FAQs List

Learning About or Becoming Catholic

Returning or Less Active Catholic

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Frequently Asked Questions & Answers

• Learning about Catholicism
• What does it mean to be Catholic?

  1. Authentic Catholicism simply means to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ – to love God and each other. And when we fail, we ask for forgiveness … and then try harder to follow Jesus. How we follow Jesus can be confusing to non-Catholics, and we try to introduce that rich tradition in our Christian Initiation process. But in the end what it means to be Catholic is very simple: we do our best to pick up our cross and follow Him.

• I know someone who is Catholic - how can I learn more about the Catholic religion?

  1. There are many ways to learn more about the Catholic religion. One way is through the Inquiry stage of the Christian Initiation process here at St. Michael’s. There are also excellent websites, such as Catholic Answers, that aim to explain and share the Catholic faith, along with suggested reading lists, official documents, and Church publications such as the  U.S. Catholic Catechism for Adults.

• Can I learn about the Catholic faith without any commitment to “join”?

  1. Our Christian Initiation formation echoes the Catholic Church’s beliefs and teachings. We believe whether a person agrees with those teachings and then decides to become Catholic is between them and God. We do not believe that someone who chooses not to become Catholic cannot get to heaven, so we are very comfortable when that is someone’s decision. There is never any pressure to “join.”

• I’m going to marry a Catholic and I'm not Catholic - what should I do?

  1. It would be ideal for you to join our Christian Initiation formation as a couple so that you can learn what Catholics believe (and if you are well-grounded in your own religion, the opposite is true as well). If you each understand the other’s religion, differences will be much more easily resolved. Finally (and most importantly), you will need to contact the parish office to set up an appointment to speak with someone about your wedding plans.

• I'm interested in becoming Catholic
• I think I want to become a Catholic - what should I do?

  1. We have a Christian Initiation formation process that is designed to welcome people into the Catholic Church. This process does not have a set time to begin (we run what is called a year-round process) and so we welcome you to begin at any time! Contact the RCIA Team.

• What is the process for someone to become Catholic?

  1. The Christian Initiation process begins with a period of Inquiry for general questions and answers. This is followed by a period of Formation, during which each week’s bible readings are used as the basis for sharing what Catholics believe. At the end of this period, the person receives the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist (First Communion). Once received as full members of the Body of Christ in the Catholic Church, the person begins a discernment period intended to fully integrate them into the life of the Church.

• How long does it take for someone to become Catholic?

  1. The Christian Initiation formation process is not one-size-fits-all, so this is a tough question to answer in this format. One fairly normal timeframe for an unbaptized and unchurched person is a roughly year-long formation. That timeframe may be shorter for someone lacking only Confirmation. The real answer will have to come in a conversation with the RCIA Team.

• What if I haven’t been baptized? What if I was baptized in a different Christian religion?

  1. The Christian Initiation formation process has been adapted to welcome in baptized non-Catholic Christians, but it was designed to welcome the unbaptized into the Catholic Church! We would welcome you to join our year-round process any time!

• What if I was baptized Catholic as an infant but had no other Cath. Church involvement?

  1. The Christian Initiation process discusses and teaches the beliefs of the Catholic Church through Inquiry and Formation periods, If you believe God is calling you home to the Catholic Church, you will be welcomed through the Sacraments of Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation.

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