I am interested in becoming a catholic?

Question

I would like a little information about becoming catholic. I was raised christian but havent been to church in years and my husbands family is catholic and we would like to raise our children catholic. I am 20. I have heard there is a class called ccd but can adults go to this? Any information is helpful like which version of the bible catholics read and such. Thanks

Answer 1

+ Joining the Church +

If you are interested in joining or just learning more about 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.

+ Catholic Bible +

The following Bible translations are approved by the Catholic Church for personal use:
+ Douai-Rheims
+ Confraternity Edition
+ Revised Standard Version (RSV) - Catholic Edition
+ New American Bible (NAB )
+ Jerusalem Bible
+ New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)- Catholic Edition
+ New Jerusalem Bible
+ Today's' English Version - Catholic

I recommend the the New American Bible (NAB) which is used for the readings in Mass in the U.S. and many other English speaking countries. Here is a New American Bible website: http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/bible/

http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/bible_versions.htm

+ With love and prayers in Christ.

Answer 2

You do not say if you have been Baptized . If you have been validly Baptized, you would be seeking full union with the Catholic Church, because all Baptized Christians are in some way part of the Catholic Church by reason of that Baptism. The Catholic Church recognizes this. You would become involved in an adult preparation process to receive the Sacraments of Confirmation and Holy Communion.

If you have not been validly Baptized, then the process called RCIA is what you will follow. RCIA prepares you for Baptism as well as the other two Sacraments. It is a process that takes at least a year and a half. I would suggest spending some time with the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Chruch ($8). There are some good books available at your local bookstore or online. Catholic and Christian, Why Do Catholics Do That?, Catholicism for Dummies, This is The Catholic Faith.

Then make an appointmant with your local Catholic Church to just talk.

Answer 3

CCD is for children. For adults wishing to convert, the Church offers RCIA, the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. Chances are, your own parish, certainly one nearby, has an RCIA program. Talk to your priest and he will give you the details.

It takes different people different lengths of time to complete the program. Basically, a lot of it has to do with how much or how little you already know about Catholic beliefs and practices. Also, RCIA entails the Sacraments of Baptism (if necessary), first Holy Communion, and finally Confirmation. Again, consult your priest for the details.

As far as the Bible goes, there is the:
Douay-Rheims - the English translation of the Latin Vulgate (used by the Holy See).
RSV-CE - Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition, my personal favorite.
Finally, the NAB of New American Bible. This is the version most popular in America BUT, I would advise against it as it has been a politically corrected version of the Scriptures. Still, it is worth checking out and, if it does strike your fancy, by all means read that one.

Answer 4

Congratulations - it's wonderful that you've started your journey to becoming a member of the Catholic Church! You can start the process by joining RCIA. Talk to a local parish priest, or if you live by the cathedral of your diocese, then you can head there and talk about RCIA.

The posts by others in this thread discouraging you from joining are completely wrong in their assesments of the Catholic Church. By the way, your marriage is completely valid in the Church's eyes. There are many myths surrounding the Church so please be careful of what you read and hear. You'll find that the biggest critics of the Church are ex-Catholics and Protestants. Remember to keep your head high.

I would suggest heading to the website www.usccb.org. The site has an online Catholic Bible (New American Bible) and the Catechism (everything that Catholics believe).

Good luck on your conversion and may the Lord bless you and keep you.

Answer 5

Simply head down to the local parish. Discuss this matter with the priest or deacon there. Ask about the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) Program. It usually starts in September and goes through Easter. That program is for adult inquirers rather than for kids. Although there is a similar program for kids ages 10 to 17, otherwise they can just get into the Religious Ed program at the parish.
As for the bible, get a copy of the St. Joseph Edition New American Bible, that is the text that is read in church. It has some footnotes & endnotes but isn't really good for your own study so you would have to pick up a commentary. I've used the Collegeville Bible Commentary, its comprehensive and easy to understand.
As you and your family grow in faith you will soon be ready to participate in the Sacraments. If you were previously baptized you will not be re-baptized but you will make a Profession of Faith. Following that are Confirmation, Eucharist. If your marriage was not previously blessed by that Church that will be done too.
And remember, all this isn't about jumping through hoops. Its about developing a living relationship with Jesus through the Church by the Sacraments.

Answer 6

I converted to Catholicism.

You need to go to RCIA which is the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. Call or visit your local parish. They will have all the information you need.

Usually, you come into the Church at Easter, but sometimes they also have an additional service a different time of the year...I think during the Feast of Christ the King.

Anyway, when I became Catholic it opened my eyes. I see things so much more clearly now. It's the original faith of all Christians.

You will read a lot of anti-Catholic posts. Please ignore them...they are misguided people. They mean well, but they do not understand Catholicism.

Go to RCIA and find out about the beautiful and special ways to adore and worship our Lord in Catholicism.


If you have any questions about Catholicism you can check out some websites:

www.catholic.com
www.ewtn.com
www.chnetwork.org

Answer 7

If your husband is Catholic, I am surprised that the priest never addressed that with you, if you had a Catholic wedding, the priest should have offered counseling on that before hand, and if you didn't have a Catholic wedding, then I don't think you are actually married in the eyes of the church, and would probably have to do that all over again. The Catholic church generally offers catechism classes for adults, then you would have to go through several of the sacraments, including Baptism, First Confession, First Communion, and Confirmation. Set an appointment with your husband to go talk to his parish preist.

Answer 8

You can attend RCIA classes at your nearest Catholic church. The best bible you could choose from is the Duoay-Rheims version. Best translation.

For good solid Catholic literature you could go to www.tanbooks.com and buy a variety of books for yourself and your kids.

I would also recommend going to the following websites to learn more about the Catholic faith. At www.fatima.org you can read past issues of the Fatima Crusader magazines which contain excellent articles on the faith.
http://olrl.org/
http://www.fatima.org/

All the Best!

Answer 9

Well you will have to go to your church parrish and sign up for a 6 mos program where they teach you about receiving the sacraments (i.e. baptism, communion, reconciliation, and confirmation) you will go through a 'dry run' of all of the above with training from your priest. You will become a parrishioner of your church and be required to be active and donate $ most Sundays. I was raised Catholic and my child is in Catholic school getting a much better education and learning about faith. I do have my own spiritual beliefs, but there's nothing wrong with raising a child Catholic for morals, values, faith, respect, and a better education. Then when she's old enough - she will be ready to go her own way in life.

Answer 10

You might try the Knights of Columbus Catholic Information Service. They have some online materials on Catholic beliefs that can be very helpful. Their website is http://www.kofc.org/un/publications/cis/publications/hart/list.cfm

Hope you find what you want.

Also, there are a number of Bible translations that have Catholic editions. New Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible to name just a few.
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