OCIA
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OCIA – Saint Mark the Evangelist Parish Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA)
Saint Mark the Evangelist Parish
Location: Saint Kilian Church Lower Level, 7076 Franklin Road, Cranberry TownshipWhat is OCIA?
OCIA stands for the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. It is the process through which adults enter the Catholic Church.
OCIA is for three groups of people:
- Unbaptized adults who are seeking baptism.
- Adults baptized in another Christian tradition who are seeking full communion with the Catholic Church.
- Baptized Catholics who never received Confirmation and First Eucharist, or who know little about their faith, or who simply have not practiced it in some time.
Wherever you are starting from, this journey is for you.
This Year’s Journey
Our journey begins this fall. We start on Monday, September 21, 2026, and meet regularly on Monday evenings all the way through the Easter Vigil, which falls on Saturday evening, March 27, 2027, at 8:00 PM.
We meet in the lower level of Saint Kilian Church in one of the meeting rooms or, if our group is larger, in the church hall.
Weekly Schedule: Monday evenings, 6:30 PM – approximately 7:45 PM.
This year we are using the Foundations of Faith series from Ascension Press. Materials will be provided.
Each session includes:- A video (about 25–30 minutes)
- Group discussion and brief teaching
- A workbook and a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church
- Digital access to the videos (to keep pace if you miss a session)
Session ScheduleSession Title Date 1 "God Is Love": The Foundation of Our Faith September 21, 2026 - 6:30 pm 2 Divine Revelation and Our Response in Faith September 28, 2026 - 6:30 pm 3 The Father: Creation, Fall, and Hope October 5, 2026 - 6:30 pm 4 Jesus – Like No Other October 12, 2026 - 6:30 pm 5 Jesus and His Redemptive Mission October 19, 2026 - 6:30 pm 6 The Holy Spirit and Our Sanctification October 26, 2026 - 6:30 pm No Session November 2, 2026 7 Prayer – Presentation by Mary French
(The Call to Prayer and The Christian Life of Prayer videos may be viewed to supplement this session.)November 9, 2026 - 6:30 pm 8 The Holy Catholic Church November 16, 2026 - 6:30 pm 9 Mary and the Communion of Saints November 23, 2026 - 6:30 pm No Session November 30, 2026 10 The Last Things December 7, 2026 - 6:30 pm 11 The Liturgy and the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation December 14, 2026 - 6:30 pm 12 The Eucharist December 21, 2026 - 6:30 pm No Session December 28, 2026 13 The Sacraments of Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick January 4, 2027 - 6:30 pm 14 The Sacraments of Matrimony and Holy Orders January 11, 2027 - 6:30 pm No Session January 18, 2027 15 The Call to Happiness: Freedom, Virtue, and Morality January 25, 2027 - 6:30 pm 16 The Human Community February 1, 2027 - 6:30 pm 17 Lent – Presentation by Mary French February 8, 2027 - 6:30 pm No Session February 15, 2027 18 The Ten Commandments, Part 1 February 22, 2027 - 6:30 pm 19 The Ten Commandments, Part 2 March 1, 2027 - 6:30 pm 20 Our Father March 8, 2027 - 6:30 pm 21 Penance Service – Saint Kilian Church March 15, 2027 - 6:30 pm 22 OCIA Rehearsal – Saint Kilian Church March 21, 2027 - 2 pm 23 Easter Vigil March 27, 2027 - 8 pm Key Liturgical and Parish Dates
- February 14, 2027 – Rite of Election at St. Paul Cathedral in Oakland (for those not yet baptized).
- Monday, March 15, 2027 – Penance Service for those already baptized (Sacrament of Reconciliation).
- Sunday, March 21, 2027, at 2:00 PM – OCIA rehearsal for the Easter Vigil. (Saint Kilian Church)
- Saturday, March 27, 2027, at 8:00 PM – Easter Vigil (Saint Kilian Church)
- Monday, April 12, 2027 – Parish dinner celebrating your entry into the Church. (Saint Kilian Church Hall)
Next Steps
If you are interested in beginning the OCIA journey or have questions about the process, please contact Deacon Ralph at [email protected]. We would be honored to walk with you as you explore and enter more deeply into the Catholic faith.
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