The Order of Christian Initiation for Adults, or OCIA, is a welcoming program that fosters community and faith growth, inviting adults interested in joining the Catholic faith to learn more. Initially, this was called in English by the acronym RCIA, standing for the ‘Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults,’ a name which many were familiar with. However, in November 2021, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops approved a new translation of the name of this process, now calling it the “Order of Christian Initiation of Adults.” While it may seem like a small change, many see this as a new turning point, with a focus on the ongoing, lifelong process of discipleship.
Matt Mirabile, a parishioner who just completed OCIA in the past few years and who is now a team lead for OCIA, explains how he felt after going through, ”When I went through the program and eventually got confirmed, I was excited and decided I wanted to join the team just as a way to try to give back a little bit. I’ve never been someone who did a lot of volunteer work; it had never really been a part of my life.” That changed with his OCIA experience: ”I wanted to hit the ground running as a new Catholic.”
Being part of the ‘Catholic family’ was not necessarily new for Matt. “I was baptized Catholic as an infant, and I’m originally from Connecticut and of Italian heritage. Northeastern Italian culture is very Catholic, so I was baptized Catholic, but, for some reason, my parents just never kept up with it.” He has lived here in the Triangle for almost 20 years, but a couple of years ago, he felt something tugging at him. “I really wanted to learn more about the faith, and to ‘plug back in.’ I had a lot of friends who were Catholic, and my grandfather, whom my dad absolutely loved, was very, very Catholic. All of that kind of played a role in wanting to explore more.”
The ‘Catholic Family’ is a focus at St. Francis, which led to one change in the former RCIA program. Matt explains, “Previously, during ‘breaking open the Word,’ the candidates would leave just after the universal prayer and before the creed. That was an opportunity for the participants to spend some time together and reflect.” However, to some, leaving the Mass during the celebration seemed strange, and a discussion between Father Chris and the team determined that it’s technically not required.
“A big thing at St. Francis,” says Matt, “ is family. We didn’t want to split these people up from their families during the mass. We want everyone present together. We want the participants to see the Eucharist, and sitting in the presence of the Eucharist is a way they grow in their desire.” However, the team felt that discussing the Gospel was important, and the ‘breaking open the Word’ is not lost; it still takes place after Mass.
Mary Cockrill has long been a volunteer at St. Francis as a Mass Coordinator (MC), a Secular Franciscan, and, for almost 3 years, an OCIA volunteer. “When Monsignor Michael asked at Mass for people to volunteer to help with the OCIA. I remembered my husband went through it back when we lived in Louisiana in the 90s. When our son was in second grade, he decided he wanted to be baptized and become part of the Catholic Church. I wasn’t his sponsor or anything, so I was never really involved in it. However, I joined the Secular Franciscans, and that experience piqued my interest in OCIA when Monsignor asked. While I was going through my formation as a Secular Franciscan, I fell in love all over again with my Catholic faith through the eyes of St. Francis.” Mary says she realized just how important her faith is to her and wanted to share that with those in OCIA.
St. Francis currently has about 8 to 10 parishioners who volunteer to help with OCIA. “If you’re interested in supporting this ministry,” says Matt, “we welcome volunteers with various skills and availability. Whether you can commit weekly or occasionally, your participation can make a difference.” The curriculum is extensive and covers:
- What is OCIA?
- Faith
- The Holy Trinity
- Who is Jesus?
- The Mass
- The Church year
- The Saints
- Mary
Sacraments, Christian living, and social justice are the focus, but especially evangelization, empowering you to share the good news and grow in your faith journey.
Matt was asked, “How does this all get started? Do you go to events? Does the parish have events to invite people to explore the Catholic Church?” He says, “I’m sure as we grow, and as I kind of come into this role a little bit more, we can eventually start doing things like that again, but the caveat is that we’re seeing an incredible amount of outreach to us and an incredible amount of growth.” The parish confirmed 25 new Catholics who came through OCIA last November. “That is a lot,” says Matt. “We almost needed a bigger altar!” he joked. “Right now, we’re seeing such natural growth in the faith, and I’ve read many articles about how Gen Z is disproportionately coming back to religion. We haven’t really had to go out there, and that’s a good problem to have: too many recruits.”
Part of this interest is in the innate beauty of the Faith. Mary recalls her experience of reigniting her faith: “I went to Catholic schools all my life. I’ve had the Catholic religion always there, but you know what? It’s kind of like algebra; I learned that, but I don’t remember everything. At OCIA, I feel a renewed faith. I’m a daily Mass-goer, but there are a lot of things I hear in OCIA where I say, ‘Oh, I should remember that.’ I think it’s special to look through their eyes, seeing them learn and realize things about the faith I’ve known all my life that I don’t often think about. As a lifelong Catholic, it’s become natural to me, but I get renewed seeing the excitement in them when they learn about the faith and do become Catholic.”
Do you know someone interested in the Catholic faith? Are you looking to put your faith out as an evangelizer who can help with adult formation at St. Francis? Matt is always looking to find presenters and volunteers to share their Catholic experience with those interested in becoming Catholic. We are called to share our faith, and OCIA may be the opportunity that calls you! To learn more as someone interested in becoming Catholic, start here. If you are interested in volunteering to assist the OCIA team, contact Matt Mirabile here.
