Parishes prepare to implement new OCIA program

by Deacon Rick Bauer

PHOTO: Gary Niemerg, Director of Catechesis, Evangelization and Youth Ministry, and Lucas Pollice, Director of Missionary Discipleship and New Evangelization, are pictured at a workshop for catechists, clergy and parish staff that took place Jan. 11 at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Colorado Springs. The workshop covered the new Order of Christian Initiation. (Photo by Deacon Rick Bauer) 

COLORADO SPRINGS. On Jan. 11, St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Colorado Springs was host to a gathering of catechists, religious education leaders, and clergy working on the implementing of changes and revisions to the way interested candidates come to the Catholic faith. After an introduction from Bishop Golka, presenters walked through the new Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) for use at parishes in the United States.

 Deacon Mike McGrady, Director of Marriage and Family Life for the Diocese of Colorado Springs, gave guidelines and advice for those working with prospective Catholics who have previous marriages (always a bit of a pastoral balancing act — too much encouragement and one risks getting ahead of the normal canonical processes; too limited a vision risks another kind of discouragement for hopeful seekers). Gary Niemerg, Director of Catechesis, Evangelization, and Youth Ministry, and Professor Lucas Pollice, Director of the New Evangelization and Missionary Discipleship, continued the discussion on changes from the RCIA to the OCIA, missionary discipleship, and new diocesan guidelines for parishes and catechists. For the more than 70 Catholic catechists attending, it was a helpful, hopeful, and informative experience.

As far as the opportunities for teaching and inspiring others about the Catholic faith in America, we have a mix of “the best of times, and the worst of times.” Self-identified Christians make up 61% of the U.S. population in 2024, down from 75% a decade ago. About three in ten U.S. adults now consider themselves “religiously unaffiliated,” but the Pew Research organization reports that the Catholic share of the population, which had ticked downward between 2007 and 2014, has been relatively steady in recent years.

As of 2022, 21% of U.S. adults describe themselves as Catholic, identical to the Catholic share of the population in 2014. The steadily increasing number of adults — either from no faith background or from a Christian denomination — who express interest in entering the Catholic Church is very hopeful. The liturgical and sacramental vitality, time-tested wisdom, authentic biblical foundation, and genuine love for all peoples of the earth found in the Catholic Church is still “good news” for those searching.

However, helping others form a lifelong relationship with Christ and his church is every Catholic’s responsibility, not simply a job for the clergy. Parishes and dioceses must prepare, educate, and carefully form these catechumens and candidates — from their initial inquiry, through their entrance into the church, and into Christian maturity through ongoing formation. The new OCIA gives parishes increased flexibility to do that.

 While entering the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil remains the time-honored tradition, the OCIA accommodates growing parishes by allowing them to bring catechumens and candidates into the Church more quickly. It’s been my joy to meet couples or adult students whose passion for the Catholic faith leads them to aggressively and purposefully study, participate and attend the liturgical events of the parish, while continuing to seriously “count the cost” of Christian discipleship in our world. For such people, it makes sense to accelerate the pace of their initiation.

Other helpful features of the new edition of the OCIA include:

• The new OCIA retains the same arrangement and paragraph numbering as the previous Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), while simplifying the numbering of chapters;

• Includes more precise terminology to correspond better and consistently with pastoral practice, including the use of the terms “catechumens” (those who are preparing for baptism) and “candidates” (those who are already baptized and are seeking full communion with the Catholic Church) which can be confusing to new entrants as well as Catholic participants and sponsors;

• Provides new sample introductions to be used by celebrants in the combined rites, making clear the distinctions between catechumens and candidates;

• Envisions a more collaborative partnership with Catholic clergy and catechists in applying the OCIA instructions to particular candidates and their needs, their families, and their understanding and application of the faith.

In summary, the process of RCIA becoming OCIA is not so much a conversion or new release as it is a refinement; the purpose, the process, and the flow remain the same.  The name change from “rite” to “order” is a more accurate translation of the Latin. Two years ago, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops approved the name revision and updated the curriculum, which became effective Dec. 1, 2024.

The importance of the first period of OCIA, known as the inquiry stage, is more fully recognized as a period of evangelization. The period includes one-on-one dialogue between the inquirer and OCIA leader, in addition to group study of Scripture, prayer, and friendly conversation to encounter the person of Jesus Christ as the fullness of God’s revelation.  The discipling process is transformed from not just a requirement for entrance to the Catholic faith but a lifelong relationship with other disciples and catechists. God has no “Lone Ranger Christians”; we start realizing this by spending time with people, sharing with them the Gospel, salvation history, and so forth. Falling in love with Christ — having faith in Christ — is based just like any other relationship, on trust. And that’s the entire point of evangelization, getting people to the point where they trust God to direct their lives — something that does not always happen in a predictable path or process.

Those who are ready to commit to joining the Church will experience the Order of Entrance at their parish and begin the second phase, called the catechumenate, in which they develop their faith and learn the doctrine of the Church. This phase ends with the Order of Election, in which the catechumens and candidates from several parishes gather, often with the bishop present, and sign a book to express their resolve to join the Catholic Church.

The third phase of purification and preparation, which often occurs during Lent, focuses and intensifies the faith of the catechumens and candidates as they prepare to be fully received into the Catholic Church, usually at the Easter Vigil. The OCIA process recommends strengthening the fourth phase, known as “mystagogy,” in which the new members of the Church grow in understanding and faith as they participate in the Mass and the sacraments.

Traditionally, the mystagogy period (after baptism or entrance) lasted from Easter until Pentecost, but now a “neophyte year” is recommended, which would involve monthly meetings with newly-baptized persons to discuss the faith. As someone who led an RCIA program, I observed that we have in many ways failed to completely grasp this important part. The “survival rate” for new Catholic disciples is still far too low, and we need to put time and effort into making sure that new seeds of faith can grow and flourish. 

With these changes, the timetable of OCIA may extend beyond what people have grown accustomed to with RCIA and may vary from person to person. However, the improvements are designed to help converts to Catholicism lay a strong foundation to help them understand and live more deeply their relationship with Christ and his Church. With the OCIA, the Church underscores the importance of making lifelong and permanent disciples who intentionally and joyfully embrace the faith — and so creating a sound foundation of faith.