The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) is the official ritual text of the Church which directs, supports and sustains the way of faith and conversion by which adults (and children who have reached the age of reason) are initiated into the Catholic Church. Although many Catholics are not familiar with it, the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults was restored to the Church in 1972 at the request of the Second Vatican Council as the normative way by which adults (and children who have reached the age of reason) are to be initiated into the Catholic Church.
The rite is called: The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults
The process is called: The Catechumenate
In 1988, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops of the United States of America published the ritual text we now use.
The OCIA is normative for the Christian initiation of adults and children of catechetical age. The initiation of catechumens is a gradual process that takes place within the community of the faithful.