Am I Catholic?

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Hello, thought I would start off with a little background information:

I’m 21 years old and I was babtized Catholic when I was a baby. As far as going to a Catholic church, that’s the only time I think I was in one. My parents were both Catholic and practiced their faith. My aunt was a nun (on my fathers side) and really and for some reason stopped going to church when they had me, she was also my Godmother, but passed away . They raised me very well, now that I am learning about the faith more, I think they raised me based around it. I’ve always believed God and Jesus.

On to the question:
Am I Catholic?
I don’t know if I can consider myself Catholic, and what I need to do if I’m not. I’ve never been to church (at the moment I’m almost afraid to go). I also have never learned the story of the Bible as well as I should, just bits here and there. I am afraid of going to church because I just have no idea what to expect. I don’t know if people would judge me if i messed up on something or not. I can’t go with my father, we’ve grown apart and don’t really talk since my mother died 2 years ago.

I’d like to know what to do and where I should get started. Again, I’ve never attended or been to ANY church whatsoever (which I feel guilty for). I’m really confused at this point. Please help.
 
Yes, you’re Catholic. Go to confession and then Mass as soon as you can, and don’t worry, if you don’t exactly know how to confess, the priest will help you. Also, don’t worry about being confused at Mass; no one is going to judge you. Plus, if you keep going each week, you’ll get more and more comfortable each time. Also, it would probably be a great idea to start reading the Bible (I’d say begin with the gospels) and the Catechism. This website, catholic.com, has some great apologetics that explain the faith.
 
Hi! Welcome to the forums.
Yes, you are Catholic.
No, people won’t judge you for messing up. Don’t be afraid to go to church, you would be most welcome there. Going to Sunday Mass would be a good beginning for your devotions and etc.

A good way to start developing your faith would be to enrol in RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults, or something like that). As far as I know it is approx a 1 year ‘course’ where you learn about your faith in a group (there are evening meetings, and things for you to read) and you will prepare for and recieve the sacraments of Reconciliation, Eucharist, and Confirmation. Talk to your local parish priest about it.

Have a look in the CA library and feel free to ask questions on this site to help you learn more.

I hope things go well for you.
 
Hi, welcome to the Forum.

To answer your question. (This is my opinion and not a fact) You are a cradle Catholic. If you read this post some people put up the definitions.

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?p=1370293#post1370293

I too was in your shoes a few months ago. I was baptized a Catholic and did my communion and around the age of 12 just stop going to church. Curiousity brought me to this website. Everything I have learned about the Catholic Faith has been at this very website. You’re in the right place. So feel free to ask as many questions that you have. Don’t be afraid to ask a question. Sometimes there are already answers in this forum to your questions. Use the search feature and type in your specific question. If they are irrelevant then just post your question. This is one of the best Catholic websites available and the most comforting one in my opinion. You have people from all walks of life. Don’t let the ongoing politics and arguments that tend to arise here discourage you. It really is a great place to be.

God Bless.

Sorry I could not answer all your questions. Since I’m still a newbie to the Catholic Church myself.
 
I forgot to add- Congratulations! You’re really close to Jesus right now. I’d say start praying regularly to Him (I know you probably are, just thought I’d mention this in case). And I thought I should once more emphasize the need to go to confession before receiving Communion at Mass- it is of the utmost importance to be worthy to receive, because when you receive Communion, it is the body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ. And remember that if you have any questions about anything whatsoever, the priest should be happy to help.
 
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abb:
I’d like to know what to do and where I should get started. Again, I’ve never attended or been to ANY church whatsoever (which I feel guilty for). I’m really confused at this point. Please help.
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I was also baptized in the catholic church as a baby but was not raised in the church.

You have nothing to be ashamed of. How can you be expected to know anything if you were not given the opportunity to learn? Your desire to know more does you credit.

Where to start? Call your local parish and explain everything you wrote here. I’m sure they will be very understanding and be glad to introduce you to the practices of the church. Just this past week another person described how he called the church and the priest met him outside the church before mass to introduce him to a family that sat with him. You can read it here: forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=105167

Give it a try.
 
