The Catholic Church does not re-baptize those from another Christian faith
community who have been baptized with water in the words, "In the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
If
you are not sure that you were baptized, ask any of your older relatives. They
will remember. 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. God is now inviting you to live out
your faith in Christ as a member of the Catholic community.
If
you are engaged, the deepening of your relationship with your fiancee and the
preparation for your wedding take time. The deepening of your relationship with
the Church community and the preparation for your baptism or full membership in
that community also take time. The faith journey to become a Catholic takes
time and energy. It may or may not be possible for both journeys to arrive at a
particular calendar date at the same time.
For example, the Catholic Church suggests that a person spend a year in the
Catechumenate to prepare for baptism or full initiation into the Church. The
sacramental celebration of this initiation occurs once yearly at the Easter
Vigil. Even if you begin inquiring about the Catholic faith a year before your
marriage, your baptism may not occur before the date of your wedding. The
Church wants to work with you. But sometimes working such a conflict out is
beyond the Church's control - and not what is ultimately best for you. At times
it is helpful to wait until after marriage to begin your inquiry into becoming
Catholic to be sure this desire is out of your personal conviction.
Becoming Catholic should not come from the pressure of an impending wedding.
The Catholic Church prepares school-age children for
Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist in a process similar to the one that adults
take part in. Children have a sponsor and participate in the same stages and
celebrations that adults participate in. In most parishes, special
age-appropriate sessions are available for children. Children who have not yet
reached school age may be baptized; or, if already baptized, they may be
received into the Church along with their parents without the need for a special
process.
Ordinarily the Catholic Church assumes that a person's
first marriage is a valid marriage. If you (or your spouse or your fiancee)
have been previously married, it is important to talk your situation over with
someone who is informed of particular marriage laws of the Church. Every
marriage situation is different.
Sometimes an annulment may be necessary. The annulment
is a formal procedure of the Catholic Church. It looks for evidence that some
essential dimension of a valid Christian marriage was missing from the
beginning. It does not say that a civil marriage never occurred, or the
children born of that marriage are illegitimate. Because the annulment process
takes some time to complete, begin talking with a pastoral minister as soon as
you sense you are truly drawn to the Catholic Church.
A sponsor is a member of the parish community who will
support you, share faith with you, help answer your questions, and share in all
your celebrations and sessions.
It is difficult to give a time frame at the outset. You
do not want to rush your faith journey. One person's time frame is a little
different from another's.
If you have not been baptized, the process usually takes
a year or more. Because adult baptisms are celebrated at the Easter Vigil, your
baptism could take place at the Easter Vigil following the coming celebration of
Easter.
If you have already been baptized into another Christian
faith tradition, you may require less time, depending on the faith formation you
previously received and your present involvement in the practice of your faith.
This parish wants to listen to both your needs and
desires; it also does not want to deprive you of the opportunity to discern
God's gifts to you at this important moment in your life. Time is needed for
your faith formation as an adult.
Your faith journey is a time of formation that is much
more than education. Faith formation is a time for you to grow in the awareness
of your relationship with Christ, with God, and with the Catholic Church. There
are no tests; there are no grades.
These responses may have
raised more questions and feelings within you. Talk about those questions and
feelings with the initiation coordinator or a pastoral minister. The parish
wants to know what you are thinking and feeling. If you wish, you may fill
out our online Inquiry Form. Each parish varies in some of
the aspects of this initiation process. It is always better to bring up your
concerns than to keep them inside you. Finally, get ready for one of the
greatest blessings of your life. Our parish community looks forward to sharing
in the gifts you bring and the journey ahead of you.
