Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA)

The Steps & Process to Becoming Catholic

Welcome to the community of Our Lady of the Lake!

 

We invite you to discover the depth and beauty of our Catholic faith, founded over two thousand years ago by Jesus Christ and embraced by more than 1.2 billion people across the globe.

 

We would be honored to walk this journey with you.

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What is the OCIA?

The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults is the process that helps you answer your faith questions and prepare to be received in the Catholic Church.

 

The OCIA is also the way baptized Catholics can complete their Christian Initiation if you haven’t been confirmed, or baptized Christians can profess the Catholic faith.

 

Every person has unique faith circumstances and we are ready to walk with you to answer your questions and help you make a free and intelligent informed decision about your own faith journey.

Why Join the Catholic Church?

I'm interested in becoming Catholic. What are the steps I need to take?

The Inquiry phase of OCIA is from mid-September until the end of November.  At that time, you may choose to continue on with us or you choose not to continue. 

 

Those who are not yet baptized and choose to enter the church will be baptized at an Easter Vigil. Baptized Christians are generally confirmed in the Catholic faith at the Easter Vigil, but may also be confirmed at any Catholic Mass at a time when they are prepared to enter the church.

 

To take the first step, click here:

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My name is Nick Eggert, and this is the story of how I became Catholic:

I grew up in a small Minnesota town, raised in the WELS Lutheran tradition. But the faith never quite settled in my heart. By my
teenage years, I had walked away entirely. I called myself an atheist—not out of anger, but because I didn’t see the point in believing something that didn’t feel true.

 

Then I became a husband and a father. In 2020, as the world shook around me, I started to feel the cracks in my certainty. I didn’t just want to be a good man—I wanted to know what was true. If God was real, I
needed to find Him.

 

What shook me most were the martyrs. These weren’t legends. They were real people—men and women recorded in history—who chose unspeakable pain and death rather than deny Christ. I couldn’t stop asking: Who suffers like that for something they know is a lie?

That question wouldn’t leave me alone.

 

And even once I knew I was being drawn to the Church, the path wasn’t easy. Catholicism didn’t offer comfort first—it offered truth. Discipline. Sacrifice. Mass every Sunday, confession, obedience, surrender. It wasn’t easy. It still isn’t. But the struggle has been good. It’s been holy.


One Sunday, while my family was out of town—what I now call divine setup—I nervously walked into Our Lady of the Lake. I sat in the back, hoping to blend in. And of course, Fr. John found me.


“Are you Catholic?” he asked.

 

“No,” I said. “But I think I want to be.”

Finish Reading Nick's Story

My team and I look forward to getting to know you, listening to your questions, and walking this faith journey with you.  We begin in mid-September by exploring the four pillars of the Catholic Faith; What We Believe, How We Worship, How We Live, and How We Pray. 

 

Laura Patton

Director of Adult Faith Formation

Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church

Questions?

Contact me at: laurap@ollparish.com

How to Join

Become a Sponsor or Team Member for the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA)

 

Engage in the mission of the Church handed to each of us by Jesus Christ - bring the good news to others and accompany them on their journey of faith to become a member of Christ’s Church.

 

Contact: Laura Patton laurap@ollparish.com