Each person’s journey of faith is unique. The God who made us individuals and loves us personally calls each of us in the concreteness of our lives.
This means that there is no assembly-line method of becoming Catholic. We start where you are and take steps together towards God. The best starting place is a conversation with Fr. Paul or Calvin Smith (Director of Faith Formation).
But as you explore, it’s helpful to have a general outline for what the process looks like. The information below is a rough guide of the various stages in the process.
Note that this process is not about becoming a member, like at a club. It is the formation of a relationship that, like all deep relationships, will change your entire life.
1. Inquiry
If you’re reading this webpage, this is probably where you are now. You have begun to sense a tug at your heart that there might be something more. Intellectually, you might be dissatisfied with the answers you’ve assumed to the most important questions in life.
This period is for asking questions (e.g. “Did Jesus really exist?”), clearing away misconceptions (e.g. Catholics do not worship Mary), and general exploration. You might start to attend Mass or join one of our “Exploration” classes.
The Inquiry stage could last months or years. Either way, the key things to do during this period are: 1. Pray: ask God to guide you to Him. 2. Start a conversation with either Father Paul or Calvin Smith (Director of Faith Formation).
2. Catechumenate
Once you have decided that you want the faith of the Catholic Church, you begin the period called the Catechumenate. (Note: Catechesis means “to echo down.” The teachings of Jesus Christ have ‘echoed down’ to us through sacred Scripture and Tradition. A ‘catechumen’ is someone who is listening to those echoes.)
This leg of the journey begins with a short ceremony called the “Rite of Entrance”; or, if you were baptized in another Christian denomination, the “Rite of Welcome.” In this rite you ask for faith that gives eternal life, and the church prays for you.
The Catechumenate is the proper place for learning the ins and outs of the Catholic faith. We offer a cycle of five “Exploration” classes looking at different aspects of belief and practice: 1. Scriptures, 2. Creed, 3. Mysteries (Sacraments and worship), 4. Life in Christ (i.e. morality, ethics, etc.), 5. Prayer.
For most people, this period lasts about a year as they work through the classes. It is also essential that catechumens begin to put what they are learning into practice – through prayer, forgiveness, repentance, and attending Mass weekly.
3. Purification & Enlightenment
This is the shortest stage on your journey. Like the Catechumenate it begins with a rite: the Rite of Election (or “Call to Continuing Conversion,” if you have already been baptized). This is a prayer service with the Bishop at the Cathedral in Arlington, with catechumens from the entire diocese (a ‘diocese’ is the region a bishop oversees – for us, NOVA and the Shenandoah Valley).
The period of Purification is contemporaneous with the forty days leading up to Easter, called Lent. As you prepare to become a Catholic Christian through the sacraments, these forty days are set aside for fasting, abstinence, prayer, and focused preparation.
4. Mystagogy
Finally, having made the long journey and finding our lives transformed on the way, we arrive at the Easter Vigil (the night before Easter), where the Church traditionally baptizes, confirms, and offers first Holy Communion to adults.
This begins a much longer – eternal – journey of friendship or communion with God, which gets better and sweeter the further you go. Mystagogy means ‘being led into the mysteries’, and is the first step on this eternal journey.
While there are no formal classes or rites during this period, we transition our class into a small group: a group that can continue to study, pray, and grow together.
The whole process is remarkably similar to a romance.
God has loved us from the beginning. The Inquiry stage is when we begin to find an attraction to him; we start to return his love.
We make a level of commitment to Him at the Rite of Entrance and enter into a stage of courtship (Catechumenate) focused on getting to know him better.
The Rite of Election is our acceptance of His proposal, leading into the intense preparatory period of engagement (Purification).
Through the Easter Vigil sacraments we are eternally united to Him and begin the real journey of life together.
Resources for Exploration
The Catholic Faith. On Demand.
Formed is a rich media resource library, and a great place to explore topics you’re curious about. And it’s free to you through St. Bridget! Simply click the logo above, click ‘sign up’, select ‘Sign up as a Parishioner’ and follow the instructions. Contact Calvin Smith with any questions.
Ask Questions. Get Catholic Answers.
As the name implies, Catholic Answers is a website with articles, videos, books, etc. dedicated to answering the most common (and some uncommon) questions about the Catholic Church.
Our Local Diocese
St. Bridget is a part of a larger grouping of churches called a diocese, overseen by a Bishop. The Diocese has collected a number of additional resources for exploring faith, understanding Catholic worship, and the steps to becoming Catholic. Click the logo above to explore.
Hallow
Hallow is an app with an enormous library of guided prayers, meditations, readings, music, and more. The app has a free side and a paid side. Much of the most popular content is available for free, but to access the whole app there is a subscription cost.
By Bishop Robert Barron
Bishop Barron has a knack for explaining Catholicism without using exclusively Catholic language. His popular YouTube page has a wide variety of talks and interviews and is a good place to find clear, concise answers. Click above to navigate there.
YouTube Channel
The Ascension Presents has a collection of videos to help people grow in faith. Their most popular videos are with Fr. Mike Schmitz who developed the “Bible in a Year Podcast” and has a library of short fun videos answering common questions.
“The more I considered Christianity, the more I found that while it had established a rule and order, the chief aim of that order was to give room for good things to run wild.”
G.K. Chesterton
Exploring the Catholic Faith
What does it mean to be a Catholic Christian? What do Catholics believe? How do they worship? What is unique about the Catholic way of life?
In our annual cycle of classes, Exploring the Catholic Faith, we examine these questions, talk through your questions, and come to know the love of God. The five classes are:
- Exploring the Catholic Scriptures (Summer)
- Exploring the Catholic Creed (Fall)
- Exploring the Catholic Mysteries (Winter)
- Exploring Catholic Life (Winter/Spring)
- Exploring Catholic Prayer (Spring)
These classes are especially for those who are new to faith, or new to the Catholic Church. Those returning to the church or looking for a refresher are also very welcome.
In the terminology of the church, these are OCIA classes – OCIA is the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults.
Questions? Interested in joining the next class start? Contact the Director of Faith Formation, Calvin Smith.
Classes are typically Thursdays at 7:00pm in Hobert Hall of St. Bridget of Ireland