September 13, 2026 - Pastor Message
September 5, 2026ORDER OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS
ORDER OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS
“Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the Word. Thus Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them. With one accord the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing…once they began to believe Philip as he preached the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, men and women alike were baptized” (Acts 8:6, 12).
Continuing our theme of the Orders of the Church, we begin this week by looking at the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, or OCIA. We do this because, since the earliest days of the Church, the initiation of adults has been the model for all other sacraments, especially the sacraments of initiation. In both its structure and the formation of a special group, or small community, within the larger Church, the OCIA reflects the dual meaning of Order.
The OCIA begins with a period of evangelization and exploration called the Precatechumenate. Formerly known as the time of Inquiry, this relatively undefined period of hearing and responding to the gospel message through prayer, questions, and reflection really runs year-round and invites those who wish to learn more about Christ and his Church to take the first step on that journey. It takes a more concrete form as “those who, even if they do not fully believe, nonetheless show a leaning toward the Christian faith” (OCIA, 39) come together and form a group who will explore the faith more fully, typically in the fall.
Those in this group who decide, through prayer and discernment, to take the next step and formally begin the process of initiation into the Church are received through a ritual known as the Rite for Entrance into the Catechumenate, formerly known as the Rite of Acceptance. The Catechumenate is a period of more intense formation, prayer, and study through which persons seeking initiation into the Church learn the basics of the faith. Persons entering the Catechumenate should demonstrate: “an initial conversion and desire to change their lives and enter a relationship with God in Christ; a consequent beginning of a sense of penitence and a habit of calling on God and of prayer; a sense of the Church; a first experience of the company and spirit of Christians through contact with a priest or some members of the community” (OCIA, 42). The small community they form, consisting of those seeking initiation as well as their sponsors and formators, is indispensable as an introductory experience of the People of God, the Church, preparing catechumens for full and active participation in their parish. It also serves as a witness to the larger community of the call to ongoing conversion for all the Christian faithful. Christian initiation is not a destination that is completed with Confirmation; it is a launching pad to a lifetime of growing in grace until we enter the gates of the kingdom of God, and the OCIA reminds us of that.
Fr. Marc Stockton
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