The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) is the Catholic Church's process of accompaniment, formation, and discernment for adults who have not yet been baptized (called "catechumens"). Rather than following a fixed classroom timeline, OCIA unfolds through the Church's liturgical year, guided by prayer, rites, and significant milestones that accompany each person's journey toward Christ and His Church. Children and teens follow a process similar to the adults but adapted for their own peer group.

The process to become Catholic if you have never been baptized involves 4 phases:

Phase I - Pre-catechumenate
Begin by joining us for an inquiry meeting and enter into each of our monthly sessions with the group as a whole. During this time, the discussion and group sessions center around how God communicates with us, who Jesus is, what the Church is, and sharing time to ask questions about the Catholic faith. There is never any pressure to become Catholic, and this step does not have a timeframe. It is based on one’s own heart and response to conversion with the desire to continue forward. Once you decide this, we celebrate with two opportunities for Rites of Acceptance in the liturgy, a “Welcome Home” so to speak, in the fall and winter.

Phase 2 - Catechumenate
After the Rite of Acceptance, catechumens attend Sunday 10:00 am Mass to be dismissed after the homily to unpack Scripture through sessions that develop a deepening awareness of God’s call and our response as lived out in the Catholic community. It is a time of nurturing, growth in faith, and continued conversion. This phase will introduce approaching the Word of God and a greater invitation to understand and live Catholic teaching, as well as what changes need to be made in our lives to respond to God’s inspiration, and what Baptism and the rest of the Sacraments in the Church mean.

Unlike the past “set of classes” or “Catholic 101” that was “required” like a class (which is the typical norm of what people think of when thinking of OCIA/RCIA), this phase rightly invites the catechumen to dialogue with their sponsor (mentor) to be involved and take initiative in their own learning of faith based on their background and past experience, whether that be experiential in the community and liturgy, or join at least one of the various faith formation series offered throughout the year.

Phase 3 - Purification and Enlightenment
The days of Lent are the final period leading up to the Easter Vigil (40 days before Easter Sunday). This phase is a time of interior reflection, intensely centered on continued prayer, conversion of heart, and study leading up to the Easter Vigil, as well as joining in our faith community’s practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. At the Easter Vigil, unbaptized adults receive all three Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and First Communion. Some select baptized Catholics (and converts from other Christian denominations) also join for their reception of Sacraments depending on their readiness. 

Phase 4 - Mystagogia
This 50-day period up to and beyond Pentecost is an unveiling of the mysteries of our faith, with added time to reflect on the experiences of the Easter Vigil and continue to learn more about the Church and a life lived in Christ, particularly now going out to be a part of the community and the world and serve Christ through the Church’s mission and outreach. The typical phase itself invites newly Baptized and others who have completed their Sacraments of Initiation to continue with the "group" for at least a year if they so choose, to be strengthened in their new lives.

**Except for Purification and Enlightenment, which follows the Liturgical Calendar from Lent until Easter, the other phases are based on readiness and continual dialogue between the catechumen, the OCIA director (Lauren), and the person’s sponsor (mentor). 

Begin the conversation by signing up to attend one of our Monthly Inquiry 101 Series meetings HERE!