Process of Becoming Catholic 

As you may expect, there is a process to becoming a Catholic. Although it may look like a simple process, in reality it may take someone a number of years between the initial idea of becoming a Catholic to the point of reception into the Church.  This is because at every stage of the process we have to remember that this is all part of our journey of faith, and what God wants to do for us in our lives.  At every stage of the process you go at your pace.

Inquiry - The first part of the process is learning, in a gentle way, about what the Catholic Church believes and teaches.  At this stage it would be good to come to church to Mass to see how we celebrate our faith.

Deciding - This is a formal stage where someone decides to become a Catholic.  They become Catechumens and begin a more formal period of learning about the faith of the Church.

Preparation - It is not all about learning and remembering everything that has ever been taught by the Catholic Church. Becoming a Catholic is also about building a deeper relationship with God.  As part of the process there is a period of time learning about prayer and getting ready to become a Catholic.

Initiation - Only when someone is ready and after they have spent some time reflecting on what Catholics believe does the ceremony of Baptism and Reception into the Catholic Church takes place.  This is day of great joy for those who become Catholic but also for the community as we welcome another member.