Upcoming Opportunities
A series of inquiry sessions will begin soon for those who have questions about Catholicism or those who are interested in becoming Catholic. If you know of anyone that may be interested in becoming Catholic or just interested in learning what it is the Catholic Church believes and teaches, this is for you.
If you are Catholic and your spouse is not, talk to them and see if they would be willing to attend a session or two. The inquiry sessions are in no way a commitment to attend catechesis sessions or to join the Church; they are simply intended to help someone discern if they would like to dive more deeply into spiritual enrichment in the Catholic tradition. Contact the parish office or Glen Ernstmann at (816) 204-7267 for more information
How Do You Become Catholic?
Do you have questions about the Catholic faith and are not Catholic?
Are you a Christian who wants to learn more about Catholicism?
Has God been calling you to consider the Catholic Christian faith?
Are you an adult Catholic who has never received First Holy Communion?
If you have answered yes to any of these questions... please JOIN US! Call our parish offices (816.761.1608) and we will be happy to meet with you.
Please note that you need not have decided to become Catholic to begin the first part of the RCIA called the Inquiry Classes.
Becoming Catholic
A person who is baptized in the Catholic Church becomes a Catholic at that moment. One's initiation is deepened by confirmation and the Eucharist, but one becomes a Catholic at baptism. This is true for children who are baptized Catholic (and receive the other two sacraments later) and for adults who are baptized, confirmed, and receive the Eucharist at the same time.
Those who have been validly baptized outside the Church become Catholics by making a profession of the Catholic faith and being formally received into the Church. This is normally followed immediately by the sacrament of confirmation and the Eucharist.
Before a person is ready to be received into the Church, whether by baptism or by profession of faith, preparation is necessary. The amount and form of this preparation depends on the individual's circumstance. The most basic division in the kind of preparation is needed is between those who are unbaptized and those who have already become Christian through baptism in another Church.
For adults and children who have reached the age of reason (age seven), entrance into the Church is governed by the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA).
What is the Rite of Christian Initiation (RCIA)?
Stages of RCIA
Precatechumenate
Catechumenate
Purification and Enlightenment
Mystagogy