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Becoming Catholic
Becoming Catholic is one of life’s most profound and joyous experiences. Some are blessed enough to receive this great gift while they are infants, and, over time, they recognize the enormous grace that has been bestowed on them. Others enter the Catholic fold when they are older children or adults. This tract examines the joyful process by which one becomes a Catholic.
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A person is brought into full communion with the Catholic Church through reception of the three sacraments of Christian initiation—Baptism, Confirmation, and the Holy Communion—but the process by which one becomes a Catholic can take different forms.
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A person who is baptized in the Catholic Church becomes a Catholic at that moment. One’s initiation is deepened by Confirmation and the Eucharist, but one becomes a Catholic at baptism. This is true for children who are baptized Catholic (and receive the other two sacraments later) and for adults who are baptized, confirmed, and receive the Eucharist at the same time.
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Those who have been validly baptized outside the Church become Catholics by making a profession of the Catholic faith and being formally received into the Church. This is normally followed immediately by confirmation and the Eucharist.
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Before a person is ready to be received into the Church, whether by Baptism or by profession of faith, preparation is necessary. The amount and form of this preparation depends on the individual’s circumstance. The most basic division in the kind of preparation needed is between those who are unbaptized and those who have already become Christian through baptism in another church.
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For children who have reached the age of reason (age seven), entrance into the Church is governed by the Rite of Christian Initiation for Children (RCIC) or Rite of Christian Initiation for Teens (RCIT).
OCIA
The Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA) is the journey or process by which a person (an inquirer) of catechetical age encounters Christ, becomes more acquainted with the Christian faith, commits his/her life to becoming a disciple/follower of Christ, that is, experiences initial conversion, and becomes a member of his Mystical Body, the Catholic Church. Ultimately, OCIA is a journey to a restored relationship with the Father in and through his Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Thus, this process involves a wholistic approach, which includes not only intellectual formation, but human, pastoral, spiritual, as well as apostolic. OCIA, then, is the process by which someone is introduced, trained, and initiated in the Christian way of life, which only begins with the reception of the Sacraments of Initiation.
What is the process?
The OCIA process is broken down into four significant stages, some of which include a number of steps or rites: Evangelization and the Pre-catechumenate, the Catechumenate, Purification and Enlightenment, and Post Baptismal Catechesis or Mystagogy. Each candidate or “inquirer” goes through each of these stages at a pace that allows for the following things to happen: receive a basic understanding of the Gospel and all the aspects of the Christian way of life, which include prayer, morals, and Christian doctrine; have an initial conversion, which must take place before the “inquirer” receives the Rite of Entrance into the order of the Catechumens; build a solid relationship with Christ and began to live as his committed disciple; become organically integrated into the local Christian community; receive the Sacrament of Initiation, Baptism, Confirmation, and First Communion; and learn about the importance of ongoing Christian growth and participation in the Church’s mission of evangelization. This process is at least 2 years but can be as long as needed so that the candidate matures enough in their conversion and faith (see OCIA 7).
Learn More
From time to time it’s important to remind ourselves of the basic questions at the heart of our faith. Whether you’re a longtime Catholic or someone looking to learn more about the Catholic faith, we think you will find the quick videos below informative and inspiring.