Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA)

If you are interested in OCIA, please email rcia@mhr.org or contact the parish office at 415-863-6259


Looking for a Home? Searching for Something Deeper?

If you’ve been thinking about faith, longing for connection, or wondering if the Church might be a place for you, you’re not alone. And you are more than welcome here.

Starting September 10, we invite you into a space that is not about pressure, performance, or perfect answers. It is about belonging. Our OCIA sessions (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults) meet on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to around 8:15 PM in the warm and welcoming rectory right next to Most Holy Redeemer Church. As we approach Easter, our conversations sometimes go a little longer, simply because the community becomes that meaningful.

The journey begins with a season of inquiry. It is a chance to listen, to share, and to discover whether this path feels right for you. Around December or January, those who feel called take the first public step. They stand before the Most Holy Redeemer community and say, “Yes, I want to keep going.”

If your path leads you toward the Sacraments, we will walk with you until the Easter Vigil on Saturday evening, April 4, 2026. That is the night when Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist are celebrated in full. If you choose this step, we ask that you plan to be present that evening.

So wherever you are right now — uncertain, hopeful, searching — there is a seat for you. There is room for your story.

Come and see. You are already welcome here.
If your heart is nudging you to take the next step, reach out and let us know. We would love to walk with you.


All people who are open to discerning their personal experience of faith and to learning more about the Catholic Church are welcome to begin the OCIA process; they include:

  • Adults who have never been baptized and desire a process to help them grow in awareness to God’s call to conversion and ways to respond to that call. They are considered catechumens.
  • Adults who were baptized into another Christian denomination and wish to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church. They are considered candidates.
  • Adults who were baptized as infants but not given religious instruction in the Catholic faith. These adults will be prepared to celebrate the sacraments of penance, confirmation and Eucharist. They are also considered candidates.

OCIA is a shared journey through a sacramental process experienced in community with other adult seekers like you and the larger community of MHR. The journey begins with an extended period of inquiry created to give every individual an opportunity to discern their readiness and desire to continue. It also allows individuals time to prepare for their commitment to the process of Catholic initiation. The classes focus on spiritual formation and prayer, the sacraments and liturgy, Church teachings and doctrine, and an overview of Catholic Social Teaching prescribing the work of service and justice.

Sessions begin in the fall and conclude with the sacraments of initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist) celebrated at the Easter Vigil. Please contact the parish office for further information at office@mhr.org.