The Catholic Church provides a process for adults wishing to become a fully initiated Roman Catholic. The process varies depending on the situation as follows:

• Order of Christian Initiation of Adults for non-baptized adults, baptized Christian non-Catholics, and baptized Catholics who have not received First Communion or Confirmation.
  
  
• Adult Confirmation for baptized Catholics who have received First Communion but have not been confirmed

Order of Christian Initiation of Adults - OCIA  (formerly RCIA)
 
Have you ever noticed RCIA in the bulletin and wondered, what is RCIA?  RCIA stands for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.  Over a year ago, the name was updated to OCIA – meaning the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults.   That tells you what the acronyms mean, but what might OCIA mean for you????
 
Were you baptized in a Catholic Church, but for whatever reason never received First Communion or Confirmation?  Through OCIA you can prepare to receive both First Communion and Confirmation
 
Were you perhaps baptized in another Christian tradition (a few examples are Methodist. Lutheran, Presbyterian), but you have come to Mass at a Catholic Church with your spouse or fiancé or a good friend who is Catholic?  
 
Maybe you were never baptized.  Maybe you grew up in a non-Christian family.  Maybe you grew up in a family where no religion was practiced.  Have you been searching, not quite sure what you have been looking for?   You are visiting St. John Vianney Church – Which is a Catholic Church.  
 
Are you interested in inquiring about the Catholic Church and possibly becoming Catholic?  OCIA is the process that gives adults the opportunity to learn what it means to be Catholic, and if an adult wishes to become Catholic, provides the means to be received into the Catholic Church.

Contact me, Ellen DeRosa, by email at ederosa@sjvs.net or by phone at 732-423-5735
Click Here for OCIA brochure...
  

Adult Confirmation

There are many reasons an adult may not have been Confirmed as a child.  The good news is the opportunity for Confirmation is not limited to children.  Adults can be prepared for Confirmation through an Adult Confirmation process.   The process often overlaps with OCIA.
 
The gifts of the Holy Spirit poured out at Confirmation make a huge difference in how we live and approach our faith life.
 
From a practical perspective, to serve as a Godparent for Baptism or a Sponsor for Confirmation, a person must be a fully-initiated Catholic – which means the person has received Baptism, First Communion and Confirmation.  The person must also be a practicing Catholic.  Some adults are asked to be a sponsor or godparent do not accept the invitation because they were not Confirmed. 
 
Interested in preparing to receive the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in Confirmation?
 
Contact me, Ellen DeRosa, by email at ederosa@sjvs.net or by phone at 732-423-5735.