Order of Christian Initiation Adapted for Children (OCIC)
Praise be Jesus Christ! We are blessed to welcome your child and your family to St. John’s Rite of Christian Initiation for Children.
What is OCIC?
This Order of Christian Initiation is intended for children, not baptized as infants or who are baptized but have not received any formal catechesis, who have attained the use of reason (age 7 +) and are of catechetical age. It is also for children who are baptized in the Catholic faith but were never prepared for Reconciliation, Eucharist, or Confirmation. The program starts in the Fall.
The children seek Christian Initiation either at the direction of their parents or guardians or, with parental permissions, on their own initiative. Such children are capable of receiving and nurturing a personal faith and or recognizing an obligation in conscience. But they cannot yet be treated as adults because, at this stage of their lives, they are dependent on their parents or guardians and are still strongly influenced by their companions and their social surroundings. Therefore, the role of parents and guardians is critical in their faith development.
“The parish community must continue to be the prime mover and preeminent place for catechesis.”
Pope John Paul II
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (# 2223) states:
Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children …
Parents have a grave responsibility to give good examples to their children.
The role of parents in education is of such importance that it is almost impossible to provide an adequate substitute. (# 2221)
What is required of the child in OCIC?
The expectation is that the child and his parents will attend Mass on a weekly basis. Mass attendance cards will be provided to all OCIC candidates and will be used to record Mass attendance.
These records will be closely monitored and will be ongoing up to the date of Easter Vigil. There must be a founded hope the child will be raised Catholic.
The child is expected to actively participate in the parish OCIC classes in conjunction with attending religious education classes through St. Joe’s or St. John’s Religious Education programs in the coming Fall. Parents are expected to attend OCIC classes for adult catechesis instructed by one of our clergy. The parent(s) will meet with the Director of Religious Education as needed.
All children will need a godmother, godfather, or sponsor who is an active member of the Catholic Church (either at the Cathedral or another parish). The godparent(s) or sponsor must be at least 16 years of age, confirmed in the Catholic faith and be present at the Easter Vigil. A letter from the Catholic parish where the individual(s) are registered should be provided by that parish. If the family is unable to find a sponsor for the child, one will be provided by our parish.
Parents are expected to make a serious commitment to see that their children attend each scheduled class. If an unforeseen situation occurs and your child must miss a class, the parent must email the parish Religious Education Coordinator explaining the problem. Since attendance is an indicator of readiness for receiving a sacrament, parents will be contacted by the Religious Education Coordinator if the child misses two meetings during the year. In this case, an assessment will be necessary to determine if the child is ready to receive the sacraments.
Note: Sports practices, games, tournaments, skating practices, Brownie sleepovers, etc. are not legitimate reasons for missing a class.
Parish Registration
Please note that filling out registration forms for your child to enter OCIC does not automatically register your family in the parish. It is very important that you fill out a registration form at St. John’s Cathedral. Registering is the best way to acquire a sense of belonging in our Parish Community.
Can more than one child from the same family be enrolled in OCIC?
Absolutely! In many cases when a family is joining the Church together, there is more than one child involved. It is highly encouraged to enroll all the children at one time.
When will the children receive the sacraments?
All children who are ready will receive the sacraments at the Easter Vigil the Saturday night before Easter Sunday. Those who have not been baptized receive the sacrament of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. Those who have already been baptized in another Christian denomination (the validity of their baptism must be proven) enter the Catholic Church by making a profession of faith and receiving the sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation. They will receive the sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession/Penance) prior to Easter Vigil.
Important Rite of the Journey
Rite of Acceptance and Welcoming
Rite of Election
Some guidance from our Pastor: This is a time to come together as a family and discuss the ways that you have lived the tenets of the Catholic faith. In large part, the spiritual component of the school is to support and build up the children learning at home about the Catholic faith and how to put it into practice. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, in order to live a moral life geared towards growth of God and neighbor, a Christian must at a minimum follow the five precepts of the faith which are:
- Attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation.
- Receiving the sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) at least once a year.
- Receiving the Eucharist at least once a year.
- Observing the days of fasting and abstinence as prescribed by the Church.
- Contributing to the material needs of the Church.
Take time to discuss how you have observed these precepts, along with other spiritual goods such as regular prayer, sacrifices, acts of charity, and how you will continue to grow in your faith. Consider in concrete terms how you have lived these precepts and the steps you will take to faithfully live the Christian life in the coming year. On the next page, please explain how your family has lived the precepts listed above.
CLICK LINK FOR OPEN REGISTRATION
The OCIC Registration deadline is October 1, 2022
IMPORTANT UPDATE:
If your child does not attend a Catholic parish school, then your child(ren) must attend our Religious Education program at St. John the Evangelist on most Sundays. Once you register your child for OCIC, they will be automatically registered into our St. John’s RE Program at no extra charge. You can find the RE calendar schedule for the year on our website under Religious Education, or through this link!
If your child has been baptized Catholic or in another Christian denomination, please email a copy of their baptismal certificate to [email protected] to fully register your child(ren). Failure to provide a copy of baptismal certificate will delay the full registration process by the deadline. If your child was baptized at the Cathedral, please copy your hard copy of the certificate and email to the above address.