Order of the Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA)
The OCIA is for adults 18 and over who wish to become Catholic. They could have been baptized as infants but never received religious education, First Holy Communion, or Confirmation. OCIA is also open for anyone who just wants to learn more about the Catholic Faith. They could be from another Christian denomination, another religion, or none at all. At the end of the process you will receive the sacraments of initiation (Baptism, First Holy Communion and Confirmation) if you desire to become a full member of the Catholic Church.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Meet with the Director of Faith Formation before September. You can still meet until the second week of December; however, it is not guaranteed that you will receive the sacraments during the Easter Vigil. To contact the Director, click here
If you are married civilly, please contact one of our priests about convalidating your marriage by the Catholic Church. Our priests can be found here.
The program starts in September. The candidate can apply and begin at any time during the year. However, if you start after Christmas, we cannot guarantee you will receive the sacraments during the Easter Vigil.
All three are received during the Easter Vigil. Sometimes there are Confirmations during the Feast of Pentecost or at another time designated by the Diocese.
Preparation for the sacraments are done all together if you are not baptized. If for some reason they are taken separately, the candidate will have to return to receive instruction for the remaining Sacraments (Confirmation, First Communion). That may take two or more years to complete.
If all three sacraments are needed, please present your Birth Certificate. If you are already baptized, we will need your Baptismal Certificate to receive First Communion and/or Confirmation after completion of the process.
Sessions are offered once a week, on Monday evenings in Spanish and Tuesday evenings in English. The summer sessions are held once a month (last Monday in Spanish, last Tuesday in English).
Candidates will benefit from full and active participation at every session. Go ahead and ask questions!
From the beginning of Advent until the sessions are completed (April or May), at least one sponsor/godparent needs to attend the session with the candidate.
The Rites are for the preparation and discernment of your Christian journey. Every candidate and sponsor therefore needs to participate at each Rite and its corresponding rehearsal.
We ask that candidates commit to serving in a ministry at Most Holy Trinity after receiving a Sacrament.