Become Catholic
We at St. James have a profound call from the Holy Father to bring about reunion between our separated brethren and the Holy See.
We know this is an individual journey that takes each and every one down different paths. We seek to accommodate those needs individually or as families in our Christian Initiation process. This is why we do personal instruction with those seeking union with Holy Mother Church.
We want to provide a deep and enriching journey to those asking profound questions about the teachings of the Church. We are dedicated to patiently presenting the faith clearly and in an uncompromising way and seeking to answer those deep-hearted questions that each person has. We truly want this to be a time of faith seeking understanding.
Check out more videos about Catholicism or listen to a homily by Fr. Mayer.
Process for becoming Catholic
The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) is a process that helps interested individuals discern whether or not they would like to become part of the Catholic Church. Currently, these classes take place every other Monday evening. Contact us to schedule an initial exploratory meeting with Fr. Mayer to see if this would be a fit for you.
Who is RCIA For?
- Anyone who is unbaptized
- Those baptized in another Christian tradition who are considering full communion with the Catholic Church.
- Catholics baptized as infants, but who never received any instruction or formation in the Catholic Church and have yet to celebrate the sacraments of reconciliation, confirmation and eucharist.
- Any individual, Catholic or non-Catholic, who would like to learn more about the Catholic Faith.
What are the requirements to be part of RCIA?
- A person must have reached or be older than the age of reason (normally 7 or older)
- A curiosity or desire to explore becoming Catholic
- Not required: an upfront decision to become Catholic.
How long does it take to compete RCIA?
The length of the process differs for each individual. The normal timeframe for an unbaptized adult to be active in the RCIA process is 1-3 years. Those adults from other faith traditions who already have some Christian formation might be received into the Catholic Church sooner than this.
What is the background and history of RCIA?
During the first centuries of Christianity, persons who desired to be followers of Jesus engaged in a thorough period of prayer, preparation, instruction and apprenticeship all set within the Christian Community. They spent one to three years in formation in what became known as the catechumenate. The term catechumen simply means one who is learning. Throughout the process of preparation, the catechumens became immersed in the teachings of Jesus and in the prayer life of the Church. This period of immersion ended with the reception of the sacraments of initiation: baptism, confirmation and First Eucharist—in that order, at Easter. The process generally took several years.
During the fifth century, after Christianity became legal, large numbers of people desired to be Christian. The catechumenate was dissolved and people were brought into the Church without much preparation.
In recent years, the Catholic Church has returned to this earlier formation process, now called the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.