Becoming Catholic

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Catholic Curious

Your journey to the Catholic Church through OCIA
- Welcome!
  
  "To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek him the greatest adventure; to find him, the greatest human achievement." - St. Augustine.
  
  Are you curious about the Catholic Church? Has your hunger for God, for truth, goodness, and beauty found satisfaction? Do you wonder why the Church still stands strong despite countless attempts from within and without to destroy it? Why hasn't its moral code changed in 2,000 years? How did the Church produce incredible figures like Mother Teresa? Could God be in the Catholic Church? Could the Catholic Church possibly be the only true Church that God Himself established?
  
  If you ask these, or any other questions about the Catholic faith, you are in the right place.
  
  I encourage you to reach out to St. Vincent's via the form on the right; someone will respond, usually within a business day. Any inquiries come with zero commitment. We will meet you at a coffee shop near the church and provide a space where one of us can hear your story and answer any initial questions you might have. The best way to get to know the Catholic Church is to talk with a Catholic, and we are more than happy to provide an opportunity for you.
  
  However, if you are not yet comfortable reaching out to us to meet in person, I encourage you to exercise your curiosity in a familiar space for many of us: Youtube! The following link connects you to a great (and short!) video on why the Catholic Church stands above other Christian Churches:
  
  Why Be Catholic and Not Just Christian?
  
  We recommend any video by Fr. Mike Schmitz or Ascension Presents (found via the link above).
  
  This other link connects you to a video from a long-standing philosophy professor who delivers an engaging and simple talk on why any person, regardless of his or her background, should be Catholic:
  
  7 Reasons Why Everyone Should Be Catholic
  
  Know of our prayers for you in your faith journey! God Bless!
  
  -Kolbe
  
  Director of Adult Formation and Evangelization
- Let us buy you coffee!
  
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  How can we help you? I want to chat over a cup of coffee... not quite sure what else I want. I have some questions about the Catholic Church. I want to become Catholic!
  
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frequently asked questions
- What is the OCIA?
  The process by which someone becomes Catholic is called the "Order of Christian Initiation for Adults" (OCIA).
  OCIA is about a relationship. Think of it as dating the Catholic Church.
  The first stage is called "inquiry" and its title is self explanatory. It is a stage where anyone can come and ask questions of the church and learn about the basics without any commitment. Once someone discerns that they would like to take a step in seriously discerning the Catholic Church, they move on to the next stage.
  The goal of the journey is to give a total, free, faithful, and fruitful "yes!" to enter into a lifelong relationship with Jesus and His Catholic Church. Therefore, it is important that the candidate and the Church get to know each other. What does the Catholic Church believe? How does the Catholic Church worship? How do members of the Catholic Church live? OCIA is a process of learning and pondering these aspects of the Catholic Church. The OCIA journey is divided into four periods (Inquiry, Catechumenate, Purification & Enlightenment, and Mystagogy) that respect the individual's journey of faith. If the individual discerns at the end of each period that he wants to move forward, he is received into the Catholic Church on the night before Easter in a liturgy of great celebration!
- Who can join OCIA?
  Anyone who is not yet fully Catholic! At St. Vincent de Paul, we invite three different groups of people to attend OCIA sessions.
  Catechumens: people who have never been baptized
  Christians who were baptized into another denomination
  Catholics who were baptized Catholic but are in need of First Communion and/or Confirmation
- What is the time commitment?
  Short answer: typically a year-long journey of monthly classes, monthly sponsor meetings, Sunday Mass, and three retreats!
  
  Longer answer: It depends! If you are new to the Christian faith, this year-long journey will lead you through everything you need to know to fall in love with Jesus Christ and give a full "yes!" to Him in the Catholic Church. If you are a devout Christian who has developed a deep relationship with Jesus Christ, you may only need a few months of instruction on Catholic doctrine to be ready to say a full "yes!" to come into full communion with the Catholic Church. Our OCIA coordinator will be happy to sit down over a cup of coffee and discern alongside you what is the best path for you.
  
  If you have concerns about the time commitment, please reach out to our OCIA coordinator Kolbe at [email protected]. We can work with you to make a plan that accommodates your schedule.
- What can I expect and what is expected of me?
  All that is needed is a sincere desire to grow in relationship with Jesus and learn more about him and his Church. Becoming Catholic is not about perfection. No tests, no perfection (or else our OCIA team wouldn't be allowed to come either-- we're not perfect!)
  
  Once someone has decided that they would like to seriously discern joining the Church, attendance is expected at all Catechumenate events:
  2024-2025:
  1) Monthly meetings at 6:00 pm on Thursday evenings.
  2) Every Sunday, there is a brief teaching from 8:30 AM-9:15 AM before the 9:30 Mass on Sundays. (Mass attendance is expected).
  3) Monthly sponsor meetings-- every person in RCIA is paired with a sponsor in the parish. This person will help answer questions and make your journey more personalized. Meetings are one on one or two on two and scheduled on your own schedule.
  4) Three retreats-- there will be 2 day retreats (9AM-1:30PM) on Saturday-- one in the fall, one in the winter. There will be one overnight retreat in the spring close to the time of initiation.
  5) Each member of OCIA is encouraged to spend some time each week in prayer and to prepare for the following week. There is no homework but recommended readings and videos will be given every week for deeper reflection. As with anything in life, your experience will be a direct result of how much you invest your heart and time into it. Ask questions, share observations, and get ready for a wonderful journey!
  Monthly sessions and retreats need to be made-up if missed. We understand if someone is travelling or sick and needs to miss things occasionally!
- What is the cost to participate in OCIA?
  No cost. Just bring an open heart, ready to receive God's love for you!
- I'm not 100% sure I want to become Catholic. Am I obliged to become Catholic if I start coming to classes?
  No, you are not obliged to enter the Catholic Church if you attend OCIA classes. Anyone seeking information about the Catholic faith is welcome to visit. At each stage of the OCIA journey, you will sit down with a member of our OCIA team to discern where God is leading and if you are ready to take the next step towards becoming Catholic.