OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults)

What is the OCIA process?

The OCIA is a process by which adults and children of catechetical age are initiated into the Catholic Church.

Marked by a series of rites and phases of formation, the Christian initiation of adults and older children reaches its highpoint with the celebration of the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist at the Easter Vigil.



This gradual process takes place in the community of the faithful, and varies according to the pastoral needs of the individual.

Adults and older children who are already baptized but are uncatechized may complete their initiation by participating in some aspects of this process.

Who is welcome to begin the OCIA journey?

Each person who starts out on this journey does so for personal reasons and will have unique needs and expectations, but generally, the OCIA process can be applied to the following groups:

Adults

• Unbaptized persons are those who have never been baptized and will receive all three Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation.
• Those baptized in another Christian church who will enter into full communion with the Catholic Church through the Sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation.
• Baptized Catholic adults who have not received the other Sacraments of Initiation will receive the Sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation.

Children

• The Christian Initiation of children is similar to that of adults. However, depending on the age, the language and process will be more appropriate for the child. An initial interview with the child and parents is the first step of the process. During this interview, the Priest/Deacon must discern with the family the kind of formation suitable for the child. This discernment will be based on several factors: age of the child, baptismal status, religious education, involvement in the life of the Church, and Mass attendance, etc.