Becoming Catholic (OCIA)
Is God calling you to become a member of the Catholic Church? Are you a non-Catholic who is interested in learning more about the Catholic faith? We invite you to journey with us in a program of adult faith formation called the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA).
Testamonials
The start of my Faith Journey,
Because of motivation from some co-workers, I visited a non-denominational church, during the summer of 2023, but something just didn't feel right. I thought it would be good to attend Mass with my grandpa, Aunt Joyce and Uncle Dave, though I knew very little about the details concerning my faith in August of 2023. I just wanted to grow my relationship with God and give thanks to him for all the blessings and miracles I've experienced and witnessed along with the beauty of the world we live in.Coming from a home that did not worship, I had not been baptized nor had I grasped the joy in concentrating on Jesus. After my first non-holiday Catholic mass attendance in seemingly my life my grandpa asked why Deacon Charlie looked at me funny. I didn't realize what I had done wrong at that point, but I think I had walked away before consuming the host. Then through some discussion I discovered I had never been baptized and that was mandatory before accepting the Body and Blood of Jesus, that got my wheels turning. I had always thought that believing in God and being a good person was all I needed to do.
When it comes to RCIA, it is difficult to know where to start. The entire process--from God's initial, gentle calling back into the Catholic Church after roughly 2 decades away, to my confirmation day, when Bishop Thomas anointed my head with oil and I was blessed with a true and life-altering Pentecost of the soul--is too precious to adequately describe. With complete certainty I can tell you that God is beckoning you closer, that Jesus wants to have such a deep, personal relationship with you that you cocoon yourself within His sacred heart and rest there every single day of your life, and then for eternity after that. I can tell you that you will find no deeper, more satisfying life than the one you are about to embark upon by beginning RCIA, and that whether you've known Jesus your whole life or are only beginning to want to know Him, you will discover He is everything He says He is, and that this truth is not really a leap of faith but the most logical understanding you will ever come to about the world and your purpose and place within it. Finally, I can tell you as someone who has followed Jesus through nondenominational and Protestant churches, the depth of relationship you will enter with Him through partaking in the Eucharist is staggering. Quite simply, I didn't know it was possible to love Him more than I already did, but journeying through RCIA and enveloping myself within the fullness of the sacraments and ancient teachings of the Catholic Church (teachings that come from Christ Himself, His disciples, and the earliest church fathers) has been like reaching the precipice of a sand bar and choosing to dive into the depths of the ocean, to see all that has been waiting for me underneath the surface.
Here is where you will find your purpose, your joy, your peace. Do not let another day go by without seeking the spiritual formation your soul craves.
Eternity awaits. It's time to begin." -Chelsea Bobulski
Every year at the Easter Vigil, thousands of adults all over the world answer God’s call and are brought home to the Catholic Church through the Sacraments of Initiation. If you, or someone you know, is interested in exploring the possibility of becoming Catholic, the RCIA is the place for you!
For more information, or to sign up for class, please contact Saint Rose at parish@saintroseonline.org or by calling the parish office (419-874-4559).
If you would like to share your faith with another and renew your own as a Sponsor for OCIA, please contact the parish office as well.
For answers to commonly asked questions about the Catholic Faith, visit Catholic Answers at Catholic.com
Please join us on the Saint Rose Parish campus for any or all sessions listed on the calendar link to learn more about becoming Catholic, to explore the Catholic faith, and/or to deepen your knowledge of the Catholic faith.
OCIA is Open to...
• Persons not baptized
• Persons baptized in another Christian denomination but interested in the Catholic faith
• Persons baptized Catholic but have not received the Sacrament of Confirmation
• Persons raised Catholic who seek to learn more about the faith
• Persons who are interested in learning about the Catholic faith and The Catholic Church
• Catholics who wish to serve on the team and/or sponsor a candidate
Complete the form below to receive more information and sign up for our upcoming OCIA Program