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abb:
Hello, thought I would start off with a little background information:

I’m 21 years old and I was babtized Catholic when I was a baby. As far as going to a Catholic church, that’s the only time I think I was in one. My parents were both Catholic and practiced their faith. My aunt was a nun (on my fathers side) and really and for some reason stopped going to church when they had me, she was also my Godmother, but passed away . They raised me very well, now that I am learning about the faith more, I think they raised me based around it. I’ve always believed God and Jesus.

On to the question:
Am I Catholic?
I don’t know if I can consider myself Catholic, and what I need to do if I’m not. I’ve never been to church (at the moment I’m almost afraid to go). I also have never learned the story of the Bible as well as I should, just bits here and there. I am afraid of going to church because I just have no idea what to expect. I don’t know if people would judge me if i messed up on something or not. I can’t go with my father, we’ve grown apart and don’t really talk since my mother died 2 years ago.

I’d like to know what to do and where I should get started. Again, I’ve never attended or been to ANY church whatsoever (which I feel guilty for). I’m really confused at this point. Please help.
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Hi! Welcome to the forums. You are Catholic. You should go visit a priest to get into some catechism classes. I urge you to visit scripturecatholic.com, newadvent.org/fathers/, amm.org/chss.htm (free books), catholicity.com/maryfoundation (7 free CDs) and fathercorapi.com. Also, please tune into EWTN on the Internet or satellite. Also visit avemariaradio.net & releventradio.com. Buy a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church or check it out from the library. I also highly recommend getting books by Scott Hahn (especially Rome Sweet Home and The Lamb’s Supper), and Stephen K Ray’s Crossing the Tiber and Upon this Rock. Patrick Madrid’s By What Authority and Karl Keating’s Catholicism and Fundamentalism are also good authors to check out. Catholicism for Dummies is a pretty simple book and will also explain the basics of the Faith. Radio Replies is also pretty good if you have $50 to spend for 3 volumes. Hope this helps. If you need help with anything specific, please P.M. me. Also if you have Real Audio installed, check out these talks by Scott Hahn here: sonsofthunder.net/wbvm.htm.

ignatius.com and getfed.com also have an awesome stock of Catholic materials.

Edit: Also you should check out and learn about our en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Rites too.
 
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CollegeKid:
Yes, you’re Catholic. Go to confession and then Mass as soon as you can, and don’t worry, if you don’t exactly know how to confess, the priest will help you.
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If he hasn’t been to Mass ever, but was just baptized as a baby, then he hasn’t been properly catechized. Confession isn’t something you just decide to do without having any idea what you’re doing. He should contact his priest and explain the situation. Most in this situation, I think, end up going through RCIA.
 
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abb:
Hello, thought I would start off with a little background information:

I’m 21 years old and I was babtized Catholic when I was a baby. As far as going to a Catholic church, that’s the only time I think I was in one. My parents were both Catholic and practiced their faith. .
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If your parents really practiced their faith they would have brought you to the sacraments at the appropriate age, and have been attending Mass regularly and brought you to Mass. If they were unable to do so, your godparents should have made it happen, but as they didn’t none of this is your fault.

Yes you are a Catholic by virtue of your baptism, but like many adult Catholics you have not completed your Christian Initiation. Call your parish and ask about an adult Confirmation Class, or RCIA if they combine the two. You will get a lot out of RCIA even if you are already baptized, because your questions and concerns and the gaps in your knowledge will be similar to others in the class. You will not celebrate the rites along with the unbaptized, but you will be there as a witness and support for them.

During this time you will be prepared for your first confession, then in due course be confirmed and receive first holy communion. You will learn the essentials of Catholic belief and practice, and learn why the Mass is so essential to our faith and how to participate.

Welcome home.
 
Abb!

Welcome!

You asked if you were Catholic? By Baptism you are a child of God! That is your dignity! Freely given to you.

