How do I go about being confirmed in Catholic Church?

Question

I am getting married May of 2008 and my fiance is Catholic and wants a Catholic wedding.
He works Sunday mornings and we don't live where we want to get married (we'll be moving there and it's only an hour away).
What all needs to be done so that I will be confirmed and how long does the process take?
Also, should we do the classes and should I be confirmed in the church that we will be married in or one where we live?

I am getting married May of 2008 and my fiance is Catholic and wants a Catholic wedding.
He works Sunday mornings and we don't live where we want to get married (we'll be moving there and it's only an hour away).
What all needs to be done so that I will be confirmed and how long does the process take?
Also, should we do the classes and should I be confirmed in the church that we will be married in or one where we live?
--added for clarification--
My fiance has not been confirmed either but is a member of the church where we are going to live (where he is from).
I have been baptized in the Methodist church but a baptism is a baptism.
I very much want to be Catholic and raise our children as such.
Thanks so much for all of your answers, keep them coming!

Answer 1

There is plenty of time for you to join the Church and your fiance to be confirmed.

Your fiance should sign up for an adult Confirmation class at his local parish.

If you are interested in joining the Catholic Church, contact your local parish and ask about information about their RCIA Inquiry group.

You can go and ask any questions you want.

This is the first step in RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) but you can stop at any time.

There is no obligation to become a Catholic.

With love and prayers in Christ.

Answer 2

Congratulations on your engagement!

A few answers may help you, it seems that there are quite a few issues here...

A baptism is a baptism, as you said, but it is a little more complicated than that. The Catholic Church will recognize your baptism because Methodist baptisms are trinitarian (in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Therefore, you won't be "re-baptized". You will, however, still need to convert to the Catholic Church.

To convert to the Catholic Church, you will need to make a Profession of Faith. As a convert, you will be strongly encouraged (or required) to participate in the RCIA program (Rite of Christian Initiation). This is usually a 6 month program with a weekly class which prepares you to learn about the faith you are converting to and to prepare you for receiving Communion (Holy Eucharist). The program concludes during Easter. At this time, you would convert to the Catholic Faith, receive your first Holy Eucharist, and be confirmed.

After that, you will be a fully initiated Catholic. Which means you may validly receive Communion, you may be a Godparent, you may be a Confirmation sponsor, you may read the liturgy at Mass or be a Eucharistic minister, etc.

If you had been baptized Catholic, the process would have been slightly different. You would have gone through a confirmation program since RCIA is only for those not baptized Catholics. Although some parishes combine the two, (due to lack of space, staff, participants) so it may seem like the two programs are the same.

Each parish is unique in how they handle their RCIA program, so the best way to get a clear picture of their program is to call the parish office and inquire there. Usually parishes are very understanding about people's circumstances with scheduling and such things, so often times they will work with you to find a way for you to participate in the program.

You do not need to convert, receive Communion, and be confirmed to be married in the Catholic Church. I completely understand why you may want to do so before the wedding, but if you do not, you may still be married in the Church. "Mixed" marriages (between a Catholic and a non-Catholic) require approval from the Bishop (your parish priest can help you obtain this) and you must promise to raise all children of your marriage as Catholics.

As far as where to be initiated into the Church, that is just personal choice. You might want to get involved in a program right now, so your current parish might be the best choice as it is closer. Or perhaps going through RCIA in the new parish would be a nice way to get to know some of the people there.

The pre-marriage classes are best completed in the parish where you will be married. In fact, for some parishes, it is a requirement.

Answer 3

First, you do not need to be CONFIRMED to be married in a Catholic Church. It won't matter where you are confirmed.

If you still want to be confirmed (and I don't advise it unless you SINCERELY want to become a Catholic, go to Mass, put your envelopes in and and stay a Catholic) call your local parish and tell them you are interested in RCIA classes and becoming a member. START GOING TO MASS AND USE YOUR ENVELOPES.

Classes may have already started but are usually an hour a week leading up to Easter, then you are confirmed at the holiday.

I was already Catholic and in church before I got married and I wasn't confirmed. However, we chose to get married by a priest who was a high school friend of my husband's at a different parish because we wanted to be married by someone who knew him and our baggage personally, not just our parish priest who only knew us by face, handshake and a few words. We were both baptized and had made our Communions Catholic and he had been confirmed and the church really only cared about the fact that we had been baptized and made our communions. I still haven't been confirmed because I am waiting for my daughter to get to the time she will do hers and we will go together, and we are still members of the Church. I don't believe in confirming children or teenagers unless they are seriously religious themselves and want to do it. It is hypocritical to make a committment like that and not intend to carry it out (like taking marriage vows until death do us part in the Catholic church but in the back of your mind thinking you'll get a divorce if it ever gets ugly or inconvenient).

Bottom line, you can still have a Catholic wedding if you aren't confirmed. I am not confirmed and I am an active Catholic.

Answer 4

First of all Congrats, and have fun on this journey!
What you need to do first of all is to get yourself to a parish priest and get all the information you need. Depending on the parish/diocese, it will depend on when they offer the classes to learn about Catholicism, on your way to the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. About where to take the classes, it would be a real hassle probably to do that drive weekly for classes, so it's okay to take them where you are living now.
Make sure you are attending Mass - most churches have Saturday late afternoon or evening Masses, so you are becoming familiar with the faith.
I am pleased to know that you and your husband to be are serious about raising your children in the same religion - it really does make a difference to the cohesiveness of the family, with the morals, values, traditions, etc.
Good luck to you....

Answer 5

The common name for the program is RCIA. You have to attend classes. I believe it takes about 6 to 8 months to be baptised and confirmed, although I am not completely sure as I grew up in the Church. Also, I believe, when getting married in the Church, it takes about 6 months of meeting with the priest (Although i'm not too sure of that either). Your best bet would be to talk to your priest. He could answer your questions about how long things take, and when the program starts in your area and such. God Bless!

Answer 6

You can go to any Catholic Church. You will have attend "RCIA" classes. The classes will last about 6 months. I work at a Catholic Church but I am not Catholic. The lady I am dating is,,,so , I have started the classes. Tomorrow will be my second one.

Answer 7

It can take as long as a year. They use the "friendly" term of initiation. Weekly meetings.

Ask the priest at the church who is going to marry you about the details and where you must take the pre-cana class. Not very uniform.

Answer 8

you are not catholic ? yes , so start in going to church every sunday , attend mass with your fiance also , talk to the priest what u need so that u can married in the church , i think u will baptize first so that u will become catholic like ur fiance so u can married in that church, but before u baptize , u will attend caticizem class , attend bible study, know jesus christ and virgin mary , the mother of our lord jesus christ, go and find out , dont ashame to ask to the priest