OCIA - Becoming a Catholic
Thinking of joining the Roman Catholic Church?
Inquiry NIght - Tuesday, September 23 at 7:00 pm in Vianney Hall
Something that many people do not know is that many families in our parish include non-Catholics, of both other Christian faiths and also non-Christian backgrounds.
I think that it is important to know that if you, your spouse, or another family member in your household is not Catholic, you are welcome as a part of this community!
For anyone who is not Catholic or those who were baptized Catholic and have not yet received all the sacraments of initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Communion) we have something called “OCIA”.
OCIA stands for the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. It is a process by which those who wish to learn more about the Catholic faith with the desire to become members of the Catholic Church can receive the sacraments of initiation and be fully welcomed into the Church during the Season of Easter every year.
If you know would like to learn more about the OCIA, please the parish office at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Our inquiry night will be on Tuesday, September 23 at 7:00 pm in Vianney Hall.
God bless, and once again welcome to Saint Eleanor Parish!
In the Lord,
Rev. Joseph C. Bordonaro - Parochial Vicar
The stages used in the process of becoming a Catholic are known as the Catholic OCIA (Order of Christian Initiations for Adults).
Below we hope to provide some basic guidance for this process, but at any point in your journey, we encourage you to simply reach out to one of our Priests by contacting our Parish office by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone at 610-489-1647 and we will set you on the correct path.
A few Sacramental procedures will be addressed as we begin. Those are:
Baptism
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If you are an adult who was baptized in another Christian community and want to become Catholic, we invite you to journey in Faith through RCIA, which is specifically designed for adults who freely seek to enter the Catholic Church.
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If you are not baptized and wish to enter the Catholic Church, this program will assist you in receiving the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation & Eucharist. This program runs from autumn through the Easter season.
Confirmation
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If you are baptized Protestant and interested in becoming Catholic, you would receive this sacrament after participating in RCIA . Again, please contact the Parish office by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by calling 610-489-1647.
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If you are a baptized Catholic who has not received the sacrament of Confirmation, you can contact us to set up a time for that instruction.
Meanwhile, you may be asking yourself:
- Where do I begin?
- What are the stages?
- What should I be doing in each stage?
- How will I know when I'm ready to move forward?
You can start here to answer some of your questions:
Where do I begin?
By inquiring about becoming Catholic you have already taken the first step. Congratulations.
Again, most adults entering the Catholic Church, or even those just thinking about it, follow a process known as the RCIA—the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.
The RCIA process has several distinct stages:
- Inquiry: the initial period before you decide to enter the Catholic Church. You're asking questions and checking it out, but aren't yet ready to commit.
- Catechumenate: those who decide to enter the Church and are being trained for a life in Christ are called catechumens, an ancient name from the early Church. In this stage, you're developing your faith and are being "catechized"—learning catechism, or the basic points about Catholic faith and life.
- Purification and preparation: The Church will help you focus and intensify your faith as you prepare you to commit your life to Christ and be received into the Church at Easter. If you're following the RCIA process, you'll go through a beautiful series of Gospel-based meditations during Lent, which is the time frame of this period.
- Initiation itself, the culmination of the whole process! You're received into the Church during the Easter Vigil Mass, where you'll receive the sacraments of initiation: baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist. (If you've already been baptized, you won't be baptized again.)
- Mystagogy: after reception into the Church at Easter, this period lets you reflect and learn more about the mysteries of the Mass and the Sacraments that you now participate in fully.
Below is a discussion of each of these Catholic RCIA stages.
Laying a strong foundation
Our Faith will be the foundation of your life and we want to make that foundation solid!
The best advice is to remember to go slowly. Make sure you've developed the basics well. This will help you avoid discouragement and frustration, two big enemies of faith development.
OCIA stage 1: Inquiry
In the inquiry stage, you're just finding out about Jesus, Christianity, and the Catholic Church.
Your main task here is to explore and develop your faith enough so you can make an informed initial decision about entering the Catholic Church. The final decision will come when you actually enter the Church at Easter and receive the sacraments of initiation.
OCIA stage 2: Catechumenate
In the catechumenate, your faith has begun to develop. Now you need to learn and grow more.
You focus on catechesis in this stage: learning about the faith, how to live as a Christian, and developing your interior life.
Your job now is to come into closer contact with the Living God and learn more about the Catholic Faith.
OCIA stage 3: Purification and preparation - getting ready for rebirth!
This period of purification and enlightenment is the final stage before receiving the Easter sacraments of initiation into the Church: baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist. (Those already baptized with a valid baptism in another Christian church aren't baptized again.)
This stage of intense reflection calls you to deeper conversion in preparation for your renewal at Easter. This is what the season of Lent is for, but it has a special intensity for you this year as you're entering the Church and receiving the sacraments of initiation.
The Church uses three profound and beautiful passages from the Gospel of John to focus this preparation effort.
OCIA stage 4: Initiation
Initiation itself, the culmination of the whole process! You're received into the Church during the Easter Vigil Mass, where you'll receive the sacraments of initiation: baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist. (If you've already been baptized, you won't be baptized again.)
OCIA stage 5: Mystagogy - reflecting on the mysteries of the Mass
This stage of mystagogy during Easter is for continued reflection on the Sacraments you have received at Easter, especially the Eucharist.
Specific catechesis on the Mass, the Sacraments, and especially the Eucharist are the focus of this stage.
The Mass and the Eucharist are the "source and summit" of the Christian life in the Catholic Church, and this period is designed to help you understand, appreciate, and live more deeply this center of Catholicism.
Please don't hesitate to contact us and begin your journey with us into the Roman Catholic Church.
Parish office email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: 610-489-1647
