Becoming Catholic - OCIA
Order of Christian Initiation for Adults
OCIA (formerly known as RCIA) is for any adult who is not baptized, an adult who was baptized in another Christian faith tradition, or any baptized Catholic who never received their First Communion and/or Confirmation. OCIA prepares adults for full communion with the Catholic Church.
OCIA Steps
List of Services
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InquiryList Item 1
The initial period before you decide to enter the Catholic Church. You're asking questions and checking it out, but aren't yet ready to commit.
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CatechumenateList Item 2
In this stage, you're developing your faith and are being "catechized" — learning catechism, or the basic points about Catholic faith and life.
Those who decide to enter the Church and are being trained for a life in Christ are called an ancient name from the early Church.
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Purification and PreparationList Item 3
The Church will help you focus and intensify your faith as you prepare to commit your life to Christ and be received into the Church at Easter. If you're following the OCIA process, you'll go through a beautiful series of Gospel-based meditations during Lent, which is the time frame of this period.
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InitiationList Item 4
The culmination of the whole process! You're received into the Church during the Easter Vigil Mass, where you'll receive the sacraments of initiation: baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist.
(If you've already been baptized, you won't be baptized again.)
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Mystagogy
After reception into the Church at Easter, this period lets you reflect and learn more about the mysteries of the Mass and the Sacraments that you now participate in fully.
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