Topic
Becoming Catholic
Thinking about becoming Catholic — or simply curious? Start here: what Catholics believe, why people become Catholic, and the practical steps of OCIA, explained without jargon.
Your path into the Church
- Ask your questions. Start with what Catholics believe and why people become Catholic.
- Visit a Mass. Everyone is welcome. Here's what happens, part by part.
- Contact a parish and ask about OCIA.
- Walk the journey with a sponsor, toward the sacraments at Easter.
Questions about becoming Catholic
All in Q&AHow do I become Catholic?
Contact a local Catholic parish and ask about OCIA (the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults). Over several months you learn the faith with others, and at Easter you are received into the Church — through Baptism, Confirmation and First Communion if you are not baptized, or through a profession of faith, Confirmation and Communion if you are already a baptized Christian.
What is OCIA (formerly RCIA)?
OCIA — the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults — is the Church's process for welcoming adults into the Catholic faith. It combines learning, prayer, community and liturgical rites over several months, leading to the sacraments of initiation, usually at Easter.
Why be Catholic?
Catholics believe the Catholic Church is the Church Jesus founded on the apostles, where the fullness of Christian faith is found — Scripture and Tradition, all seven sacraments, the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and an unbroken line of teachers reaching back to Peter.
Are Catholics Christians?
Yes. Catholics are Christians — in fact, the Catholic Church is the oldest and largest Christian community. Catholics believe in the Trinity, confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, are baptized in his name, and hold the Bible as the inspired Word of God.
Can non-Catholics receive Communion at Mass?
Ordinarily, no. Receiving Communion is a sign of full unity in faith with the Catholic Church, so non-Catholics are warmly welcome at Mass but are asked not to receive. They may come forward for a blessing with arms crossed, or remain in prayer in the pew. Limited exceptions exist, especially for Orthodox Christians.
What do Catholics believe? A short summary
Catholics believe in one God — Father, Son and Holy Spirit — who created all things; that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, became man, died for our sins and rose from the dead; that the Holy Spirit guides the Church he founded; and that through the sacraments, prayer and love we share God's life now and hope for eternal life with him.
What is Confirmation?
Confirmation is the sacrament that completes the grace of Baptism by a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The bishop (or a delegated priest) anoints the forehead with sacred chrism and says, "Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit." It strengthens Christians to live and witness to their faith.
How should Catholics read the Bible?
Catholics read the Bible as God's Word in human words: paying attention to what the human authors meant, reading each passage in light of the whole of Scripture, within the living Tradition of the Church, and above all prayerfully. A simple start is the daily Mass readings or one Gospel, a chapter a day.
Common questions non-Catholics ask about Catholicism
Non-Catholics most often ask whether Catholics worship Mary and statues, why they confess to priests, why they believe the Eucharist is really Jesus, why they have a Pope, and whether they believe in salvation by grace. In each case, the Catholic answer is grounded in Scripture and centred on Christ.
Can non-Catholics participate in the gestures at Mass?
Yes. A non-Catholic in the congregation may do everything Catholics in the pews do — sign of the cross, kneeling, standing — except receive Communion. Guests may join in as far as they are comfortable; observers need only stand when others stand and otherwise sit quietly.
What happened to confirmation names?
The custom is still used. Taking a saint's name at confirmation gave the confirmand a heavenly patron and helped him rely on the communion of saints. Some dioceses now encourage the older tradition of keeping one's baptismal name, to link the two sacraments of initiation.
Am I Catholic if I received private instruction instead of going through RCIA?
Yes, you are Catholic. Your priest's method is actually preferred for non-Catholic Christians, because RCIA's main purpose is to catechize and initiate the unbaptized.
If my friend openly disagrees with Church doctrines, should she be teaching RCIA?
No. She may be caring and well-intentioned, but she is not qualified to teach. Church documents require catechists to hand on Christ's teaching, not their own opinions, and say there can be no teachers of the faith except convinced and faithful disciples of Christ and his Church.
Is faith necessary for adults to be baptized?
Yes, but not a fully developed faith. The faith required for baptism is a beginning that is meant to grow; for everyone baptized, child or adult, faith must grow after baptism.
Why can't I be re-baptized as a Catholic?
Baptism is given once for all: it washes away original sin, gives sanctifying grace, and marks the soul as Christian. Repeating a valid baptism would be useless and an objective sacrilege. If you were validly baptized, you are a Christian; confession is the sacrament for sins since then.
Do I need to confess a mortal sin committed before I was baptized?
No. Baptism forgave all your prior sins — original and personal — and all punishment for them. Confession is for sins committed after baptism.
Can I be confirmed without an annulment?
Yes. Divorce in itself is no obstacle. If a divorce involved unforgiven grave sin, confess first. An annulment is generally needed only to marry again — or if you have attempted marriage after divorce and wish to continue that married life.
Newman said "to be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant." Why don't more Protestant historians become Catholic?
Newman's maxim is a general observation, not a rule. Belief in Catholicism is ultimately a gift of faith that must be accepted and acted on. Some may not have received it; others may not have accepted it. We commend them to God's mercy, trusting that those who follow him according to their light may be saved.
Is my friend barred from joining the Church because he is a Freemason?
He can become Catholic if he leaves Freemasonry. Catholics are forbidden to belong; the Church's negative judgment on Masonic associations is unchanged, and Catholics who join are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Communion.
Since my wife has been baptized, is our marriage now sacramental?
Yes. A marriage is sacramental when it is valid and both spouses are baptized. Your marriage was presumably valid but not sacramental before her baptism; her baptism did not invalidate it, so at that moment it became a sacrament.
What do people mean when they say they have "swum the Tiber"?
The Tiber is the river running through Rome, with St. Peter's on one side. Converts say they "swam the Tiber" to mean they crossed over to the Catholic side.
Is Dorothy Day considered saintly because of her support for Fidel Castro?
Of course not. Holy people are admired for their holiness, not their politics. Dorothy Day, a convert who founded the Catholic Worker movement, cared above all for the poor and marginalized, rejected the "free love" revolution, and stayed loyal to the Church. She is a Servant of God.
Read in depth
What Happens at Mass, Part by Part
A part-by-part walk through the Catholic Mass, from entrance to dismissal, explained for someone sitting in the pew for the first time.
Coming Back to the Catholic Church After Years Away
Coming back to the Catholic Church after years away — what's actually required to return, and what isn't, for baptised Catholics who stopped practising.
What Catholics Actually Believe About the Core Teachings
A grounding overview of core Catholic beliefs — the Trinity, the Church, the sacraments, and Scripture — sourced to the Catechism.
Free guide
The Catholic Faith Foundations Guide
The Mass explained part by part, the seven sacraments in order, and a first-year reading plan through the Catechism.