* Note, by the end of the calendar year of 2024, the previously known term RCIA will be henceforth referred to as the:
Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA).
The OCIA, which stands for Rite (Order) of Christian Initiation of Adults, is a process through which non-baptized and baptized men and women (age 7 and older) enter the Catholic Church. It includes various stages marked by study, prayer and rites during the Order of the Mass. Participants in the OCIA are known as Catechumens (the unbaptized or Candidates (the previously baptized in another Christian ecclesiastical body).
(from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB))
USCCB National Statutes for the OCIA (2024)
Diocesan-Level Instructions:
Diocese OCIA Guidlines (promulgated May 7, 2025)
Parish-Level Participant Inquiry Form:
OCIA Participant Info form 2025-2026 (filleable pdf format)
OCIA Process Overview Chart
Parish-Level Instructions:
2025 2026 Parish Level OCIA Guidelines and Handbook
2025 2026 OCIA Godparent/Sponsor Handbook
Article, Apostles Creed
Article, Nicene Creed
Article, List and References of the Parables of Jesus
Article, The Catholic Deposit of Faith and the Holy Spirit of God
Baptism, Confirmation and RCIA Sponsor Certificate of Eligibility
Miscellaneous/General Instructions:
Implications of Marital and Annulments Issues on the RCIA Process
(*** Informational only: Published by the Archdiocese of Atlanta)
