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ADULT BAPTISM, COMMUNION, AND CONFIRMATION THROUGH RCIA, NOW KNOWN AS OCIA

Each year, we guide and walk with a group of people who are thinking about becoming Catholic, and those who want to explore the faith and ask questions. This process is called the OCIA, or Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (formerly called the RCIA).

OCIA could be helpful if:

  • You want to be baptized in the faith
  • You want to join us from another faith
  • You are baptized Catholic, but haven’t completed Confirmation

The important thing is to pray, and listen – to stay open to the many ways in which God may be calling to you. Here’s what our candidates from past years had to say about the OCIA sessions: 

“I expected it to be kind of intimidating and formal, but it was a great experience and I learned so much. I feel so much closer to God and to knowing about God’s love for me.”

“I loved the idea of Catholic Social Teaching, and our call to serve others as part of a community of faith.”                                                           

“I came in with some doubts, but I gradually came to have a much deeper understanding and relationship with God. It has really impacted me and my whole family.” 

OCIA preparation is held on Wednesday nights, 7:00 – 9:00 PM, from September through Easter. The sessions follow an engaging format of prayer, scripture study, topic presentation and discussion or activity. Want more information? We are happy to meet with you personally to discuss what God might be calling you to explore.

Contact us:
Rita Zyber, OCIA Coordinator

Also note: If you are a Catholic who has been away for a while and you’d like to talk about returning more fully to an active faith life, please feel free to speak with one of our priests. Sometimes a good conversation can make a difference.

One more thing to know:
Wondering about the name change? The Catholic Church has re-translated the Latin version of the Rite, which has been part of our terminology and education process since the Vatican II councils were completed in the late 1960s. The change from “rite” to “order” is in part because the Latin name was Ordo Initiationis Christianae Adultorum. In the new translation, the word ordo became order.
 
However, the new word is also more appropriate, the U.S. Bishops decided, because it is more comprehensive. While participants will still experience the individual rites through the year, there is an understanding that this is a continuous process of spiritual formation for those who want to prepare for the sacraments of initiation. The name is intended to show that this preparation process is a journey toward discipleship with Christ, not just a series of checkpoints to complete.
 
 

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