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OCIA

Offering of communion waferSaint James parish welcomes new members into the Catholic Church through a process of education, faith sharing, and rituals known as the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA).  This process includes several stages marked by prayer, study, and discussion.  Included in the process are several Rites, which take place within the context of the Mass.  The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) describes the RCIA as a process in which participants “undergo . . . conversion as they study the Gospel, profess faith in Jesus and the Catholic Church, and receive the sacraments . . . The OCIA process follows the ancient practice of the Church and was restored by the Second Vatican Council as the normal way adults prepare for baptism.”