The Catechumenate

The catechumenate in the Catholic Church was the process by which new members became initiated into the Body of Christ in the early church. During the catechumenate, hopeful members were instructed in Christ's teachings and teachers prepared them to receive the Sacraments of Initiation, which are Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist. The catechumenate was divided into three parts in the early church: the catechetical, the ascetical, and the liturgical. The catechetical portion dealt with instructing the initiate about official Church doctrine, usually by a question and answer method (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05075b.htm). The ascetical portion of the catechumenate involved spiritual exercises to attain the virtues valued by Christians in the early church. The liturgical section taught initiates the liturgy and rituals of the Church, especially about the mass. The catechumenate relates to the Easter Vigil because the custom for the Church in its early years was, and still is, to initiate new members on the night before Easter.