Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA)

What is OCIA? 

OCIA, Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, is a process by which adults, through inquiry and prayer, become members of the Catholic Church.

Who may consider OCIA?

The process of Christian initiation is for persons who are...

• Seeking something in their life, to come to know God’s love

• Interested in learning more about the Catholic Church

• Unbaptized, seeking Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist or searching for spirituality

• Persons baptized in another Christian tradition who desire to become Catholic

• Baptized but have never received any formal religious education or the sacraments of Initiation - Confirmation, and Eucharist.

• Married to a Catholic, and you want to share in their faith.

What is involved in the OCIA program? 

OCIA consists of a series of 90-minute sessions, usually on Wednesday nights from September through June, with the pinnacle of the program being the reception of the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist) at the Easter Vigil.

There are four stages to the process. 

• Inquiry– We begin to explore such areas as: What is Faith?  Who is God and why does God care about me?  What are the roles of Mary & the pope?  And more.

• Catechumenate– This period of study reflects on such things as: Catholic beliefs, prayer, participating in community worship, charitable activities, and the apostolic life of the church.

• Period of Enlightenment– This period focuses on the Sacraments and deeper prayer experiences. 

• Mystagogy– This is the time after Easter up to Pentecost that focuses on an understanding of God’s word and the sacraments, social justice issues, and ministry in the parish.

Hear from one of our past participants on her experience: 

“The OCIA program was an incredible experience and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is seeking to explore their faith and join the Catholic Church.  I truly enjoyed our weekly discussions and the bonds that were formed during our time together.  Father and the other leaders of the group did an excellent job of guiding us through the content we needed to cover, as well as allowing ample time for discussion and questions.  I not only learned the fundamentals of the Catholic faith, I also ignited a relationship with God that I devote time to everyday now.  I am so glad that I went through OCIA and would be very excited for other people to experience this wonderful course. “ 

If you would like to know more about the program or receive further information, we invite you to contact us:

• Lore Nugent Lnugent@churchofstmary.org  (847) 582-2501.  

• Fr. Mike Nacius mnacius@churchofstmary.org (847) 582-2516

• Fr. Radley Alcantara ralcantara@churchofstmary.org (847) 582-2517

They are happy to make themselves available to discuss the program in a little more depth.