OCIA brings people together, into the Church, as class sizes rise

Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

As the season of Lent begins, so does the 40-day countdown, as candidates and catechumens move ever closer to full initiation into the Catholic Church at Easter Vigil Mass. This year, during the Lenten season, the Messenger will be highlighting candidates and catechumens who are in the final stages of the Order of Christian Initiation (OCIA).

OCIA has roots that “go back to those early times where there was a lot of persecution of Christians. And so, it used to be a significantly more rigorous process,” said Sarah Wells, pastoral associate at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, Covington. That rigorous process, “fell out of practice,” said Ms. Wells. “By the last few hundred years private instruction was the normative way to enter the Church.”

It was Vatican II that reinstated the Order of Christian Initiation, then known as the Rite of Christian Initiation. The Fathers of Vatican II thought, “it’s about time that the Church goes back to a communal setting for people to enter the Church together, to learn together, to have a community of fellowship, of prayer, accountability; it’s just really good for everyone involved,” said Ms. Wells.

“The early Church grew because of faith sharing,” said Father Ryan Maher, rector of the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption. “So that element is introduced, especially at OCIA, that context of space for sharing of one’s faith that really builds up the whole parish, it builds up our catechetical team, it builds up the clergy. It’s really a beautiful thing to be a part of and receive,” he said. “We give teachings and we give our own witness, but we’re all receiving, and it’s very beautiful.”

This year, the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption has a record-breaking 16-person OCIA class, shattering their previous record of 12 from the year prior. The class is a mix of catechumens and candidates, an important distinction as someone moves through the program.

“The distinction comes after the first rite, the Rite of Acceptance, which differentiates between a candidate, who is a baptized adult, baptized in a different denomination, or a catechumen, who is an unbaptized adult,” said Ms. Wells.

OCIA is separated into three separate rites: first is the Rite of Acceptance, for catechumens, or the Rite of Entrance for candidates. This is the public transition from mere inquiry into conversion to being accepted as a catechumen or candidate. The second rite is the Rite of Election, for catechumens, or the Call to Continuing Conversion for candidates. The second rite is customarily held at the beginning of Lent and begins the period of purification and enlightenment. Here the catechumens are elected by the bishop to receive their sacraments of initiation at Easter. The third and final rite is the Rite of Initiation, for both candidates and catechumens, where they receive the sacraments of initiation at Easter.

Originally named the Rite of Christian Initiation, the name was changed to the Order of Christian Initiation to better reflect the three rites. “An order is a series of rites,” said Ms. Wells.

“In this culture in which we live, which can be so artificial in so many ways and non-relational, that desire to belong to a group, and exposure to the sacraments and to Mass, there’s something about the mystery of the Church and celebrating her rites, it attracts people who are searching,” said Father Maher on the appeal of OCIA.