Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (O.C.I.A)

In September 2025, I began the journey of becoming fully initiated into the Catholic Church. The journey is called the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults, or OCIA for short. This is for adults seeking to join the fullness of the Catholic Faith. You can be an atheist, Protestant, or a Catholic revert who only needs to be Confirmed, like me.

It is a period of formation that is moderated by a team of faithful, expert Catechists. The team guides us through by teaching, answering questions (you are encouraged to ask all the questions you would like!). Right now, we are in the beginning phase, where we are taught about what the Catholic Church teaches. We have weekly homework that involves reading the Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, OCIA packets, and answering questions. This is also the time we choose a sponsor that will be our guide through the process, and beyond.

Not only are you supported by the team leaders, but also, your fellow classmates that are walking this journey, too. In my class, there are a lot of people from Protestant denominations, Catholic reverts, and those who were not really religious at all. They are diverse in a age, background, experience, and more. As different as we may be, we are all there for the same thing: to come into the fullness of the Christian faith. We are on the journey together!

I was nervous at first, but I can feel the Lord pulling on my heart towards the Catholic Church. If you are feeling that same pull, I encourage you to sign up for OCIA at your local parish. It should be as simple as giving your local parish office a call, and expressing your interest.