Order of Christian Initiation by Adults

a step-by-step explanation

Last week I wrote about the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), formerly called the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), and the different groups that make up that process of becoming members of the Catholic Church.
    
There are four stages of the OCIA, and four Rites of the OCIA. I want to explain these today.

Stage One: The Pre-Catechumenate    

This stage is really everything that happens in one’s journey of faith up until coming to the OCIA classes. The pre-catechumenate includes, especially, those people and experiences through which the seeker has learned about God, Jesus, and the Church. Some of that may be positive, and some may have been negative. At the beginning of the OCIA process, we seek to help the individuals to look back and to discern where God has been in their lives, where there needs to be healing, and conversion.

Rite One: The Rite of Becoming a Catechumen  

After the pre-catechumenate phase, if the individual wishes to move on, then they will go through a rite or ceremony at church in which they declare that they wish to move forward to the next phase or stage.

Stage Two: The Catechumenate

This second phase involves studying the Catholic faith to learn more about Jesus, His teaching on who God is, how we are to worship and honor Him, on morality and on prayer.

Rite Three: The Rite of Election

On the First Sunday of Lent, those who have gone through the Catechumenate, and who wish to enter the Catholic Church at Easter, are sent to the Cathedral to meet with the Bishop for the Rite of Election, when he formally accepts them (elects them) as those who will enter the Church.

Stage Three: The Period of Purification

This stage is the Season of Lent, which was originally established for those entering the Church at Easter, to focus on the spiritual disciplines of Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving.

Rite Four: The Sacraments of Initiation

At the Easter Vigil Mass, the Sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation—the Sacraments of Initiation, are celebrated. These new Catholics are now called neophytes.

Stage Four: Mystogogia

This word refers to the rest of their lives, where they will continue to learn more about Christ, the Catholic faith, and the life of discipleship.