Every year at the Easter Vigil,parishes around the world welcome new Catholics through OCIA (formerly RCIA). And every year,most of those new Catholics walk out of the font with spiritual gifts no one ever tells them about. Charisms are the lifeblood of the Church's mission — specific graces of the Holy Spirit given to the baptized so they can serve and build up the Body of Christ. The Catechism describes them this way: "Whether extraordinary or simple and humble,charisms are graces of the Holy Spirit which directly or indirectly benefit the Church,ordered as they are to her building up,to the good of men,and to the needs of the world" (CCC 799). They are given to individuals,but never merely for the individual. Their true measure,the Catechism says,is charity. Here's why this matters so much for OCIA in particular: initiation is exactly when these gifts start to arrive. <h2>A Candle at Baptism,a Flame at Confirmation</h2> When a person is baptized,the door opens to the Holy Spirit's work in their life — and among the graces they receive are charisms. Think of them like a candle: small,real,bringing light to a small area,waiting to be nurtured. At Confirmation,the Holy Spirit fans that flame into something far greater — gifts with the power to drive back darkness,given for the mission of the Church. The people moving through your OCIA process are receiving these sacraments right now,as adults,with full attention and open hearts. There will never be a more natural moment to teach them that God is equipping them for a purpose. When we skip this teaching,new Catholics can spend years — sometimes a lifetime — never knowing how they have been empowered to build the Church. They join the community without ever learning that they are part of its mission. <h2>Catechumens,Candidates,and Confirmandi Are Not the Same</h2> Whether or not a person is baptized changes what's true about their charisms: <ul> <li>Catechumens are preparing for Baptism — which means they do not yet have charisms. The Holy Spirit is absolutely active in their lives through actual grace,drawing them toward God and inspiring real goodness. But charisms flow from Baptism,so for catechumens,this season is about preparing hearts: telling their stories,recognizing how God has already been at work,and building anticipation for the gifts to come.</li> <li>Candidates were validly baptized in other Christian communities — which means they already have charisms,whether active or dormant. For them,charism formation is a discovery of what they've already been given,and Confirmation will stir up and strengthen those gifts.</li> <li>Confirmandi are baptized Catholics completing their initiation. They have charisms too,and their Confirmation will bring those gifts to full strength.</li> </ul> Teaching each group accurately honors what the sacraments actually do — and it gives every person in the room a reason for genuine anticipation,whatever their starting point. <h2>What This Looks Like in Practice</h2> You don't have to rebuild your OCIA program to include charisms. In the inquiry stage,it can be as simple as inviting participants to tell their stories and helping them notice where God has already been present. During formation,it means teaching what the Church actually says about charisms (Lumen Gentium 12 and CCC 799–801 are the anchor texts). And in mystagogy — those weeks after Easter when many programs run out of steam — charism discernment is the single best answer to the question every new Catholic is asking: now what? <h2>A Ready-Made Mystagogy Plan: Our Document Studies</h2> If your parish doesn't already have something strong in place for mystagogy,this is exactly the gap our small group document studies were built to fill. Mystagogy is the first season in which everyone in your OCIA group — the newly baptized and the newly received alike — actually possesses their charisms and is looking for what comes next. And charism discernment is what mystagogy is for: unpacking the sacraments they just received and moving into mission. What You Carry is an eight-week small group study of what the Church teaches about charisms,read straight from the primary documents — the Second Vatican Council,the Catechism,St. John Paul II. It includes complete leader scripts for every session,participant handouts,and the Charism Assessment woven into the journey,so a brand-new leader (or a sponsor,or an OCIA team member) can open the guide and lead well on day one. By the end,each participant has moved from "what are charisms?" to a personal commitment to use their gifts. &rarr; <a href="https://www.manypartsministries.com/what-you-carry-document-study">Explore What You Carry</a> Marching Orders is the natural next step: a six-session document study that helps participants take the gifts they've discerned and build a clear,personal sense of mission. Run What You Carry in the weeks after Easter and Marching Orders in the fall,and your newest Catholics finish their first year knowing their gifts,and knowing what God is asking them to do with them. &rarr; <a href="https://manypartsministries.com/marching-orders">Explore Marching Orders</a> New Catholics who discern their charisms don't drift away after Easter. They have a role,a place,and work to do that God prepared specifically for them. <h2>Go Deeper</h2> Our Guide to Using Charisms in OCIA & Adult Faith Formation walks through every stage of the OCIA process — inquiry,catechumenate,purification,mystagogy — with practical strategies for weaving charism education and discernment into each one,plus guidance for adult faith formation more broadly. It's $14.99 as a digital download. &rarr; <a href="https://manypartsministries.com/checkout/?product_id=11477&product_type=digital_product">Get the Guide to Using Charisms in OCIA</a> And if your parish is ready to make charism discernment part of parish life beyond OCIA,our parish programs give you the assessment,training,and support to do it at scale. &rarr; <a href="https://manypartsministries.com/charisms-for-parishes">Explore our parish programs</a> Questions about bringing charisms to your OCIA process? Reach us anytime at hello@manypartsministries.com.

Initiation is when charisms arrive. What OCIA leaders should know about catechumens,candidates,and charisms — plus a ready-made mystagogy plan.

Why Charisms Belong in OCIA

A Candle at Baptism,a Flame at Confirmation

Catechumens,Candidates,and Confirmandi Are Not the Same

A Ready-Made Mystagogy Plan: Our Document Studies

Explore Catholic teaching on charisms and spiritual gifts. Articles on discernment, identity, the Holy Spirit, and living your gifts in everyday life.

Part & Parcel Blog — Catholic Teaching on Charisms

Articles on Catholic charism discernment — what charisms are, how to discover yours, and how to live them out in the Church and everyday life.



Why Charisms Belong in OCIA

Why Charisms Belong in OCIA

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