Adult Faith Formation
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Our 2024-2025 OCIA Session will begin on January 6, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. in Lower Kolbe Hall. The meeting schedule can be found below and will be updated as necessary. Registration forms can be downloaded and printed below or picked up in the Parish Office.
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2024-2025 Schedule
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Please print out, complete, and provide this form to an OCIA team member once classes have begun.
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OCIA at Saint Peter ChurchARE YOU OR IS SOMEONE YOU KNOW INTERESTED IN ENTERING THE CHURCH OR COMPLETING THEIR SACRAMENTS OF INITIATION OF THE CATHOLIC FAITH?
What is OCIA?
OCIA stands for the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults, the process by which an adult person is initiated into the Catholic Church, through Baptism, Confirmation, and First Holy Communion. Through this process the adult is formed in the Christian faith, with the local parish community serving as both catechists and models.
Who is in the OCIA?- Unbaptized Adults
- Adults Baptized in a non-Trinitarian formula
- Adults Baptized as Catholic, but lack First Holy Communion and/or Confirmation
- Adults Baptized in other Christian Churches, in the Trinitarian formula with water
Every September, St. Peter's Church begins a new journey in faith to share the richness of the Catholic Church and our parish family. This process is known as the OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults). We invite you to learn what the Church teaches and be introduced to some of our parish members. These weekly sessions are also opportunities for you, and others that you may wish to invite, to ask questions that you may have about the faith. These gatherings are for inquirers and are open to adults who have not yet celebrated the Sacrament of Baptism, Baptized Christians who wish to explore entering into full communion with the Catholic Church, and Baptized Catholics who have not celebrated First Communion and/or Confirmation.
What is the process for becoming a Catholic?
OIA, which stands for Order of Christian Initiation for Adults, is a process through which non-baptized men and women enter the Catholic Church. It includes several stages marked by study, prayer and rites at Mass. Participants in the OCIA are known as catechumens. They undergo a process of conversion as they study the Gospel, profess faith in Jesus and the Catholic Church, and receive the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and Holy Eucharist. The OCIA process follows the ancient practice of the church and was restored by the Second Vatican Council as the normal way adults prepare for baptism. In 1974, the Order for Christian Initiation for Adults was formally approved for use in the United States.
What are the steps of the OCIA?
Prior to beginning the OCIA process, an individual comes to some knowledge of Jesus Christ, considers his or her relationship with Jesus Christ and is usually attracted in some way to the Catholic Church. This period is known as the Period of Evangelization and Precatechumenate. For some, this process involves a long period of searching; for others, a shorter time. Often, contact with people of faith and a personal faith experience lead people to inquire about membership in the Catholic Church.
After conversation with an advisor or spiritual guide, the person, known as an “inquirer,” may decide to seek acceptance into the Order of Catechumens. The inquirer stands amidst the parish community and states that he or she wants to become a baptized member of the Catholic Church. The parish assembly affirms this desire and the inquirer becomes a “catechumen.”
The period of the catechumenate can last for as long as several years or for a shorter time. It depends on how the person is growing in faith, what questions they encounter along the way, and how God leads them on this journey. During this time the catechumens consider what God is saying to them in the scriptures, what changes in their life they want to make to respond to God’s inspiration, and what membership in the Catholic Church involves.
When a catechumen and the parish team working with him or her believes the person is ready to make a faith commitment to Jesus in the Catholic Church, the next step is the request for baptism and the celebration of the Rite of Election. This rite includes the enrollment of names of all those seeking baptism at the coming Easter Vigil. On the first Sunday of Lent, the catechumens and their sponsors gather at the cathedral church and the catechumens publicly request baptism. Their names are recorded in a book and they are called “the elect.” The days of Lent are the final period of purification and enlightenment leading up to the celebration of initiation at the Easter Vigil. Lent is a period of preparation marked by prayer, study, and spiritual direction for the elect, and prayers for them by the parish communities.
The third step is the Celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation, which takes place during the Easter Vigil Liturgy on Holy Saturday when the catechumen receives the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and Holy Eucharist. Now the person is a fully initiated member of the Catholic Church.
After the person is initiated, formation and education continue in the period of the postbaptismal catechesis, which is called “mystagogy.” This period continues at least until Pentecost. During the period the newly baptized members reflect on their experiences at the Easter Vigil and continue to learn more about the scriptures, the sacraments, and the teachings of the Catholic Church. In addition, they reflect on how they will serve Christ and help in the church’s mission and outreach activities.
What is meant when people refer to men and women coming into “full communion with the Church”?
Coming into full communion with the Catholic Church describes the process for entrance into the Catholic Church for men and women who are baptized Christians but not Roman Catholics. These individuals make a profession of faith but are not baptized again.
To prepare for this reception, the people, who are called “candidates,” usually participate in the RCIA process to help them understand and experience the teachings and practices of the Catholic Church. They are accepted into full communion with the Catholic Church with Confirmation and Eucharist during the Easter season.
If you are interested in registering for our next Fall session, have any questions, or know someone who may be interested, please fill out and submit the OCIA Program Inquiry Form below. You may also contact Fr. Robert, OFM Conv. in the parish office at (732) 892-0049 or send an email to [email protected] with your name & phone number.
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Photo Albums
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