RCIA to OCIA

Our parish RCIA program has a new name! For the past several decades, Catholic parishes have used the acronym RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) to refer to the process for adults becoming Catholic. On December 1, 2024, a new translation (from Latin to English) was released with a new title, Order of Christian Initiation of Adults or OCIA.  

Since Latin is the universal language of the Roman Catholic Church, texts for Mass and other Sacraments are first issued in Latin, then translated into our local languages. The process of finding the best translations evolves over time.

Some of us remember the new translations to the Mass in 2010. (Changes like “And also with you” became “and with your spirit”) These changes were made so that our English translation could be closer to the original Latin, and thus closer to all the other languages spoken around the world.

Since 2010, the English translations of other Sacraments and liturgical rites have been updated. For example, in 2020, the Rite of Baptism of Children was updated to the Order of Baptism. In 2022, the Rite of Reconciliation was updated to the Order of Penance.  Most of the prayers are the same, but a few of them have changed slightly. When we go to a Baptism or Confession, we may not even notice any differences!

The new changes in the text of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults are similar. Some of the texts of the prayers have changed, and the title has changed to Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. The term “order” is an accurate word to describe the process of becoming Catholic as there are a series of liturgical rites and prayers that are celebrated in a particular order.

Our priests, parish staff and OCIA Team have begun to read and study the new OCIA text, and we are looking forward to sharing more information with you soon. Perhaps this time of implementing the new translation can be an opportunity for reflection.

• Are we actively inviting people to the Catholic Church and walking with them through the process?
• How do we at St. Peter Church welcome and form people who are interested in the Catholic Church and those who want to become Catholic?

 
More information about our parish OCIA program and Becoming Catholic at St. Peter can be found here.   St. Peter OCIA Program