PARISH of the HOLY EUCHARIST

If the thought of coming into the Catholic Church has crossed your mind, praise God! Trust that God's grace is working in your life, in more ways than you probably realize.

You've made a good start in visiting this page. All the steps that follow have one common theme: keep working to get to know Christ and His Church better. There may be a stage at which you're only ready to read internet articles in the privacy of your home. That's okay. In time you might be ready to talk to someone about it. We're always available here at the parish (see the contact form below). Eventually, perhaps even soon, you'll be ready to formally start the process by which one enters the Church, called the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults, or OCIA. Regardless of where you are, keep reading, keep talking with other people, and keep praying.

If the thought of entering the Catholic Church has crossed your mind, now is a fine time to contact us. Regardless of where you are with the Catholic faith (be it vaguely intrigued, confused, or totally sold), we're here to help. You can call the parish office or contact us using the form below. We would love to meet you and be part of the conversations you're having about faith.

You may not feel ready to talk to a real live person about this. If so, that's okay, too. Below we've included some good resources to get you started as you seek to know Our Lord and the Church founded by Him. For an overview of what Catholics believe, check out the Baltimore Catechism or our Catholicism 101 videos on the Creed, the Sacraments, and Morality. For an in depth treatment of almost any topic related to Catholicism, see New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia. BeginningCatholic.Com also has a lot of good resources.

First, let us know. If you have not contacted us already, please fill out the form below.

The Church has a process by which people become Catholic: this is called the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults or OCIA. The process takes about a year, although in exceptional cases (such as danger of death or other extreme circumstances) adjustments can be made. The most important goal is that you are able to receive the Sacraments.

Over the course of the year, OCIA candidates meet regularly to receive instructions in the Catholic faith. These meetings are meant to introduce you to the teachings of Christ and His Church, Catholic practices (like saying grace before meals or not eating meat on certain Fridays), and prayer. Our hope is that by the end of the formation process, you have a good foundation on which to build your spiritual life. Remember: OCIA is an introduction. You have the rest of your life to grow deeper in the knowledge and love of God.

At the Easter Vigil, all the candidates will be received into the Church. Those who were never baptized will be baptized; those who were validly baptized in another Christian denomination will be confirmed and received into the Church.

We would love to help you learn more about the Catholic faith and receive your sacraments. Since you are still in high school, we require your parents’ consent to begin this process. Once that is obtained, we will work with you to schedule meetings to begin instruction. Please let your parents know that they are welcome to talk with us should they have any questions or concerns.
 
Should your parents not give approval at this time, we encourage you to continue to learn more on your own, and to keep a regular routine of prayer. You can learn more about the Catholic faith on our Catholicism 101 page (https://pothe.org/catholicism101), by reading the Bible (we suggest you start with Luke and Acts), or by reading a catechism (we recommend the Baltimore Catechism for beginners.) Once you have graduated from high school or are over 18, you are free to get in touch with us.  

Please know that in danger of death, the normal rules about taking instruction do not apply. If there is a life threatening illness, the process may be sped up according to circumstances. Please let us know what the situation is and we will adjust accordingly. 

In cases where there is a serious emergency and death may be imminent, a Catholic priest should be called and the sacraments requested. Let the priest know your situation (baptized or not, what religious background you had, and that you want to become Catholic) as that will effect which rites he uses. The hospitals have chaplains on call. Outside the hospital, the nearest Catholic church should be called.

Should no priest be available and you are in need of baptism, anyone (Catholic or non-Catholic) can baptize in danger of death. They simply need to pour water on your head three times and say, "I baptize you in the Name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." Please note: it must be real water (not merely a liquid) and those words must be pronounced for the baptism to be valid. This should only be done in danger of death and the baptism should be reported to the local Catholic parish afterwards for recording. Otherwise the normal process should be followed.