Join (or Explore) the Christian Faith

Thursday nights, 6:30 to 8 PM, from September until May (with time off for holidays). Catechumens and Candidates must also attend Mass weekly on Sundays (or the Vigil Masses on Saturday evenings).

 No, OCIA is completely free. Any materials, such as books or handouts, are provided by the parish.

We ask that you please contact our Director of Formation to register, even if you’ll just be observing. This helps us prepare materials and ensure a welcoming experience. The Director’s contact information can be found at the bottom of this page.

We understand life can be busy. If you miss a session, our catechists will work with you to catch up, possibly through one-on-one discussions or provided materials. Regular attendance is important for Catechumens and Candidates to prepare for the rites, but we’ll support you to stay on track.

Yes, friends or family members are welcome to attend, especially if they’re supporting your journey or are curious about the faith.

If you’re curious about the Catholic faith, seeking to grow closer to God, or considering becoming Catholic, OCIA is a great place to start. There’s no pressure to decide immediately—come to a few sessions, ask questions, and discern at your own pace.

No one makes any permanent commitments before or after OCIA begins unless they want to. If you do decide to enter OCIA as a Catechumen or Candidate, you may opt out at any time (and you can still attend the sessions if you want to keep learning or discerning). However, to enter full communion with the Catholic Church, Catechumens and Candidates must complete the required liturgical rites which mark the stages of their journey. What does that mean? Click the link in the question below!

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) created a nice page answering a bunch of different questions about OCIA, including some questions about the rites, people, and experiences involved in the journey. The link can be found here.

You’ll have the opportunity to learn about plenty of things including, but not limited to:

• Important facts about Our Lord Jesus’ identity
• the Fatherhood of God, the Trinity
• our relationship with God as His family
• the Church
• the Sacraments
• Catholic devotions and prayer life
• the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints
• the liturgy and its seasons
• virtues and vices
• mortal and venial sins
• marriage, priesthood and religious life

... and more.

We have tried to create a program that gives you a solid outline of Catholic life and belief—keeping in mind our limited time together. You’ll need to continue learning and becoming a disciple of Christ even after OCIA. It’s a lifelong journey.

Not in most cases. If you were already validly baptized using the Trinitarian formula with these exact words: “I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” then you do not need to be re-baptized unless you were baptized as a Mormon, Jehovah Witness, Oneness Pentecostal, or any of the other few faith traditions with very different Trinitarian beliefs. If you were baptized without these exact words or in another faith, then please let us know. You may need to be validly baptized.

“Catechumen” comes from the Greek word katēchoumenos and means “one being instructed.” It has been used by Christians since ancient times to refer to an unbaptized person entering the Christian faith. “Candidate” comes from the Latin word candidatus, which was originally used to describe white-robed politicians seeking election to a new role. The word began to be used to describe anyone seeking a new role in a variety of contexts, much like the way the word “candidate” is used today. In the context of OCIA, it’s used to describe a baptized individual seeking to become Catholic.

The term "rite" refers to specific liturgical ceremonies and rituals that mark the various stages of a person's journey toward becoming a fully initiated member of the Catholic Church. These rites serve as public and communal expressions of the individual's growing faith and commitment to Christ and the Church.