St. John Francis Regis Catholic Church

Becoming a Catholic

Upcoming Opportunities

For those who have questions about Catholicism or those who are interested in becoming Catholic, please feel free to reach out at any time of the year. We can meet with you one-on-one or in a small group to help you learn more about the faith and discern joining the Church. 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, please send them our way. We would love to chat!

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 Luke Donahue in the parish office at 816-761-1608 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 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 is brought into full communion with the Catholic Church through the reception of three sacraments of Christian initiation - baptism, confirmation, and the Eucharist - but the process by which one becomes Catholic can take different forms. 
 

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. Baptized Christians may require less formal preparation than people who have not been baptized. Typically the process for unbaptized persons lasts about a year.

What is the Rite of Christian Initiation (RCIA)?

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). The Rite of Christian Initiation is based on the principle that the process of conversion proceeds gradually, in stages. Progress from one stage to the next is marked by a liturgical celebration in the midst of the parish community. The experience and needs of each individual differs, and so the length of time may vary for each person, yet there are certain similarities in the process everyone will experience. 
 

Stages of RCIA

Precatechumenate--Asking basic questions and learning about the faith

Catechumenate--Having made a formal committment to learn more about Christianity

Purification and Enlightenment--Immediate preparation for initiation at Easter

Mystagogy--A period of learning more after becoming a Christian

For More Information

"I would like help or information on becoming Catholic"

About

Catholic

We Are Catholic.