OCIA: Meet Cathi

Introducing People to Jesus

Meet Cathi

RCIA and joining the Catholic Church changed my life. In 2016, Rudy and I started attending mass at St. Patrick’s in Carlisle. Not being Catholic, I could not receive the Eucharist. Being Methodist, I knew very little of what was going on. For two years, I watched, listened, and asked questions. Rudy and I both met Fr. Don. In 2017, I started RCIA and joined the Church at Easter 2018. Rudy attended class with me, so I was lucky to have someone with whom to discuss everything. My sponsor, Kathy Perry, had me give her questions every week, which helped me a lot, too. Doing this online would not have been the same as meeting the TEAM and all my new friends every week. Joining the Easter Vigil was emotional, and receiving the Eucharist was so meaningful. Rudy and I both know that our lives would not be so blessed without our Catholic faith. We are now married in the Church and love going to Sunday mass, but being retired, we especially like daily mass and visiting the Adoration Chapel. The people we have met have ALL become so special to us and help us even now grow in faith. We also became OCIA sponsors, which was another great learning experience.       —Cathi Dentler

Is OCIA Right For You?

OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) is the new name for RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults). This process helps people discern their path to becoming full members of the Roman Catholic Church. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops changed the name in Nov 2021 to more accurately reflect the Latin texts and emphasize participants' ongoing development. The process is open to baptized and non-baptized adults and school-age children. Participants can learn about the Catholic faith and decide if they want to join in full communion with the Catholic Church. If you or someone you know would like to learn more about RCIA, contact Stephanie Conrad at 717-243-4411, ext. 300. The people of St. Patrick Church are praying for you!