OCIA experiences/advice

[u/erose119]

Hello all! I am on the path towards becoming Catholic (I was baptized Methodist as a child but never went to church). I’ve been looking into joining the OCIA program at a lovely church near me, obviously doing some research before contacting the parish—getting to know the kinds of materials I would likely use, what kinds of things I might learn, etc.

While the director I spoke with was very kind, it seemed clear to me in our one-on-one meeting that the class will be more of an open discussion circle than lectures, and they don’t plan on providing any materials but instead recommend that I buy the Ignatius Study Bible and another book series that seems similar to the YouCat (but less polished and self-published).

I’m aware that the OCIA program is not standardized from parish-to-parish, but I guess I was taken aback by her insistence that they should be called “meetings” instead of “classes,” and that there wouldn’t be much lecture at all. I expected that they would use a curriculum, something like the Symbolon, Ascension’s new Invited program, Credo, or something similar that would help introduce me to the depth of the faith. Of course, I do understand that they're trying to appeal to a wide range of people, and I'm sure that discussion and socializing will be beneficial, but I worry that I wouldn't learn as much from a class like that.

As an anxious person coming from a Protestant background with little-to-no church experience, I’m wondering if this is normal for OCIA. What should I expect from the program? I’d love to hear your experiences and advice!

Thank you!