Now that you’re an adult, it’s time to catch up to what you are…lots of prayers and study. For the prayers, throughout the day remember that you are in the presence of God. Start taking advantage of the Sacraments. Like the earlier post, get your examination of conscience and go to Confession. Start attending Sunday Mass.

For questions, come back here and use the Spirituality Forum…for personal questions and this forum for objective reasons for the faith.

We are all here for you…in Hosea, God says to us: Long have I waited for your coming home to me and living deeply our new love. Reading your post, it seems that he has called you somehow and you are responding. That’s grace!

See more of you!

in XT.
 
I suggest you telephone the office of your local Catholic Church during the week during normal business hours. Their number should be in the Yellow Pages of the telephone book under “Churches - Catholic - Roman Catholic”. If there is a direct line listed for their “Religious Education” or “Faith Formation” program, call that number. Otherwise, call the main office number. Explain your situation and they should be able to get you into a class with other learners or arrange for some one-on-one instruction in the Catholic faith and practices.

Here are a couple of links that should familiarize you with the Catholic worship service, which is called the Mass:

The Mass is kind of like a play or an opera with scripted parts for the different players. Here’s a link to the Order of the Mass. This will give you an idea of what the priest and other ministers will say or sing and do during the Mass and what us ordinary folks in the pews (benches) will say or sing and do.

Here’s a link to the Bible readings at Mass. This will give you an idea of which Bible passages will be read at Mass on a particular day.
 
Whoa! Stop already! PuzzleAnnie has good advice. A book or a bunch of books at this time is going to be quite confusing. Call and make an appointment with a priest or another appropriate person on the staff of the nearest Roman Catholic Parish. It will be up to them to guide you in the best direction. At this time a ton of books will bog you down and probably confuse you. Action is called for not study, that comes after getting oriented by whom ever you talk to at the parish. 👍
 
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abb:
On to the question:
Am I Catholic?
I’d like to know what to do and where I should get started. Again, I’ve never attended or been to ANY church whatsoever (which I feel guilty for). I’m really confused at this point. Please help.
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Hi ABB,
First of all W E L C 👋 M E to the forum.

Now to answer your question: YES! you are C A T H 😃 L I C. It’s real easy to get started again. On Sunday (or Saturday night) go to MASS. Pur your fears behind you and just do it. They won’t shoot you if you don’t know all the prayers…OH wait, your’e in Texas, they may shoot you … hehehe. You are not the first who has gone through this. When you go to Mass, talk to the priest (or deacon) about RCIA. That’s like Catholic Sunday school for adults. You can use RCIA to relearn your faith. You also have friends here who can help you tooo.
 
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m134e5:
If he hasn’t been to Mass ever, but was just baptized as a baby, then he hasn’t been properly catechized. Confession isn’t something you just decide to do without having any idea what you’re doing. He should contact his priest and explain the situation. Most in this situation, I think, end up going through RCIA.
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Good point, I kind of jumped the gun.
Also abb: I may have been mistaken in telling you that you could receive Communion after immediately confessing. If you never received first communion as a child or teenager in a Catholic church, you may have to go through RCIA first before both confession and communion.
 
Yes, you are a Catholic, albeit one who has had no Catechisis. But, God bless you for seeking answers. If you have not received any other sacraments other than baptism, then you should contact your nearest Parish and look into joining an RCIA group. Some parishes have year-round RCIA, while others start classes at a particular time eachyear. The learning process can take as long as you need - there is no set time in which you must complete your rites. You must go thru this process in order to received completely into the Church - that is, to receive the sacraments of Reconciliation, First Communion and Confirmation. With a good, Orthodox program, your journey will be an awesome one.

My prayers are with you.
 
Talk to a Catholic friend, they can be of great comfort but - first - call your Catholic parish and make an appointment with the priest. Sit down and tell him what you’ve told us. He will be the best person to direct you in your next step.

You can go to Mass - any day of the week - if you would like. I would suggest that you do. Just, at this point, don’t receive Communion. There’s much you need to do before you are ready to receive.

