OCIA – Order of Christian Initiation for Adults
Have you ever been curious about why Catholics believe what they do? Are you perplexed by the Mass? Are you an adult Catholic desiring to be Confirmed? Are you a non-Catholic engaged or married to a Catholic?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, we welcome you to join the St. Mary & St. Raymond Becoming Catholic program (OCIA)!
OCIA stands for “Order of Christian Initiation for Adults” and is a wonderful way to explore the Catholic Faith, regardless of where you are on your own journey. OCIA meetings (called Disciples in Training) in general, meet every other week, after the 8:30am Mass at St. Raymond from 9:30am-11am beginning Sunday, September 24th.
The OCIA is a journey of invitation and initiation into the Catholic Faith. Throughout the journey, you are encouraged to prayerfully discern God’s call. For whom is OCIA intended for? Those who have never been baptized in a faith tradition. Those baptized in a faith tradition other than Catholic . Those baptized Catholic who have been inactive since that time and have not received the Sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation.
There’s no pressure, no fancy theological terms you need to know and no “one-size-fits-all” approach. Our OCIA process meets each person wherever they are on the journey!
If you’re interested in joining us, you are always welcome to pop by unannounced. However, if you complete this brief inquiry form, a member of our OCIA team will reach out to you to get to know you and answer any questions.
OCIC – Order of Christian Initiation for Children
What is Pathways? Pathways is also known as Order of Christian Initiation for Children (OCIC). A process for children 8 and up along with their parents, who would like to become Catholic and/or receive the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, & First Communion). Fill out an inquiry form here.
Frequently Asked Questions (2023-2024)
In general, after St. Raymond 8:30am Mass, from 9:30am-11am. Fall schedule below:
Click here for the Disciples in Training (an OCIA process) 2023-24 calendar
You can also feel free to join the Becoming Catholic Process at any point in the year. We’ll pair you up with an individual mentor who can get to know your story and help you make the next right steps depending on your desire!
Who’s on the Disciples in Training (OCIA process) Team? There are others who aren’t on this list yet, but you can find pictures and biographies for most of the Disciples in Training Core Team members by scrolling below!
How do I register? Click here for a brief inquiry form for OCIA and here for OCIC to begin the process! A member of our Disciples in Training team will contact you to get to know your story and answer any of your initial questions. Of course, you’re always welcome to attend unannounced as well.
I’m not sure if I actually want to be Catholic… That’s just fine by us! Feel free to fill out the inquiry form and attend gatherings anyway! Filling out a form doesn’t commit you to anything. Each person is at a different place in their own spiritual journey, and this process is simply a place to ask your questions and search for answers together. If at any time you find that you are no longer interested in learning more, there’s no obligation to stay!
I definitely want to be Catholic. Do I still need to go through the process? Yes. A member of our team will meet with you individually to interview you and find out more about where you’re at in the process. Although we can certainly expedite you to the sacraments of initiation if we think it’s the best decision, we’ve also found that there is great value in going through the process for a few reasons. 1) You continue to learn. 2) You meet others who are on the journey. 3) There are dozens of special rites that take place along the way, and the graces you receive through those rites is an important part of the preparation process! Think of it like being engaged…even if you’re ready to be married, the engagement is a special time, too.
I’m already Catholic but I’m a fiancé/spouse/sponsor. Should I still attend? Yes, absolutely! Your participation in the process is valuable, partly for you, but mostly for your support of the person who is going through this process.
Schedule
We work with an ongoing OCIA process, which basically means that people are welcome to join us at any time! Not everything is offered at every time, but there’s no “waiting period” if someone is interested in Becoming Catholic (OCIA & OCIC). They can simply join the group!
Disciples in Training (an OCIA process) Team
Joshua Cooley is a native of the Chippewa Valley. He makes a living as an instructor of Information Technology at CVTC, but his real passion is history, as well as the writings of G.K. Chesterton, J.R.R. Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis. A convert himself, he brings a scholarly perspective to the OCIA team and hasn’t really been stumped with a question yet! You can reach him at simontemplar96@gmail.com.
Teresa Miniatt has been Catholic all her life. Her passion for lifelong learning led her to obtain a BA in Theology from Franciscan University. To this day, she still looks to her professors, Dr. Sirilla, Dr. Bergsma, and Dr. Hahn as her main sources of inspiration and wisdom (besides the Bible and Catechism). She can be reached at ClassicL89@aol.com.