What is OCIA?
The Order of Christian Initiation for Adults, or OCIA, is a communal process for formal initiation of new members into the Catholic Church. This process is a return to the formation of the earliest members of the Church in the first and second centuries.
Classes meet on Thursdays at 7 p.m. beginning in September. Sacraments are received when the candidate has completed instruction and has been recommended by the OCIA Team to the Priest. Sacraments are usually received at the Easter Vigil.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops describes the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA) as a process in which participants "undergo…conversion as they study the Gospel, profess faith in Jesus and the Catholic Church, and receive the sacraments…The OCIA process follows the ancient practice of the Church and was restored by the Second Vatican Council as the normal way adults prepare for baptism."
Likewise, the language used in the OCIA process is that of the early Church formation programs. Catechumens are those people who are seeking full initiation into the Catholic Church through all of the Sacraments of Initiation – Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation. Candidates are people who have been baptized in a Christian tradition but are seeking initiation into the Catholic Church through Eucharist and Confirmation.
All are Welcome!
OCIA is a process of study, exploration, faith-sharing, and faith formation with specific liturgical rites for seekers and inquirers. Seekers and inquirers are non-baptized adults who desire to be fully initiated into the Roman Catholic Church and/or baptized adult Christians who desire full communion in the Roman Catholic Church.
Adults or older children who have not been baptized and desire to join the Church are invited into the ancient celebration of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. During this process, which is marked by regular ritual acts, participants are introduced to the liturgy, the teachings, and the life of the Catholic Church.
Adults or older children who were baptized in another Christian denomination prepare in a similar way for the sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist during their reception into the Catholic Church.
OCIA is a Journey
The Ordcr of Christian Initiation for Adults is a process that proceeds over weeks and months. It has several steps:
List of Services
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Pre-CatechumenateList Item 1
This is the earliest phase in the process; it is also known as the Period of Inquiry. Catechumens and Candidates acknowledge that Christ is calling them into the Church through the movement of the Holy Spirit. This is a time for seeking and reflection.
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Order of InitiationList Item 2
The first Order in the OCIA process, the Order of Initiation accepts new members into the worshipping community.
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CatechumenateList Item 3
The longest part of the process, the Catechumenate is a time of learning and formation in the traditions and doctrine of the Catholic Church. This is a time for sharing stories, reading scripture, and studying the Church customs, traditions and doctrine. Participants also participate in worship services and various Church rituals.
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Rite of ElectionList Item 4
Catechumens and Candidates are chosen to be received by the bishop and the community and to receive the Sacraments of Initiation at Easter.
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Sacraments of Initiation
At the Easter Vigil (Holy Saturday), all newly elected members of the community who have been journeying through the OCIA process are welcomed formally into the community of believers through receiving the Sacraments of Initiation – Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation.
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Mystagogy
This is a time of reflection and celebration after the formal reception into the Catholic Church. Mystagogia means “leading into the mystery” and it is a time to explore the deep mystery of our faith and go forth to help build the reign of God on Earth as new members of the faithful.
What are the Sacraments of Initiation?
These are the first three of the seven sacraments of the church that bring us into a full spiritual union with Christ and his Mystical Body, the church.
List of Services
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BaptismList Item 1
Jesus told His disciples to go out and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. "Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, and the gateway to life in the Spirit, and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons and daughters of God; we become members of Christ and are incorporated into the church and made sharers in her mission. Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word." (CCC 1213)
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ConfirmationList Item 2
Prior to His ascension into heaven, Jesus told His apostles that He would send them the Holy Spirit to be their advocate and guide, and on the Feast of Pentecost, the promised gift of the Holy Spirit fell on the apostles and the Virgin Mary as they prayed in the Upper Room, empowering them to be witnesses of Jesus in the world. "The Sacrament of Confirmation perfects Baptismal grace; it is the sacrament which gives the Holy Spirit in order to root us more deeply in the divine filiation, incorporates us more firmly into Christ, strengthens our bond with the church, associates us more closely with her mission, and helps us to bear witness to the Christian faith in words accompanied by deeds." (CCC 1316) "Confirmation, like Baptism, imprints a spiritual mark or indelible character on the Christians' soul; for this reason one can receive this sacrament only once in one's life." (CCC 1317)
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EucharistList Item 3
The Holy Eucharist completes Christian initiation. Those who have been raised to the dignity of the royal priesthood by Baptism and configured more deeply to Christ by Confirmation, participate with the whole community in the Lord's own sacrifice by means of the Eucharist. (CCC 1322)
"At the Last Supper, on the night Jesus was betrayed, our Savior instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of His Body and Blood. This he did in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until he should come again, and so to entrust to His beloved spouse, the church, a memorial of His death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a paschal banquet in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us." (CCC 1323)
OCIA Team
People journeying through the OCIA process need sponsors and community support to help them grow in faith. The OCIA team of sponsors help guide, support and instruct those discerning whether to become members of our Catholic community. Team members share their faith with inquiring adults who are seeking more information about the Catholic Church, many of whom seek to celebrate one or more of the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation.
