After the Second Vatican Council, the Church recognized the need to better serve those who were interested in becoming Catholic. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) was approved by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops in 1986, and by the Congregation for Divine Worship in 1987. In 2021, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops decided to change the name of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) to Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA). The decision applies to the process and the ritual book of prayers. The name change reflects a closer translation of the process by which adults are initiated into the Catholic faith. Becoming a Catholic involves a period of intense discernment, and prayer, not simply going through the “rites” at fixed points of the year. In November 2022, the USCCB approved a revised edition of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. Practically speaking, parishes will be adjusting to this new term, phasing out the term RCIA and switching over to the use of the term OCIA.
