Faith Formation

Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA)

The OCIA program is a spiritual journey for adults who wish to become members of the Catholic faith community. The spirit and teachings of the Catholic faith are shared in weekly classes that often include song, prayer, video clips, and dialogue. Priests, religious, and lay people from our parish share their knowledge about the Catholic faith, focusing on the sacraments, Catholic Church doctrine, liturgical year, sacred scripture, Mary, the Saints, and social ministries of the Catholic faith.

Classes begin each August and culminate in the celebration of the Sacraments (Baptism, Eucharist, and/or Confirmation) at the Easter Vigil. During Lent, OCIA members publicly commit themselves to becoming members of the Catholic Church and present themselves to the Bishop with a service at the Cathedral. With the Bishop's blessing, they continue their preparation and gather weekly with parishioners for the Sunday Liturgy of the Word. All parishioners include the intentions of the OCIA members in their Lenten prayers.

At the Easter Vigil, OCIA members enter the darkness of St. Jude Catholic Church. It is by their lighted candles, the readings from sacred scriptures, the liturgical music and prayers, and the celebration of the sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation, that all present are inspired to re-dedicate their lives to the teachings, the ministries, and the prayer life of the Catholic Church.

Classes will begin in August and are available in English and in Spanish.
Classes are held on Friday evenings from 7:00pm until 8:30pm.