Not baptised and thinking about becoming Catholic?
If you have never been baptised and are thinking about becoming Catholic, you are very welcome.
You do not need to have everything worked out before contacting us. You may have been thinking about faith for years, or you may only recently have begun asking questions about God, Jesus Christ or the Catholic Church.
The first step is simply a conversation.
There is no pressure to make promises before you are ready. You are welcome to ask honest questions and take time to discover what it means to know, love and follow Jesus Christ within his Church.
Is this the right pathway for me?
RCIA is principally for adults who have not been baptised.
If you have already received a valid Christian Baptism, you are not baptised again. Please choose the pathway that best describes your situation:
- I was baptised in another Christian Church or community and want to become Catholic: Reception into Full Communion
- I was baptised Catholic but have never been confirmed: Adult Confirmation
- I am already Catholic but have been away from the Church: Returning to the Faith
- I am unsure whether I was baptised, or whether my Baptism was valid: Contact the parish priest
What is RCIA?
RCIA means the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. It is the Church’s way of accompanying an unbaptised adult towards Baptism, Confirmation and the Holy Eucharist.
It includes Catholic teaching, but it is much more than a course.
The journey includes:
- hearing and responding to the Gospel
- coming to Sunday Mass
- learning the Catholic faith
- beginning a regular life of prayer
- turning away from sin and growing in Christian virtue
- becoming part of the parish community
- charity, service and Christian witness
- support from a sponsor, mentor and other Catholics
- the Church’s liturgical rites marking each stage of the journey
The purpose is not simply to finish a book. The purpose is to become a disciple of Jesus Christ and to be ready to receive the sacraments freely and sincerely.
How the pathway works
1. A personal conversation
We begin by listening to you.
You can tell us what has brought you to the Church, what you already believe, what you find difficult and what you hope to discover.
We will also ask about any previous Baptism, marriage or other circumstances that might affect your pathway. This helps us guide you properly from the beginning.
2. Sunday Mass and prayer
Sunday Mass is at the heart of becoming Catholic.
You are warmly invited to worship with us, listen to the Word of God, pray with the Church and begin to know the parish community.
Before Baptism you cannot yet receive Holy Communion, but you may come forward for a blessing or remain reverently in your place.
You will also be encouraged to begin a simple daily life of prayer.
3. Catholic preparation
Our parish uses Becoming Catholic: RCIA, A Catechumenate Companion.
It contains 24 clear Catholic conversations covering:
- God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Trinity
- faith, conversion and discipleship
- Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition
- the Church founded by Christ
- Mary and the saints
- grace and salvation
- Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist
- Confession and the other sacraments
- conscience, sin and Christian morality
- prayer and ordinary Catholic life
- the rites leading towards Christian initiation
- life as a newly baptised Catholic
Each conversation follows the same simple pattern:
REMEMBER → SHORT TEACHING → TALK ABOUT IT → THE ESSENTIALS → PRAYER → THIS WEEK
You may work through the material with the priest, a sponsor or a parish mentor. Your real questions and growth in faith help determine the pace.
Readiness matters more than a calendar.
Preparation book
DOWNLOAD BECOMING CATHOLIC: RCIA, A CATECHUMENATE COMPANION
Sponsor and mentor guide
This guide provides activities, illustrations and questions to help each conversation remain personal and practical.
DOWNLOAD THE RCIA ACTIVITY AND CONVERSATION GUIDE
Preparation app
The parish app contains the Catholic teaching and questions from the preparation companion.
It can help with learning and revision, but it does not replace Sunday Mass, prayer, personal accompaniment or parish life.
OPEN THE BECOMING CATHOLIC APP
Simple pathway guide
DOWNLOAD THE RCIA PARISH PATHWAY GUIDE
The stages of the journey
The Church normally describes the journey in four stages.
1. Enquiry
You begin as an inquirer.
This is a time to hear the Gospel, ask questions, begin praying and explore whether God is calling you to faith and to the Catholic Church.
There is no fixed length for this stage.
2. The Catechumenate
When you have begun to believe in Christ and sincerely wish to continue, the Church may celebrate the Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens.
You then become a catechumen.
The catechumenate is a substantial period of Catholic formation, prayer, Sunday worship, conversion, charity and belonging within the Church. It lasts as long as genuine growth requires.
3. Purification and Enlightenment
When a catechumen is ready for the final preparation for Baptism, the Church celebrates the Rite of Election.
This normally begins the final Lenten preparation for the Sacraments of Christian Initiation.
It is a more prayerful period centred upon conversion, the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer and the Church’s Scrutinies.
4. Christian Initiation and Mystagogy
When ready, an unbaptised adult normally receives:
Baptism → Confirmation → Holy Eucharist
These sacraments are normally celebrated together at the Easter Vigil.
After Baptism, the newly baptised Catholic is called a neophyte. The period of Mystagogy follows. This is a time to deepen your experience of the sacraments and become more firmly rooted in Catholic prayer, worship, parish life and mission.
Becoming Catholic is a beginning, not a graduation.
What happens at Baptism?
Baptism is not only a public sign that you have decided to become Catholic. It is a sacrament in which God truly acts.
Through Baptism you are:
- freed from sin
- born again by water and the Holy Spirit
- united with Jesus Christ
- made an adopted child of God
- incorporated into the Catholic Church
- given sanctifying grace and an indelible spiritual character
An unbaptised catechumen does not make sacramental Confession before Baptism because Baptism itself forgives every sin.
You will still be helped to examine your life honestly, repent of sin and turn towards Christ. After Baptism, Confession becomes part of ordinary Catholic life.
What if my circumstances are complicated?
Please speak with the parish priest early if:
- you are unsure whether you have been baptised
- you were baptised in another Christian community
- you were previously Catholic
- you were baptised or chrismated in an Eastern Church
- you have been married before
- you are currently married outside the Catholic Church
- you have another sacramental or personal concern
Please do not stay away because you think something in your life will make you unwelcome.
The purpose of the first conversation is to understand your circumstances and find the correct way forward. Some matters require additional pastoral or canonical help, but it is much better to discuss them honestly at the beginning.
I am interested, but I am not yet sure
That is completely fine.
Making an enquiry does not commit you to Baptism or to becoming Catholic. You are welcome to come to Mass, ask questions and explore the Catholic faith before making a decision.
No one should make a profession of faith that they do not sincerely mean.
Questions are welcome. Difficulty understanding a Catholic teaching is not the same as rejecting it. The Church asks only that you approach the journey freely, honestly and with a willingness to follow the truth.
Come and see. The journey begins with a conversation.
