How To Become A Catholic

For anyone, becoming a Catholic is a momentous decision. Many people are baptized as infants, either in the Catholic church or in another church. Baptism signifies the moment when God pours his Holy Spirit into our hearts and minds and Christ begins to live in us and we in him. Hence, every baptized person can claim the name Christian. We honor and respect the baptism of other churches and ask the same of them.

So there are really two ways an adult or young adult can become a Catholic. A baptized Christian can approach us and express the desire to be “received into full communion with the Catholic church.” This person would learn more about the faith through a program like our “Learning and Living the Catholic Faith.” Then they would come to Sunday mass and learn the faith in two ways: 1) by worshipping and listening to God’s word with the whole community, and (2) by spending time with a small group going deeper into Catholic beliefs. They are known as “candidates for full communion.” In the Easter season, this person would be welcomed into the Church with the sacraments of confirmation and holy communion.

What about the unbaptized person? They would also begin by learning about the Catholic faith through the same course of study. They too would attend the first part of mass as “catechumens”, an ancient word for those preparing for baptism. They officially become catehcumens trough a ritual called the Rite of Election when they come before the bishop (in our archdiocese, Cardinal O’Malley). Lent is a special period of intense prayer and preparation for catechumens. Usually at the Easter Vigil, the first mass on the night before Easter Sunday, catechumens are baptized and confirmed and receive their first holy communion. If you would like to become a Catholic at Saint John’s we strongly encourage you to call our parish and speak to a priest or a deacon.