Are you or do you know someone interested in becoming Catholic?
Are you or do you know someone who has been baptized Catholic but hasn't received their Sacraments (1st Penance, 1st Eucharist or Confirmation)?

The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, formally known as RCIA, is a Sacramental formation process that introduces the deep-rooted teachings of the Catholic Faith. During each session, a greater knowledge of the Catholic Faith is taught and a deeper relationship with God becomes stronger through the power of the Holy Spirit. Essentially, the catechumens and candidates will be prepared for full initiation into the Catholic Church and a lifelong commitment to sharing their faith and becoming a part of our parish community.

Formation Sessions
OCIA sessions meet once a week and begin in September/Fall through the Easter Vigil where you become initiated into the Church. We also know that life can be very busy with family, work and life in general, our OCIA team is flexible to help accommodate your time availability.

If interested in joining our Faith Formation OCIA sessions, please call the Faith Formation office at 724-981-3232 ex. 14.
 

Why did the name change from RCIA to OCIA?

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is now known as the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA). This may take some time to get used to.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops approved the change back in November 2021. Since then, a retranslation of the text occurred and went through several iterations until it was finally approved by the Vatican. Now the title is officially changed.
The reason for the name change is in part because of a retranslation of the Latin name to English. In Latin, the first word in the title is “Ordo,” which literally means “order.” In church-ese, an order has multiple rites within it. The former RCIA had several rites within it, which was confusing and a misnomer. This new English title and translation is aimed at bringing the book’s translation in line with translations around the world.
The new translation will also offer clearer terms used for people on the initiation journey. These include inquirer, entrant, catechumen, candidate and elect.