Enrico C. Eusebio, Jr., S.J. (“The First Four Hundred Years of Catechesis”) traces the development of catechesis in Ancient Christianity. The early Christians gathered together for religious instruction, prayers, and “the breaking of the bread” (Acts 2:42). In their missionary journeys, Paul and the apostles proclaimed the life and teachings of Jesus Christ with the aim of converting Jews and Gentiles to be the Lord’s disciples. During the Patristic period, a more organized religious instruction developed. The candidates (catechumens or “hearers”) underwent 1) an initial scrutiny, followed by two or three years of formation in doctrine and morality under the tutelage of a doctor audientium, 2) a second scrutiny for admission to the electi or competentes, 3) pre-baptismal preparation during Lent consisting of protocatechesis by the bishop, traditio, and redditio Symboli, and, finally, 4) reception of the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist during the Easter vigil. When Christianity became the official religion of Constantine’s empire, the catechumenate declined due to various reasons: insincere conversions to Christianity, many opting to delay their baptism to avoid harsh penance for sins they committed, and an increase in the number of infant baptisms. The shortening of the period of the catechumenate resulted in it becoming less a school of Christian life and more a preparation for the rituals of the Sacrament of Initiation. – F. Ramirez SJ (ed.)