Already baptised and thinking about becoming Catholic?
If you have already been validly baptised in another Christian Church or community and now believe God may be calling you into the full communion of the Catholic Church, you are very welcome.
Because you are already baptised, you are not starting the Christian life again and you are not baptised again. The Catholic Church recognises the real Christian bond created by Baptism and gives thanks for the faith, Scripture, prayer and Christian life that may already have formed you.
Reception into full communion means freely embracing the fullness of the Catholic faith and entering into full visible communion with the Catholic Church in her faith, sacramental life and communion with her pastors.
The first step is simply to speak with the parish priest.
We will talk about your Christian background, confirm the details of your Baptism and make sure that this is the correct pathway for you. If you were baptised in an Orthodox or other Eastern Church, were previously Catholic, are unsure about the validity of your Baptism, or have a previous marriage, please mention this at the beginning because a different sacramental or canonical route may sometimes apply.
Your preparation
Our parish uses Coming into Full Communion — A Catholic Preparation Book for Baptised Christians.
It contains twelve short conversations covering the central Catholic beliefs and practices that are especially important when preparing to make a profession of Catholic faith: Scripture and Tradition, the Creed, the Church, Mary and the saints, the sacraments, the Eucharist, Confession, the moral life, prayer and ordinary Catholic discipleship.
Each conversation follows the same simple pattern:
REMEMBER → SHORT TEACHING → TALK ABOUT IT → THE ESSENTIALS → PRAYER → THIS WEEK
The book gives you a clear preparation pathway without treating everyone as though they were beginning from the same place. Someone with years of serious Christian formation may need less time; someone encountering Catholic teaching for the first time may need longer. Readiness matters more than completing a fixed number of weeks.
You can work through the book with a sponsor, parish mentor or priest, and bring your genuine questions as you go.
Coming into Full Communion
A Catholic Preparation Book for Baptised Christians
APP for Preparation
For those who would prefer an app to help them prepare please use: https://3stepuk.github.io/Coming-Into-Full-Communion/
This includes the full text with questions to help you remember what you’ve learned.
What happens at reception?
When you are ready, you normally make your first sacramental Confession, profess the Catholic faith and are formally received into full communion. If you have not already been validly confirmed, the priest who receives you ordinarily also administers Confirmation. You then receive the Holy Eucharist.
The precise pathway is arranged personally with the priest according to your previous Baptism, sacramental history and circumstances.
You are not being asked to deny everything that came before. You are being invited to bring every grace God has already given you into the fullness of Catholic communion.
St. Mary's, St. John Bosco and St. Edward's 