Becoming Catholic

Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA)

The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) is the process established for the universal Church for individuals to become Catholic and receive the sacraments of initiation — Baptism, Conﬁrmation, and the Eucharist. This initiation process also involves a parish community experiencing a renewal in faith as it prepares and welcomes new members into the Church. The Order speaks of conversion as a “spiritual journey.” Centered on fostering a deep relationship with Jesus and the Church, this journey takes place through distinct stages over a period of time suitable to bring about a thorough catechesis, signiﬁcant experience of the parish community, and commitment to the liturgical and moral life of the Catholic faithful.

One’s journey of faith is unique to each person, and so the OCIA process at St. Anthony on the Lake attempts to meet folks where they’re at and accommodate the schedule that best suits their needs. We begin when you’re ready and typically meet about twice monthly. If you are interested in learning more about becoming Catholic, please email Al McCauley at mccauleya@stanthony.cc.

"OCIA was a fantastic experience for me for many reasons. I think it can be intimidating at times to enter in to a new church and environment but you were so welcoming and warm and made me feel at ease right away! The curriculum was very approachable and digestible, the author of our study book was extremely good and explaining all of the dimensions of our faith in a way that I could relate with and warmly embrace. Everyone at St. Anthony has been incredibly kind, Laura and I love to attend mass there and we most especially enjoyed the Easter Vigil!

Thank you Al, you were amazing to learn from and I look forward to continuing to participate in other faith formation activities in the future." - Jonathan Bayerlein

"What did I find meaningful about the OCIA process?

All of it! The simplicity of the curriculum Al provides is genius. Obviously we have infinite volumes of material available to take on the oldest area of study known to civilization, but by bulleting key topics into digestible nuggets made it comfortable and welcoming. Al McCauley is a wealth of knowledge and gifted at using various techniques to communicate understanding in abstract concepts that can be difficult to internalize at times. Additionally, I appreciated the explanation of various symbolism shared in both word and art. The detailed tour and 'behind the pews' workings of the church itself was fascinating. From the detail in the stained glass, the candle votive, the stations of the cross, the font, the tabernacle, and more it is overwhelming how thoroughly thought out everything is.

I came to OCIA already knowing Christ as my savior. As a new Catholic I am re-energized to be part of this thriving community." -Andy Shattuck

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