechumens or unbaptized, together with the penitents, remained in church during the Litany, collect, three lections, two psalms and homily.
The deacon then cried out: "Let the catechumens depart.
After the catechumens were gone the priest said: "The Lord be with you, let us pray," and the service of the mass followed.
All catechumens in the Latin Church coming to baptism were interrogated concerning their faith, and gave satisfaction on the recitation of this Creed.
Afterwards engaged the whole day seeing catechumens till one o'clock next morning.
Wherever he deemed it necessary, the author has added a fuller explanation of the text of the catechism than that which Luther gives, and has supplemented its contents with such additional matter as the needs of our catechumens require.
After the pastor has explained a lesson at one meeting, the catechumens should prepare themselves to give an answer to the printed questions in their own words at the next meeting.
But it can and should support his work, so that what he explains at one meeting may not be forgotten before the next meeting, but may be fixed in the minds of the catechumens by study at home.
For this purpose, the thetical form is better than the interrogative, because the explanation is not continually broken by questions, and is thus better adapted to give the catechumens a connected idea of the doctrines taught.
One is indicated, however, for each chapter, and may be read in class or be assigned to the catechumens to be read at home.
Confirmation is the Church's testimony that the catechumens have received the necessary instruction to fit them for intelligent and earnest participation in the full privileges of Church membership.
Such a principle would exclude from the catechetical class much which our catechumens should be taught.
At the Hospice of the Catechumens the work of his conversion was begun in such earnest as the insincerity of at least one of the parties to it might allow.
With that sum and formal good wishes the fathers of the Hospice of the Catechumens thrust him out of their doors into the broad world.
In the first centuries of the Christian era, baptism was considered as a mere ceremony for initiating catechumens to the Christian profession.
That a law of secrecy was binding the catechumens after their initiation, though this law was not so stringent as it was among the Pagans.
The Pagans initiated the candidates near the front door of their temples: so in the Catholic churches, the baptismal fonts where the catechumens are initiated, namely, baptized, are placed near the portal.
The Pagans initiated candidates chiefly on the eve of great celebrations: so, in the Romish church, catechumens are baptized chiefly on the eve of Easter, and of Pentecost.
But is it asked why the sick and the catechumens are anointed with oil?
For the oil of the sick we have received authority from the apostles; for the oil of the catechumens from apostolical men.
With his knowledge of men, Augustin carefully studied the kind of people his catechumens were, and adapted his instructions to the character of each.
In his first catechetic instructions, he commands the catechumens not to divulge any part of our mysteries to any infidel, as unworthy, and exhorts them to the dispositions and preparation for holy baptism, viz.
But the catechumens are deprived of this comfort, though not of all succor, for alms may be given for them, from which they receive some relief or mitigation of their pains.
His discourse against those who defer baptism, is an invitation to sinners to penance, and chiefly of catechumens to baptism, death being always uncertain.
Catechumens ordinarily remained two years in the course of instruction and prayer, and were not admitted to baptism till they had given proof of their morals and conduct, as well as of their constancy in the faith.
For that the righteousness of the catechumens might not feel secure, it is written, "Except a man be born again of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
If our catechumens would therefore still follow God's Way of Salvation he must now also take this step, and publicly confess Jesus as his Lord and Redeemer and himself as His disciple.
We find, for example, that certain Presbyterian churches confirm large classes of catechumens every year.
The centre of the altar is next anointed with the oil of the catechumens in the form of a cross; and the altar-stone is next anointed with chrism; and then the whole altar is rubbed over with oil of the catechumens and with chrism.
The religious teaching which he and the othercatechumens received from the minister in the church, did not fail to impress him deeply.
When the catechumens were assembled for the first time, Theodore found himself quite unexpectedly surrounded by a totally different class of boys to whom he had been used at school.
The storm of persecution thereby excited was directed therefore first of all and especially against the catechumens and the neophytes, but frequently also, overstepping the letter of the edict, it was turned against the older Christians.
The usual ceremonies preceding baptism were: The covering of the head by the catechumens and the uncovering on the day of baptism; the former to signify the warding off every distraction and the withdrawing into oneself.
The nursery of this theological tendency was especially this Catechetical School of Alexandria which from an institution for the training of educated Catechumens had grown up into a theological seminary.
The overplus of unconsecrated oblations was blessed and distributed among the non-communicants, the catechumens and penitents.
The congregations consisted of Catechumens (Auditores) and Elect (Electi, Perfecti).
At the earlier part of it the catechumens and penitents might be present, but when the Communion office was going to begin, a deacon called out, "Let no one of the catechumens or of the hearers stay.
The length of time during which converts were obliged to be catechumens before being admitted to baptism differed in different parts of the Church.
But if it were possible for anyone to be saved without Baptism, this would be the case specially with catechumenswho are credited with good works, for they seem to have the "faith that worketh by charity" (Gal.
John was as profitable before the baptism of Christ, as instruction in the faith profits the catechumensnot yet baptized.
Further, catechumens are instructed in the Faith by the Holy Scripture which is read in the church by ministers: for just as the Old Testament is recited by the Readers, so the New Testament is read by the Deacons and Subdeacons.
The exorcist should know the exorcisms by heart, and impose his hands on the energumens and catechumens during the exorcism.
Nevertheless catechumensand unbelievers are not excluded therefrom.
But catechumens who are instructed by catechism, and "energumens" who are cleansed by exorcism, are counted among the unclean, as Dionysius says in the same place.
Defn: A name given to certain catechumens and penitents who were permitted to join only in parts of church worship.
In the ancient churches, the public services at which the catechumens were permitted to be present were called missa catechumenorum, ending with the reading of the Gospel.
Of all military catechumens Gustavus had the most thorny time.
I only have to say," began the young Christian thus designated, "that I have recently met among the catechumenswith some who have attached themselves to us from the basest motives.
The catechumens also fasted on Wednesdays and Fridays.
The above list will hopefully give you a few useful examples demonstrating the appropriate usage of "catechumens" in a variety of sentences. We hope that you will now be able to make sentences using this word.
