Contact:

Shawn Lucas | slucas@newmanparish.com

847-328-1430, x124

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OCIA, or the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, is a process with the Catholic Church for welcoming new members into the faith, particularly adults who are not yet baptized or those baptized in other Christian traditions.  It's essentially a period of formation and discernment where individuals explore Catholic beliefs and practices, ultimately preparing them to receive the sacraments of initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist).  The OCIA process is designed to be gradual, respectful of individual journeys, and rooted in prayer, study, and community life.

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What OCIA involves:

The process includes:

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• Inquiry:  Exploring the basics of the Catholic Faith

• Catechumenate:  A period of learning about Catholic Beliefs, practices, and traditions.

• Purification and Enlightenment:  A more intense period during Lent, leading up to the Easter Vigil

• Mystagogy: Post-baptismal catechesis where new Catholics reflect on their experience and grow in their faith.

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Interested in our Parish OCIA program? Please fill out this form.

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“The sacraments of Christian initiation – Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist – lay the foundations of every Christian life. “The sharing in the divine nature given to men through the grace of Christ bears a certain likeness to the origin, development, and nourishing of natural life. The faithful are born anew by Baptism, strengthened by the sacrament of Confirmation, and receive in the Eucharist the food of eternal life. By means of these sacraments of Christian initiation, they thus receive in increasing measure the treasures of the divine life and advance toward the perfection of charity.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church # 1212)