Bishop John Noonan | Diocese of Orland website

For several decades, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) in the United States has been a process by which non-Catholics become Catholics. Recently, a new translation has led to RCIA being renamed as OCIA, the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. This change offers an opportunity to reflect on how the Church supports individuals in their journey to becoming Catholic.

The reason for this change is rooted in translations. Latin serves as the universal language of the Roman Catholic Church, with texts for Mass and other sacramental celebrations initially issued in Latin. Translations into other languages follow specific guidelines set by the Vatican. In 2001, these guidelines were revised, prompting a retranslation of various texts into English. Notable changes included altering “And also with you” to “And with your spirit” and introducing "consubstantial" into the Creed. The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) is among the latest texts to undergo this retranslation process.