OCIA: what to expect when becoming Catholic

OCIA, the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, is the way adults become Catholic. It's the new name for what US parishes long called RCIA, adopted with the new English translation of the rite. You meet with others at a parish, learn the faith, pray, and move through a few public rites, and most people are received into the Church at Easter. To start, call your local parish and ask about OCIA.

Is OCIA the same as RCIA?

Yes. The process is the same; the name changed. RCIA stood for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. When the English translation of the rite was revised, the title became the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, and parishes in the United States have been switching to OCIA. You'll still hear both names, sometimes in the same conversation.

Who is it for? Adults who have never been baptized, Christians baptized in another church who want to become Catholic, and Catholics baptized as children who never received Confirmation or first Communion. Older children who weren't baptized as infants usually follow a version adapted for their age.

What are the stages of OCIA?

For someone who has never been baptized, the rite describes four periods, with a rite marking each step forward.

1. Inquiry (the precatechumenate). An open, no-pressure time to ask questions and hear the Gospel. You can come with doubts, curiosity or a half-formed hope. No commitment is expected yet.
2. The catechumenate. Once you decide you want to continue, you become a catechumen. This is the longest period: you learn the faith, attend Mass, pray with the parish and start living as a disciple, often with a sponsor at your side.
3. Purification and enlightenment. This happens during Lent, right before your baptism. The focus moves from study to prayer, repentance and readiness.
4. Mystagogy. The time after your baptism, usually the Easter season, when you reflect on the sacraments you've received and find your place in parish life.

Not everyone moves through these at the same pace. The rite is meant to follow your actual faith, not a school calendar. If you need more time before a step, or a question keeps you stuck, say so to your coordinator or the priest. Waiting a season to be ready is normal, and no one will think less of you for it.

What are the main rites?

• The Rite for Entrance into the Catechumenate. Long called the Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens, it's celebrated with the parish, usually at a Sunday Mass. You publicly say you want to follow Christ, and the parish welcomes you. You're signed with the cross on your forehead, and often on your ears, eyes, lips, heart and shoulders too. From here on you're a catechumen, already joined to the Church in a real way.
• The Rite of Election. Usually on or near the First Sunday of Lent, often at the cathedral with the bishop. The Church formally chooses you for the sacraments at Easter, and your name is written in the Book of the Elect. You're now called "the elect".
• The scrutinies. During Lent, on the Third, Fourth and Fifth Sundays, the parish prays over you for healing and strength against sin.
• The Easter Vigil. On Holy Saturday night you receive Baptism, Confirmation and first Communion in one celebration. All three sacraments of initiation, in one night.

What if I'm already baptized?

If you were validly baptized in another Christian church, you aren't baptized again. The Church recognizes your baptism, and your path looks different. You're called a candidate, not a catechumen. Instead of the Rite for Entrance, there may be a rite of welcoming, and instead of election, a call to continuing conversion. These rites are kept distinct on purpose, so no one confuses you with the unbaptized.

You enter through the Rite of Reception into Full Communion: you make a profession of faith, are confirmed (unless you already were, as Orthodox Christians are), and receive Communion. This can happen at the Easter Vigil, but it doesn't have to. Many parishes receive baptized Christians at other times of the year, once they're ready.

One more difference. Because baptism has already forgiven the sins before it, a baptized candidate makes a first confession before being received, to bring the sins committed since baptism. Our guide to first confession as an adult explains how to prepare. If you aren't sure your baptism was valid, bring your certificate or any details you have. The parish will check, and if there's real doubt, there is a conditional baptism.

How long does OCIA take?

For the unbaptized, usually about a year, often longer. In the United States, the bishops' national statutes say the catechumenate ordinarily runs at least from the Easter season of one year to the start of Easter the next, and preferably from before Lent in one year to Easter of the following year. That doesn't count your time in inquiry. The point isn't to finish a course. It's to give your faith time to take root.

For baptized Christians, it depends on how much of the Christian life you already know and live. Someone who has prayed and read Scripture for decades may need only months. Your coordinator will talk it through with you.

Most groups meet weekly, often on an evening or after Sunday Mass. Expect something like that through the year, plus Sunday Mass itself.

How do I start OCIA?

Call or email your nearest Catholic parish and say, "I'm interested in becoming Catholic. Do you have OCIA?" Most parishes do, or will point you to one nearby. Many groups start in late summer or early fall, but you can usually begin inquiry at any time of year.

A few things worth knowing before the first meeting:

• You can just come and listen. Inquiry is for questions. You're not signing up for anything.
• Mention any past marriages early. If you or your spouse were married before, tell the coordinator at the start. Sometimes there's a question about the earlier marriage to settle before you can be received, and starting early saves months.
• Think about a sponsor. A practicing Catholic you trust, who will walk with you. If you don't know anyone, the parish will help.
• Keep going to Mass. You can attend from the very first week. Until you're received, stay in the pew at Communion or come forward with your arms crossed for a blessing.

What happens after Easter?

You're Catholic. You go to Mass, receive Communion, and go to Confession like everyone else. For the newly baptized, that first confession comes the first time you need it after Easter. Our page on the sacrament of reconciliation explains how it works. If the first months feel quieter than the Vigil, that's normal. Find one or two people from your group to keep praying with, and ask your parish where new Catholics can help. Faith grows best with company.