"Order of Christian Initiation of Adults" ("OCIA")

September is usually the time of year when many Catholic parishes offer the "Order of Christian Initiation of Adults“ ("OCIA"), formerly known as the "Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults” ("RCIA").¹ This Rite offers a process that supports and guides adults to receive or complete the three Sacraments of Initiation—Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation, that are ordinarily administered and celebrated at the Easter Vigil—and entering into full commuion with the Catholic Church. Some parishes offer an abbreviated formation process that allows previously catechized adults, who only need to complete the Sacraments of Eucharist or Confirmation, to receive these Sacraments at various times throughout the year.

The Christian Initiation process is comprised of the following four stages or periods: Evangelization and Precatechumenate, Catechumenate, Purification and Enlightenment, and Post-Baptismal Catechesis (“Mystagogy”). A summary of the Christian Initiaton process, each period or stage in the process, and some other general informaton is presented by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops ("USCCB") and can be viewed here.

This blogsite provides various articles and resourses for Catholic Faith formation for adults that you may find helpful. In addition, follows are links to some other videos and resources pertaining to the RCIA process that you may also find helpful:

VIDEOS

“How Do I Become Catholic”

“Becoming Catholic – An RCIA Video"

“How Does Someone Become Catholic” (Breaking in the Habit)

"The Catholic Life: RCIA and Coming Home"

“Catholicism” (trailer to series by Bishop Robert Barron)

“The Beauty of the Catholic Church” (Archdiocese of Milwaukee)

“The Catholic Church”

“We are Catholic”

"Period of Evangelization and Precatechumenate" (Liturgy Training Publications)

"Rite for Entrance Into the Catechumenate" (Liturgy Training Publications)

"The Period of the Catechumenate" (Liturgy Training Publications)

"The Rite of Election or Enrollment of Names" (Liturgy Training Publications)

"Period of Purification and Enlightenment" (Liturgy Training Publications)

"The Celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation" (Liturgy Training Publications)

OTHER RESOURCES

"My Catholic Life" (provides 24 lessons about the Catholic Faith)

"Glossary of RCIA Terms" (Archiocese of Loss Angeles)

"History of the RCIA" (Archdiocese of New York)

1 The title was changed by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in November, 2021 in anticipation of a restranslation in English of the "Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults." According to the article "RCIA or OCIA? Rite vs. Order in the catechumenate," published by "Team RCIA":

"When the RCIA is retranslated, it will become the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults . . . .

There are two reasons for this. First, the Latin text from which the English is translated is titled Ordo initiationis christianæ adultorum. This has always been the title of the rite in Latin. When it was translated into English, the word ordo was translated as rite. In the new translation, using the English word order more strictly adheres to the Latin.

But more importantly, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is not one, single rite. It is a collection of rites that are used and adapted to fit the various circumstances of each seeker. . . . By referring to this sacramental process as an order, we more clearly say that this isn’t a simple, one-step process that we are engaging in."