Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA)

Think you might want to follow Christ as a Roman Catholic?

We’re delighted to welcome you into the Church’s process, called the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults and abbreviated OCIA, formerly Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults(RCIA), and accompany you along the way. If you’ve never been baptized there are four stages of growth in Christian living: falling in love with Jesus and His Church, learning how to follow him, entering into a final phase of spiritual preparation to meet Jesus in the sacraments, and then spending the next months encountering Jesus in the Mass, listening to his call upon your life, and finding your footing as a Christian.

If you are already baptized, the steps are adapted to your existing faith journey. But don’t worry, we are here to accompany you along the way, together encountering Christ and experiencing the joys of Christian living.

“It is Jesus that you seek when you dream of happiness;
He is waiting for you when nothing else you find satisfies you;
He is the beauty to which you are so attracted;
It is He who provoked you with that thirst for fullness that will not let you settle for compromise;
It is He who urges you to shed the masks of a false life;
It is He who reads in your hearts your most genuine choices, the choices that others strive to stifle.”

~ St. John Paul II

To learn more, leave your contact information and a member of the initiation community will contact you to answer your questions or sit with you as you decide!

“We are each of us like a small mirror in which God searches for His reflection.”

~ St. John Vianney

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Contact Us

If you are feeling a pull toward considering life as a Roman Catholic, or if you have additional questions, contact Melanie Turner, OCIA Coordinator for St. Agnes Catholic Church by sending an email or calling the Parish Office at (304) 876-6436.

Curious but Undecided

What if I can’t decide? Maybe this will help…

A video entitled  “Why I follow Jesus”
Maybe this resonates with you.

Looking for an intellectual argument for Catholic Christianity?  Try this:
“5 Reasons to be Catholic” with Brandon Vogt.

Perhaps this touches your soul:
“How Great Thou Art” performed by a capella group Home Free

Another song to reach your soul:
“The Lord’s Prayer”  performed by Jackie Evancho

A Final Note

We know God calls people to life in Christ in a variety of ways. We remain amazed at the many pathways people travel to come to us and are most grateful to meet you along the way. We’re here to answer!