The Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA) (formerly known as Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, or RCIA), is the process by which people are introduced to the Christian faith in the Catholic tradition, and if they choose to do so, become fully initiated into the Catholic Christian community.

Inquirers, or people in the program referred to as candidates, come from other Christian traditions, from non-Christian faith traditions, or from no faith tradition at all but are seeking greater spiritual direction in their lives. Others may have been baptized Catholic who for one reason or another never received First Communion and Confirmation; and others, the catechumens, are unbaptized. Their journey of faith can be an inspiration to the rest of the faithful at St. Luke’s parish. Regardless of background, all are welcomed and never pressured to become Catholic.

Our candidates and catechumens are visible signs of our faith community, Christ’s Church, growing and becoming enriched.

St. Luke's OCIA Team welcomes inquirers at any time of the year.  Although the OCIA process tends to flow with the seasons, we are happy to meet with inquirers at any time of the year.  We also strive to avoid any pressure on an inquirer to continue through the OCIA phases.  One is welcomed to just attend one or more sessions to learn more about the OCIA process and what it means to become Christian in the Catholic faith tradition.  For those who feel called by God to pursue a path to initiation into the Catholic Christian community, we will be ready to help them along that wonderful spiritual journey.

The following is a comprehensive explanation of this OCIA process. You can scroll down and read the portions you are interested in or click a link to go to the desired section(s).

History of OCIA (RCIA)
Steps of the Process
   - Inquiry Period
   - Rite of Acceptance
   - Catechumenate Period
   - Rite of Election
   - Purification Period
   - Easter Vigil
   - Mystagogy Period
OCIA and the St. Luke’s Community
OCIA Team and Sponsors

History of OCIA

The OCIA program has been active at St. Luke’s parish for many years, a sign of a vibrant and welcoming community. The Early Church (first to third centuries) had persons wanting to become Christian live with a small Christian community to learn their way of life. In a sense, this provided a period of “apprenticeship” for the Christian in training. This became known as the catechumenate. This structured process began to disappear in the fifth century. By then Christianity had become legal, and large numbers of people were becoming Christians. During the twentieth century, however, a revival of the catachumenate began to take place in France and Africa. The Second Vatican Council called for a reinstatement of the catechumenate and in the following years the OCIA program as we know it today became established in parishes throughout the United States and the rest of the world.

Steps of the OCIA Process

Inquiry Period:

When God calls one to find out more about the Catholic faith and the St. Luke’s community, the inquirer is invited to learn more about the parish and the Catholic faith during the inquiry period. The OCIA Team helps each inquirer to discover what he or she is seeking.

 

Rite of Acceptance:

This rite is for those inquirers who are unbaptized.  We offer a very similar parallel rite called the Rite of Welcoming to those inquirers who are already part of the broader Christian faith community by virtue of their baptism.  Although the Rites of Acceptance and Welcoming typically occur in the fall, they are not necessarily tied to the first or second Sunday of Advent.  In fact, we have been striving in recent years to hold the Rite(s) of Acceptance/Welcoming a week or two before the start of Advent.



 

Catechumenate Period:

This second phase of the initiation process is characterized by more formal training in the Christian way of life. This is accomplished through a discussion of the Scripture readings each Sunday and at weekly meetings. Starting with the Rite of Acceptance, the catechumens and candidates are dismissed at Mass following the Liturgy of the Word. As the rest of the parish proceeds into the Liturgy of the Eucharist, those seeking initiation into our faith break open the Word and reflect more deeply upon the readings and homily just heard. During the weekly meetings, members of the OCIA Team, other members of the St. Luke’s parish, and/or one of our priests lead a discussion on some aspect of our faith as derived from Scripture study and/or doctrinal teachings of the Church. The catechumens and candidates begin to develop their relationship with the Catholic Christian community during this time and learn how to live and serve others as apostolic witnesses.

Rite of Election:

The Catechumenate Period ends with the second major ritual of the OCIA process, called the Rite of Election. The Rite of Election occurs on the first Sunday of Lent and involves a ceremony presided by the Bishop of the Worcester Diocese at St. Paul’s Cathedral. Prior to the trip to Worcester, St. Luke’s parish celebrates a Rite of Sending, one of the ways that our parish community sends a message of support to those seeking initiation. At the Rite of Sending, sponsors publicly express that the catechumenate(s) and candidate(s) have heard God’s call to receive the initiation sacraments, have expressed their conversion of heart, mind, and spirit to the Christian teachings of faith and charity, and are ready to proceed into the Purification Period. The catechumenate(s) and candidate(s) (and their sponsors) sign their names in the St. Luke’s Book of the Elect.

Purification Period:

Following the Rite of Election, catechumens, now called the elect, enter the final period of preparation. This period of purification and enlightenment, filled with reflection and prayer, coincides with Lent and in many respects mirrors the Lenten journey undertaken by all the members of the St. Luke’s community. The elect and candidates celebrate (in the presence of the parish) the purifying rituals, known as the Scrutinies. Lent takes us to the sacred Triduum of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter.

Easter Vigil:

At the stunningly beautiful and moving Easter Vigil, the elect and candidates celebrate the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism (for the unbaptized), Confirmation, and Eucharist. Those who responded to a calling many months ago now have become fully initiated into our faith community and in doing so have brought new blood and vibrancy to our parish and Christ’s Church.








 

Mystagogy Period:

The final period of the OCIA process is the period of mystagogy. During the Easter season, the newly initiated gather several more times to deepen their grasp of their new lives as part of the Body of Christ. And as now part of Christ’s Body, our newly initiated become inspired to continue the mission of Jesus Christ.

 

OCIA and the St. Luke’s Community

Through OCIA, our St. Luke’s community participates in the mission of the Church. Parish members help develop new disciples of Christ and in the process reinvigorate a commitment to continuing the mission of Jesus Christ in the Church throughout the world. All members of St. Luke’s faith community are invited to welcome and support newcomers to the Roman Catholic Church and through this action of faith beautifully exemplify the call to live and pray the Gospel in our daily lives.

OCIA Team and Sponsors

The OCIA Team devotes time to the ministry of guiding catechumens and candidates through the OCIA process from inquiry to mystagogy. Each catechumen or candidate has a sponsor, who companions with him or her through the OCIA process, an important step on one’s life-long journey of faith. Sponsors provide encouragement, answer questions, pray with and for the newcomers, introduce newcomers to other members of the community, and participate with newcomers in as many sessions as possible. St. Luke’s parishioners interested in becoming sponsors are encouraged to contact the OCIA Team Leader  Bob Thompson at 508-341-7677
email: [email protected]

Being a sponsor not only supports one interested in joining our faith community, but invariably also enriches and strengthens the sponsor’s faith as well.