Don’t be afraid, no one will be watching you or waiting for you to make a mistake. They will be glad you’re there! Get a bible and begin to read - the Gospels first. That’s the best prayer you can give to Jesus.

He’s calling you home - don’t be afraid.
 
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abb:
Hello, thought I would start off with a little background information:

I’m 21 years old and I was babtized Catholic when I was a baby. As far as going to a Catholic church, that’s the only time I think I was in one. My parents were both Catholic and practiced their faith. My aunt was a nun (on my fathers side) and really and for some reason stopped going to church when they had me, she was also my Godmother, but passed away . They raised me very well, now that I am learning about the faith more, I think they raised me based around it. I’ve always believed God and Jesus.

On to the question:
Am I Catholic?
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Yes, you are a Catholic.
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abb:
I don’t know if I can consider myself Catholic, and what I need to do if I’m not. I’ve never been to church (at the moment I’m almost afraid to go). I also have never learned the story of the Bible as well as I should, just bits here and there. I am afraid of going to church because I just have no idea what to expect. I don’t know if people would judge me if i messed up on something or not. I can’t go with my father, we’ve grown apart and don’t really talk since my mother died 2 years ago.
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No, people will not judge you. What I suggest you do is call up the local priest and make an appointment to go in and talk to him in his office. Explain your situation and he will guide you.

There are several options for you as far as how to receive instruction in the faith to learn about the Catholic Church, the bible, etc.

The priest can also introduce you to someone to sit with in church, someone to show you how to follow along during the Mass, etc.

You could also go to a local Catholic bookstore and ask them to recommend some good, basic books that would explain things to you.
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abb:
I’d like to know what to do and where I should get started. Again, I’ve never attended or been to ANY church whatsoever (which I feel guilty for). I’m really confused at this point. Please help.
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The priest can definitely help you get signed up for whatever classes they offer in your diocese to learn about the faith. And, they can help you to meet a few people so that you can have a friendly face at mass and someone to ask questions to.

Don’t worry that you haven’t attended church in the past, or that you don’t know very much right now. You will learn, and you will find people who are ready to help you.

Remember, every journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.
 
Thanks for all the replies, I have a question though, after my first confession will I be able to attend mass and receive communion? what’s this about “first” communion?
 
Hi Abb,

Yes, I concur you are truly a Catholic and Jesus has been waiting for you to come home along time. Angels are dancing in heaven that you are taking this step. You are not the first person this sort of thing has happend to.
You can start attending Mass at any time. Catholics are obligated to go to Mass every Sunday but there is daily Mass too if you have the desire. You will have to wait to recieve communion until you have been instructed in the faith a bit.That is what the others are referring to as “first communion”. This usually happens at age 8 or so if you are a child in the church. With adults it is different.
So, you will want to talk to a Priest at the church. You can call up the church office at your nearest Parish or get a recommendation from someone you know for one that they attend that is close by. You could try to talk to a Priest at Mass but sometimes they are a visiting Priest or really busy and they might just tell you to call the office anyway to set up an appointment.
Don’t get overwhelmed there seems like there is a lot to learn at first but it gets easier.
Don’t be insulted but I actually give Catholicsm For Dummies to people as gifts so you may want to get a copy of that.This place was made for asking questions so ask away!
This is so exciting! Welcome!
 
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abb:
Thanks for all the replies, I have a question though, after my first confession will I be able to attend mass and receive communion?
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The short answer is Yes. You are welcome to attend Mass right now but should refrain from receiving Communion until you make your first confession. After your first confession you will be eligible to receive Communion at Mass until such time as you commit a serious sin. Committing a serious sin makes you ineligible to receive Communion and you remain ineligible for Communion normally until you go to confession again.
what’s this about “first” communion?
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I am pretty sure this simply refers to the first time you receive Communion, kind of like your first kiss. First Communion is objectively the same as any subsequent Communion you will receive but subjectively it is special because it is the first.
 
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