BECOME CATHOLIC
WELCOME HOME
The Catholic Church rejoices every time a person decides to undertake the process to become a Catholic. We welcome you and we are here to help answer all those questions that might result from the call that God is inviting you to follow. Becoming a Catholic is one of life’s deepest and most joyful experiences. Some, thanks to the faith of our parents, have received baptism as children and along the way we discover the God of our parents. Others, that might be your case, become Catholics when they are older children or adults.
A person is said to be fully initiated in the Catholic Church when HE OR SHE has received the three sacraments of Christian initiation, Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. This is achieved through a process of preparation.
The usual practice is that a family will bring the baby to the Church for baptism. From that moment, the baby is already Catholic. the child later enters religious formation and celebrates confirmation and communion where they deepen their faith.
An adult or child of catechetical age who is not baptized enters the Christian Initiation process and through a process of liturgy, catechesis, and formation is prepared to celebrate the three sacraments of Initiation.
There are also others who have been validly baptized in different Christian denominations that are accepted in the Catholic Church by (after preparation) making a profession of faith at a mass to be formally received in the Church. this is followed by confirmation and the Eucharist.
JOIN US IN THE JOURNEY!
Wherever you are at in your faith journey, we welcome you and your questions and hope you will find in us, not travel agents who are experts in the field, but rather friends who offer themselves as companions for the journey.
Remember… we are ALL pilgrims on this journey of faith. No one on earth has yet achieved the goal. Even the most learned & devout Catholics are still beginners on the journey to our heavenly homeland. So, welcome to the community of “beginners”!
If you are interested or know of anyone over the age of seven who is interested in becoming Catholic or in completing their Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Eucharist and/or Confirmation), we are overjoyed to help. IF you want to learn more about each of these sacraments, you can at the links below or to get started, see the steps listed:
Steps to become Catholic for the unbaptized person
The first step is to make sure you register as a parishioner here at Aquinas. THis can easily be done online here. After your welcome email, you can go here if the unbaptized is a child in second grade or younger.
Preparation for the reception of the Church begins with the stage of searching in which the unbaptized person begins to learn about the Catholic faith and decide whether to embrace it. Through this process of learning and discernment, they get to ask tough questions and have authentically catholic answers.
If the catechumen feels prepared and ready, they are able to declare it publicly through a series of rites, culminating in the Easter vigil itself, the night before Easter Day, where they are baptized, receive first holy communion, and are confirmed in the Catholic Faith. If this is you, click here.
Steps to become Catholic for the baptized
If you have been validly baptized in different Christian denomination, but are ready to enter into the fullness of truth proclaimed by the catholic faith, we are here to help!
The first step is to make sure you register as a parishioner here at Aquinas. THis can easily be done online here.
Preparation will look different depending on the person, so we have programs available for all stages of life. See the link below to find what fits you and your loved ones (this is specifically for Elementary students in 2nd-5th grade, teens, and any adults.