The Order of Christian Initiation for Children (formerly known as the Rite of Christian Initiation for Children) is the children's version of the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (formerly RCIA). The OCIC is the Church's primary mechanism for bringing non-baptized children above the age of reason (generally defined to be age 7 and above) into her ranks. The OCIC is also the primary mechanism for bringing validly baptized, non-Catholic Christian children into full communion with the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church. This, of course, occurs through the initiation and with the permission of the child's parents. 

At St. Catherine of Siena parish, children who enter the OCIC are usually between the ages of 7 to 14± (depending upon the maturity level and learning ability of the child). Children younger than 7 may be baptized without the OCIC formation process. Once the child turns seven, the child must go through the OCIC formation process. Minors 15 and older, will usually enter the OCIA. 

THE OCIC FORMATION PROCESS
At St. Catherine of Siena Parish, the OCIC formation process takes approximately two academic years to complete. Formal sessions begin in September and run through the end of April or early May depending on the year. The first year is a familiarization with the Catholic understanding of Divine Revelation, that is, who God is, his creation, and the story of salvation culminating in the incarnation and coming of the long-awaited Messiah, Jesus Christ, and the meaning of his subsequent passion, death, and resurrection, as well as an introduction to prayer as a constitutive means of establishing and growing a love relationship with God the Father, through Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit. 

The second year focuses on the coming of the Holy Spirit, Christ's institution of the Church as the means he established for our salvation, his gift of the seven sacraments as the primary means of establishing (through baptism) and participating in the Divine life. It also continues forming the child in a life of prayer, of living the moral teachings of the Church, reading Scripture, and growing in the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus through regular participation in the sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist (as both Mass and Holy Communion) and Reconciliation all of which are necessary for our salvation. (The Catholic Church distinguishes between "redemption", which occurs through Christ's death and resurrection by which the gate to Heaven once closed to us through sin, is opened to us, and "salvation" which is our cooperation with God's offer of grace to live by his commandments and participate in his divine life through the sacraments and the living of a Christian life as taught by Jesus Christ.) 

The Easter Vigil
The whole focus and purpose of the preparation and formation process of the OCIA and OCIC is to bring its members of the Order into full communion with the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ. This is symbolized, formalized, and made real by the reception of what are known as the first three of the Church's seven sacraments: the Sacraments of Initiation, which are baptism, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation. Those already baptized, but not yet Catholic, are formally received into the Church. All this takes place throughout the entire Catholic Church on the night before Easter Sunday, known as the Easter Vigil, when the Church waits in anticipation of, recalls and celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. This feast at which this Mass is offered and celebrated is the principal and highest holy day of the Catholic Church's liturgical calendar and is the day when all those preparing to be baptized into the Catholic Church worldwide are baptized (or otherwise formally received) into the Catholic Church, are confirmed through the laying on of hands and anointing with sacred chrism, and receive the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ for the first time in Holy Communion all of which both symbolize and make real their union with Christ.
Those children who are already baptized, will receive the sacrament of Reconciliation (also known as Penance or, informally, as "Confession") before the Easter Vigil as part of their spiritual preparation to receive Holy Communion while children receiving baptism at the Easter Vigil will participate in the sacrament of Reconciliation shortly after the Easter Vigil since, as Christ teaches, their sins are already washed clean by their baptism. 

How do I enter my Child(ren) into the OCIC for 2024-25? 
If you would like for your child(ren) between the ages of 7 and 14 to be baptized into the Catholic Church, contact our Director of Faith Formation, George Dragan, as below. For this academic year (2024-25), the OCIC meets on Tuesday evenings beginning September 17, 2024, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the east (center) hallway of the main church building in room 6/8.