.png)
Order of Christian Initiation of Adults
Something brought you here.
Maybe you're interested in becoming Catholic, or completing your sacraments. Or maybe it's a yearning for more meaning... Whatever it is — that's God.
Maybe you're interested in becoming Catholic, or completing your sacraments. Or maybe it's a yearning for more meaning... Whatever it is — that's God.
OCIA is a journey of no-pressure discernment and transformation. You walk in carrying your questions, your doubts, your longing. Through prayer, instruction, and a community that genuinely cares, something shifts.
You learn to find God in ordinary life. You discover how to pray in a way that feels like a real conversation.
The end of this process is a new beginning. You walk out different — with the desire to love like Jesus.
"The Spiritual Transformation: When someone realizes they don't have to check their doubts at the door and they start having 'God Moments.' That's when the real learning begins."
— Anne Kallin Zehren, OCIA Director
Join OCIA if:
Never been baptized and exploring faith for the first time
We welcome you, questions and all.
Baptized in another faith and drawn to Catholicism
Your faith history is an asset, not an obstacle.
Baptized Catholic but never received Communion or Confirmation
This is your moment to finish what your Baptism began.
Catholic wanting to deepen and reinvigorate your faith
Many of our most engaged participants are already Catholic.
This Isn't a Lecture. It's a Conversation.
Each session is interactive, personal, and grounded in real questions. Here's what a typical gathering looks like.
We open with
God Moments & Check-Ins
We share what's on our hearts — and where we've experienced God in everyday life.
We explore
Core Teaching + Real Conversation
Scripture, Church teaching, the big questions — tackled together.
We practice
Prayer Experiments
Each week we try a different form of prayer — Ignatian imagination, Visio Divina, the Rosary, Taize, and more.
We Don't Stop
Prayer Group
OCIA alumni wanted to continue journeying together — so they formed their own monthly prayer group.
The Specifics
When
Wednesday evenings, 5:45 - 7:30pm
Dates
October 15, 2025 - April 14, 2026 — intentionally condensed into six months so it fits into real life.
Where
Gibson Center
322 St. James Drive, Piedmont
Bonus
A light dinner is served. Because community happens around a table.
We work to accommodate the needs of the group. Flexibility is part of who we are.
Join Us.
Come to a session. No commitment. Just curiosity.
Meet Anne.
The most inspiring part of her ministry
"The Spiritual Transformation. When someone realizes they don't have to check their doubts at the door and they start having "God Moments." That's when the real learning begins."
Prayer life in three words
Non-stop.
Raw.
Awe
Kind of like the Psalms.
Saints she'd have to lunch
"I'd invite Saint Phoebe and Mary Magdalene to lunch. Two pioneering saints — the only deacon in the Bible, and the first witness to the resurrection. I'd ask what it's like to never have their stories read during Sunday Mass. And what they'd like people to know about them that's not in Scripture."
Song that feels like God
"Heal My Wounds is a song I wrote during a rough period in my life, inspired by Saint Bernadette and the healing waters at Lourdes. Anything by India.Arie (a REAL musician!). And our Music Director, Joe Hébert — his voice and cello playing has brought me to tears during Mass."
After Mass ritual
Coffee or brunch with my "Church Ladies": Mersea (if it's sunny), Grand Lake Kitchen, or Fentons — my son once described the Trinity with its Neapolitan ice cream, so it's officially Sacramental. But I'm pretty sure Fenton's was sacred way before then!
Street Cred
Graduate degree in Theological Studies, Jesuit School of Theology. BA, Marquette University. Trained Spiritual Director. Supposedly retired from 30 years of starting companies in Silicon Valley and NYC — including Publisher of Teen People and Glamour magazines. God had other plans. Loves mentoring female Founders and Entrepreneurs.