BECOME CATHOLIC
-
-
What made you click this page? Maybe you had a "this is the voice of God" moment recently and you're on fire to dive into Catholicism heart first. Or perhaps you keep feeling that nudge from the Lord of "what if...?" Maybe you're totally new to faith of any kind or just a little bit curious about what the process is like to become Catholic.
However you've felt that call from the Lord...we're ready for you. Right now. You don't have to wait until a certain time of year or until we have an opening. You don't have to wait until there's a neon sign flashing in your face saying "BECOME CATHOLIC!!!" And you certainly don't have to wait until you're perfect because...well, none of us would be here.
The only thing you need to bring is curiosity. (And questions, if you have them. We love questions!) Just come and see. At worst, you spend an hour talking to some cool people. And at best? You'll finally find the missing piece.
-
-
-
Become Catholic: The RCIA Process
RCIA stands for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, and it's the Church's process for helping people convert to Catholicism. The journey culminates with reception into the Church during a special Mass the night before Easter (called the Easter Vigil) where you will receive the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Communion, and Confirmation.
If you're asking, "What's a sacrament? What happens during Baptism? Will I get dunked in water?" don't worry - we'll answer all of those questions down the road. For now, just know that these are important faith milestones that enable you to deepen your relationship with God, become His child, and receive Him - not just spiritually, but physically. And they are incredibly powerful - those marking-your-life-before-and-after kind of moments that give you incredible grace, peace, and joy.
We've been blessed to have dozens of folks come through our RCIA program here at St. Columba, and we would be honored to walk with you on your journey too.
-
-
-
the journey
So what does that journey look like? First, each person's journey is unique. God called you to the Church, and we're going to let Him take the lead here. Our role is to simply help you hear His voice and answer your questions.
We do that through weekly meetings as a group. Every Sunday following the 9 am Mass, we gather together to unpack the Gospel reading we just heard and talk about who Jesus is. The goal is developing a relationship with Him. Along the way, you'll learn what the Church teaches and why, but this isn't like a formal catechism class where you memorize the rules and regulations of Church teaching. Rather, we help you develop relationship, with Jesus and with each other, and teach you how those guidelines help you to strengthen those relationships.
The #1 rule we have is that we admit we don't understand everything. As such, it's the perfect place to grapple with really practical questions, like what does it mean to be a Catholic in the workplace? How do we interact as Catholics in our families? And why does the Church teach [fill in the blank] and how does that help us to grow closer to Jesus?
Our RCIA Coordinator, Deacon Chris Merenda, and volunteer parishioners will help you work through those questions, providing references to the Bible and Church teaching but also practical lived experience as Christians grappling with those same things too.
-
-
-
Okay, but what's the commitment?
Let's put it this way: showing up does not equal a commitment. Going through several months of meetings does not equal a commitment.
You don't make a commitment to become Catholic until the day you receive your sacraments. Until then? You're just learning and listening.
-
-
FAQs
-
-
This is the #1 question we get about RCIA. The reality is that it will take as long as you need it to. The process is entirely invididual to you and your faith journey. This is your journey with God, not ours, so we work on His timeline.When you're ready, you let us know, and we'll start the process of getting you ready to receive the Sacraments. Trust us, you'll know.
-
-
-
Welcome home! If you're already a fully initiated member of the Catholic faith but have had a "reversion" experience, we highly encourage you to explore Alpha and our Adult Education offerings to further your rekindled faith, and of course we would love to see you at Mass. (If it's been a while, take a refresher here.)
-
-
-
We meet in the Bishop Dom Meeting Room, which is located around the righthand side of the convent building (directly across the parking lot from the church).
-
-
-
We always say that if the choice is between coming to RCIA meetings or going to Mass, Mass should always win. If you cannot attend the weekly meetings, reach out to Deacon Chris and we will help you!
-
-
-
INTERESTED?Just come and see. We're ready when you are.
Have questions first or want to set up a time to meet? Text Deacon Chris at 914-419-6314 or email him at [email protected]. -
-
SIGN UP FOR UPDATES
-
