It's been 128 days since the Easter Vigil. Your 2026 OCIA alumni have been Catholic for just over 4 months.

That sweet chrism smell has long since dissipated (and with it, likely some of their "new Catholic" excitement).

The security of the routine and community OCIA brought are gone, and they're kind of feeling "on their own" now.

And more than likely, the real world has come crashing into their Catholic bubble, making them question everything from big moral doctrines to how to fit prayer into their busy everyday life.

I know you're busy getting ready to welcome a new OCIA class soon (more on that below), but right now is a critical time to reach out to your OCIA alumni.

It's the intersection of summer schedules wreaking havoc on routine combined with the exact moment the "novelty" is wearing off and the "now what" feeling is setting in.

But I truly believe that a friendly, strategically timed check-in can be the key between faith being a milestone that was "checked off" with the Easter Vigil versus just the beginning of a lifelong journey.

Sometimes, we just need an invitation to assure us we're still welcomed.

So this week, I want to challenge you: Reach out to your OCIA alumni. Check in on how they're doing. Invite them to take the next step at your church and in their faith.

To help you do that, I've given you a template below you can use!

But first, take 5 minutes to plan out the following:

1. What are some of the struggles new converts or reverts might be facing a few months post-OCIA? Some examples include still having a lot of questions, not feeling connected to the larger parish community, unsure of how to integrate the faith into their everyday "former" life, etc.
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2. Pick one struggle to focus on, and figure out a simple piece of advice you could offer them related to that struggle. For example, if you think they are struggling most with integrating prayer into their lives, you could share about the Examen as a way to get into the habit of a nightly prayer routine.
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3. Decide what you want the goal of the outreach to be: Inviting them to be more involved in the parish community, or more of a "soft touch" letting them know you're thinking of them and seeing if they have any questions.
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4. If you selected getting them involved, pick one group or ministry you think would be a good next step for them (you might need different ones for different people depending on the groups you have and where they're at in their faith life).
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   If you are going for more of the "soft touch," try to find a resource you could send them that would help them engage with their faith a bit deeper. This could anything from a physical devotional to making sure they have the parish's Formed or Word on Fire login info and suggesting something they watch. (Bonus points if you can connect this to a specific question they had during OCIA classes!)

To get you started, feel free to use any of the language I've included below!

Be sure to personalize this to each person and swap out some of the "new Catholic" language if they were a catechumen/revert.

"Hi FIRST NAME!

Hope you've been having a fantastic summer!

Can you believe it's already been four months since the Easter Vigil? How has life been as a new Catholic? I'd love to hear how everything's been going for you and any questions that might have come up since our last OCIA meeting!

[Insert here something about a struggle they might be experiencing since completing OCIA, in the first person if you yourself went through OCIA or phrased as "After all of the excitement wore off, some of our OCIA alumni have shared with me that their biggest struggle as a new Catholic was..." See example below]

I remember when I converted back in 2018. I was so excited to finally be Catholic, especially to be able to receive the Eucharist! But by the end of the summer, I felt kind of lost again. OCIA had given me a routine and built-in community, but then summer schedules changed everything. Plus, I felt so different now as a Catholic, but everything else in my life was the same - my job, my non-church friends, my routine. I didn't know how to "be" Catholic in everyday life outside of church.

What really helped me get excited about my new faith again was getting more involved. I was nervous at first, because I still felt like such a baby Catholic! I didn't know if I'd fit in. But I joined the Bible study and realized that even people who had been Catholic all their lives were still learning too! Everyone was so welcoming, and it was such a relief to have people in my life I could get excited about faith stuff with.

Anyway, just thought I'd share in case you'd been feeling that way too, that you're not alone! I was thinking about it, and I really think you'd like (group at your church that would be a good next step for them and why you think it would be good - they have a lot of converts, they talk about how to life the faith in everyday life, they help you go deeper after understanding the basics, this person was really interested in this particular aspect of the faith, etc.). Would you like me to introduce you to the leader?

Either way, know that I'm praying for you always and my inbox is always open if you ever have any questions!"

Now let's be realistic: Not everyone will respond or take the action you want them to take.

But that isn't even the real point of this kind of outreach.

The main point of reaching out is showing them that you're thinking about them; helping them see that they are important, known, and welcome at your church; and that the parish is still there to help them on their faith journey.

You never know what the Holy Spirit will do in their hearts just because you cared enough to reach out.

Praying for all of our 2026 new brothers and sisters in Christ!

For His greater glory,

Emily

P.S. If you're already thinking ahead to the start of OCIA and how to get more people into your classes, I did a whole training on how to promote OCIA at your parish a few years ago! You can request the replay here for free.​

(This was prior to the RCIA > OCIA language change, so I use the old language, but the strategies all still apply!)