Becoming Catholic

OCIA

‘The order of Christian Initiation of Adults’

Christian Initiation is a journey, but it is not a journey to a destination but to a person, the person of Jesus Christ. “Becoming Catholic” is a response to God’s invitation by answering the call to follow Jesus as his disciple. This is a process of conversion, communion and discipleship.

“Come, follow me.” — Matthew 4:19

Winter sessions for candidates begin
January 15th, 2026

ocia q&a evenings

Tuesday, December 9th or
Tuesday, December 16th
7:00 - 8:00 PM
Classroom B1 (In the lower level of the church

If you are interested in learning more about the Catholic faith, please join us at one of our Q&A evenings to have your questions answered. There is no need to register and no commitment is suggested, it is an informal opportunity to share information about the Catholic faith and the Order of Christian Initiation (OCIA) which may help in your discernment.

ocia process

The OCIA journey is intended for:

● Unbaptized adults who desire to enter the Catholic Church

● Adults baptized in other Christian denominations who now desire to live out their Christian life in full Communion with the Catholic Church

● Baptized Catholics who were not raised in the Catholic tradition and would now like to complete their Sacraments of Holy Communion and Confirmation

● Practicing Catholics who did not receive the sacrament of Confirmation.
Each journey is unique, and no one can place a set time on how quickly one should grow in faith and knowledge. That said, the “typical” calendar for those not baptized (catechumens) begins in August and continues through Pentecost, with the sacraments received at the Easter Vigil.

Those already baptized Christin (candidates) have additional opportunities to come into Full Communion with the church at the Feast of Christ the King (weekday evening sessions held August-December) or Pentecost (weekday evening sessions held January-May)

If there is a need to validate a marriage prior to the reception of the sacraments, the time may be extended to accommodate the necessary documentation.
The Catholic church places a very high value on marriage. As a candidate or catechumen preparing to enter the sacramental life of the Church through OCIA, it is important that your marriage is valid prior to the reception of the sacraments. We are happy to assist you in identifying and completing any steps which may need to be taken to accomplish this.

If necessary, your OCIA journey may include either of the following. These brief videos will provide introductory information.

● For those divorced and remarried, a decree of nullity may need to be pursued. Click here for a video with more information

● For those who have a Catholic spouse, but were not married in a Catholic church, a convalidation may be necessary to bring their union into a sacramental marriage. Click here for a video with more information.

To begin the process of discerning the validity of your marriage, please contact our Marriage Coordinator, Heather Dent at: hdent@stpatchurch.org

what do I do now?

If you have read through this page your journey may have already begun! Please complete the form below to help us begin our conversation.

God bless you in your continued discernment!