Maybe you’ve attended Mass with us for a while, or maybe you’ve just met a Catholic and you were intrigued by her faith. Perhaps you were baptized Catholic as a child, attended some Catechism classes, but you have not really been practicing the faith these last few years.
Perhaps you’ve felt an inkling. You can’t quite explain it, but there’s just this unshakable question lingering in your mind:
“How do I become Catholic?”
If you’re feeling a little tug at your heart calling you back to the Church, then you’ve come to the right place. The Holy Spirit is relentlessly in pursuit of you, calling you to the arms of the Father and drawing you back to His family.
So where do you start?
We are all at different points in our spiritual journeys, so there is not just one answer to this. The important thing is just that — to start. Regardless of your past, or how long you’ve been away from God, the Church is not the same without you and we are excited to have you as a part of this universal family. We would suggest connecting with your parish priest first and scheduling a time to chat with him and get to know him and the local community better.
We also recommend asking the parish priest about the next schedule for RCIA classes. RCIA stands for Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, a series of classes that will help you understand the beauty of Church teaching, the mystery of the sacraments, and the richness of Sacred Scripture. During this class, you can bring questions you may have about the faith and also meet others who are interested in the faith and may be going through a similar journey.
If you are not yet baptized, RCIA will help you prepare to receive the sacraments of Christian initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist, which usually happens during the Easter Vigil. If you have been baptized in another Christian denomination, RCIA will help you prepare to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church by celebrating the sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist. The courses are structured differently at each parish and usually involves weekly classes lasting several months. You also get the opportunity to choose a sponsor (one can be provided for you if none are available) who can walk with you throughout this very special journey. This sponsor will be present with you when you go through the sacraments of initiation and support you in prayer the whole time.
Please contact the parish office to get more information.