There are several ways to become a Catholic. The Catholic Church warmly welcomes new members and tries to provide appropriate spiritual formation according to each person’s needs.
Infants and young children:
Baptism is our parish opportunity to welcome your child into God’s own family. Because Baptism is such a memorable moment in your life as parents, we would like to discuss it with you. To prepare for your child’s Baptism, we ask:
- Telephone the parish office (472-3970) and advise the parish secretary that you would like to have your child Baptized.
- Once the request is received and the necessary information is obtained, it will be handed to our Baptism Team who will contact you to let you know of the parish preparation programme and how it works.
- A member of the Baptism Team will arrange a suitable time to visit with you to inform you about the preparation programme and to leave some reading materials to help you prepare for such an important celebration.
- Dates for the celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism will be offered to the parents at the end of the preparation programme.
Adults:
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is the Church’s way to initiate its new member and thereby become Catholic.
RCIA is for:
- Those who have never been baptized. Through prayer and study of the faith you will enter the church through baptism. Easter is the usual time for adult baptism in the Catholic Church.
- It is also for those who are baptized and have joined us from another Christian tradition but have little knowledge and experience of what it means to be a Catholic Christian. For a person to become Catholic they do not need to be baptized again. One may come into “Full Communion” by a period of study and participation in liturgy with our community. The Catholic Church respects your Christian upbringing and the faith experiences that are part of your life. Becoming Catholic does not mean rejecting your previous faith background. You can now live it out in the Catholic Church.
- It is for baptized adult Catholics who would like to complete the sacraments of initiation: (Eucharist and Confirmation).
For infant/child or adult baptism, please see the “Baptism” section under Sacraments or contact the Parish Office for further details.
