Order of Christian Initiation of Adults

OCIA is the normal way for adults (age 18+) who are either unbaptized or have been baptized in another Christian community to become Catholic.

OCIA also serves Baptized Catholics who have not yet received the sacrament of First Holy Communion and Confirmation.

OCIA is open to anyone who seeks to learn more about the Catholic Faith. An application is NOT necessary if not seeking any initiation sacraments.

Our 2026-2027 parish OCIA will begin its regular Sunday sessions in the Parish Life Center Hope Room on Sunday, June 28, 10:30 - 11:50 am.

Led by our priests, deacons, and catechists, and accompanied by sponsors, participants will explore the elements of Catholicism and prepare to receive the Sacraments of Initiation.

• Pick up the OCIA packet from church vestibules, the parish office, the bookstore or download the application here.

• Complete the application, and drop it by the parish office during office hours before Sunday, June 28th

• Pay $45 class fee

• SEE YOU AT 10:30 AM IN THE PARISH LIFE CENTER HOPE ROOM ON JUNE 28.

A different program is available for those only needing Confirmation. Please contact the Parish Office for more information.

If you already have a relationship with someone in the Catholic Church who qualifies as a sponsor you can ask him/her. Otherwise, the OCIA staff can guide you on finding a sponsor. You can discuss this in more detail when you meet with the OCIA staff.

The qualifications of sponsors, according to Canon Law (892-893, 872- 874), entail that sponsors:

• Have received the three sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Eucharist, & Confirmation)

• Be at least 16 years of age

• Participate regularly in Sunday Mass and give witness to their faith in Christ Jesus

• Believe all that the catholic Church professes and teaches and truly make an effort to incorporate these teachings into their daily lives

• Willing assume responsibility to be a good role model for the person they are sponsoring by their life of prayer and by their Catholic example

• IF MARRIED: be validly married according to the laws of the Catholic Church

  • Married by a priest or deacon; or

  • Married by a minister with proper dispensation from the Bishop; or

  • Their marriage was convalidated (blessed) by the Catholic Church

• IF SINGLE: be living a Christian life in accordance with the laws of the Catholic Church (e.g. not cohabitating)

  • Not be intending to marry the OCIA candidate

• Not be the mother or father of the one to be baptized
  

Contact Andy Skrypka at (707) 575-5676 or the Parish Office for more information.

• Classes meet monthly during the summer and weekly during the school year.

• OCIA is held in the Hope Room in the Parish Life Center from 10:30 a.m. to 11:50 a.m. on Sundays.

• This year’s program begins June 28, 2026.