The Church’s Vision for OCIA, or Order of Christian Initiation for Adults

The purpose of the OCIA is to foster an encounter with Jesus so that the spiritual frame of mind of the catechumens is brought to maturity.

OCIA is an apprenticeship in Christian living and belief.

1. Grow in God’s Word (catechesis)
2. Grow in Christian Community (incorporation)
3. Grow in a Life of Prayer (liturgy & prayer)
4. Grow in Christian Witness (works)

The OCIA is not wedded to the academic year, but is meant to be a year-round process grounded in the liturgical calendar.

The OCIO process brought to full conclusion includes the reception of the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, & Eucharist, followed by a period of instruction on how to live the faith. 

Our goal is to help everyone reach their maximum dignity, worth, and potential through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and his spouse the Catholic Church. 

Our intent is to meet each individual where they are in their faith journey and walk with them as they grow in faith.  To accomplish this our basic approach is:

• Meet with the individual to understand their faith journey to the point of coming to OCIA
• Identify and assign a mentor / guide who will walk with them on their journey
  • The approach and activities during this time will be unique for each person
• Come together as a full community of OCIA participants during the catechetical year starting the fall to have a more structured formation opportunity.
  • Our approach to this portion is a set of  facilitated conversations around specific topics of the faith from the four sections of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC):
    • The Profession of Faith - The Creed
    • The Celebration of the Christian Mystery - The Sacraments
    • Life in Christ
    • Christian Prayer

  • We connect the instruction to the Liturgical Year of the Church and blend in experiencial learning.  We use a variety of materials including:

    • United States Catholic Catechism for Adults
    • Symbolon - The Catholic Faith Explained (video series)
    • The Search - Finding the Meaning of Life (video series)
    • Variety of unique content and faith experiences from the team

• At the conclusion of this more structured catechesis is the opportunity to receive the Sacraments of Initiation for those properly disposed and desiring to take this step.