Becoming Christian: Initiation for Adults

Have you ever felt close to God?

Or have you wondered if God even exists?

As Christians, we not only believe that God exists, but that he is truly with us in Jesus Christ. Christians are in an intimate relationship with Jesus in and through the Catholic Church he founded. In fact Catholics know of no other way by which they can be close to God.

How do I become Christian? How do I join the Catholic Church?

Whenever people were curious about the way Jesus lived, his response was: “Come, follow me.” For those who are curious about what it means to be and live as a Catholic, our response is similar – come hang out with us!

For Christians, initiation means falling in love with Jesus and living as his disciples. Through the process of becoming Catholic, we try to help people learn how to respond to God’s call for their everyday lives.

The process of becoming Catholic is not so much learning things as in a classroom but by entering a way of life, as an apprentice learns from a master and that master’s community.

Jesus is our master, and becoming Catholic is a lot like being his apprentice. We do this by hanging out with Catholics and actually doing what Catholics do. This process and apprenticeship into the Christian way of life is called the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (often called OCIA). It involves encountering the Word of God in the Christian community, worship and prayer, and serving others.