Becoming Catholic

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Wisegal92

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Hello everyone!

I’m a brand new member and including this one, I have 2 posts on here. I’m a young adult who will become a Catholic in the near future along with my mother and possibly my father.

I am a Episcopalian who was baptized in a Episcopal church. I disagree with many of the church’s views, including their views on homosexuals and women ministers. The Catholic church seems to be the one for me. My father was very active in the “High Church” or Anglican when he was younger and my mother was a Methodist.

I want to know more about your journeys into the world of Catholicism! What should I wear to my first mass? How should I look? Are nice dress pants okay to wear? Hair? Makeup? I want to be sure that when I go, I do look the part.

What about confession? I cannot think of any sins that I have committed. Other than petty theft when I was young.

Anyway, thank you so much and God bless!

Evelyn
 
Hi Evelyn! I was worried about what to wear before my first Mass, too. I wore dress slacks, pulled my hair back, and light make-up. I tried to be middle-of-the-road, I didn’t want to be either too casual or too dressy because I didn’t know what the other people would be wearing. That was about right for my usual church where most people are in their 60s or older. At another, more casual, church I"ve attended I wear jeans and I’m usually one of the more well dressed people there. Of course it’s VERY HOT here right now so that probably effects what others are wearing.😃
 
Welcome wisegal!..I am a convert and I LOVE my Catholic religion…I love the Mass…if you want to learn more about the mass, check out the Mary foundation on line, for just like 2 $, they’ll send you cd’s about Mass or confession…As far as dress, you can wear nice pants, casual, modest shirt, usually, it’s the Latin Mass where people really dress up, just dress nice, modest. If you are going through RCIA, they will tell you what to do at confession…God Bless you,welcome:)
 
Welcome!

Your first step should be to find an RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) program at a local parish. RCIA will walk you through all the ins and outs of joining the church.

You don’t need to worry about going to confession just yet. Confession, and the other sacraments, will be covered in RCIA. Typically RCIA starts in the fall and ends with baptism (though it sounds like that is already done), confession, the Eurcharist and confirmation.

I do need to mention that when you attend Mass, you should refrain from receiving communion until after you have formally joined the church. The Eurcharist is considered the summit and source of faith for Catholics should only be received with the proper disposition and reflection. All this will be covered in your RCIA course.

Again, Welcome home!

fermat
 
Yes as you said Fermat, she can attain all other parts of the mass and do as everyone else is doing except from recieving the sacraments, communion, confession and so on.

I would like to draw attention to this link
rc.net/arlington/stelizabeth/guidetoconfession.html

It might be a help to prepare for the day of confession, also i would like to recommend the book Lord have mercy by Scott Hahn

catholiccompany.com/catholic-books/1003377/Lord-Have-Mercy-Healing-Power-Confession/

It really opened up my mind to different aspects of the confession.
 
Hi Wisegal! Welcome Home! As I am a cradle Catholic, I cannot council you about what to wear etc. for adult initiation: I was of course baptized when I was an infant. However, on the subject of confession, I can recommend a site that walks you through what’s called an Examination of Conscience: catholic-pages.com/penance/examine.asp

You may not have committed any mortal sins, (serious sins that cut you off from God’s grace) but all of us constantly deal with many little venial sins (offending God in small ways, but not really intending to) like losing our tempers with our spouses or children, being too self-centered, choosing to watch t.v. when we are called to pray, watching too much t.v., eating too much etc. etc. In many little ways we fail to be our best selves, and instead compromise taking the easier path.

These little sins add up over the years, clouding our consciences and making it harder for us to grow closer to God. When we confess our sins to the priest we believe that God Himself not only forgives us and wipes us clean, but also that He gives us strength and new grace to grow closer to Him. All He asks is that we keep trying. (After all, that’s what it means to be a saint, gaining more control over our selfish desires and sacrificing our will to His Divine Will. We are all, every one of us called to be saints.)

Hope this helps - my faith is the greatest gift of my life, and I am thrilled that you are going to share in it!

May Jesus enclose you in His Loving, Merciful and Eucharistic Heart and may our Blessed Mother uphold you with her loving prayers, leading you ever closer to her Divine Son.

Peace and Blessings,
Terrysa
 
Welcome, Evelyn!

Congratulations on becoming Catholic! It is truly a wonderful, fulfilling journey, and I am so happy for you. I am in the process of converting to Catholicism from messianic Judaism. I was never baptized, but by this time next year, I will be! 🙂 I’m so excited!

At our church, we can wear semi-casual clothes. Some people wear jeans, while others wear dress pants/skirts. Because it’s so hot here in GA, a lot of women wear summery skirts and dresses.

Hmmm, I haven’t been to confession yet, but I’m sure your RCIA teachers would be very happy to answer any questions you have.

God bless! 🙂
 
All of you are so helpful! Thank you all so much! I will have many, many more questions.

Thanks,

Evelyn:D
 
Wisegal, good for you for acknowledging that reverence before our Lord is important during our communal worship. Dress in a way which expresses your love and respect to the Lord; not in any way to show off to other worshipers. You will find that there are Catholics who forget that how we dress is important. Please don’t allow them to sway you from your reverence. The celebration of the liturgy of the Mass is a special time every week – it is memorial, a partaking in a divine wedding banquet, and a sacrifice. Christ is truly present and is deserving of our reverence. When I was little, our family would always dress up for Mass. Nowadays, some parents fail to teach their children about reverence and honor toward God and the importance of the Lord’s Day, and you’ll see people wearing shorts, t-shirts and flip-flops at Mass. The next day they might be very fashion-conscious as they dress for work or school. Say a little prayer for people who forget the privilege they’re being given to participate in the Mass.

As for journeys into Catholicism, each person’s journey is different, including “cradle Catholics” – those who were baptized as infants.

Enjoy Mass!
 
Just a question a little bit off topic.

Wisegal you said that also your mother and possibly your father will become catholics, what is the reason for the whole family to join the church?

Who was the first one in the family to get interessted in the catholic faith?
 
anjoh66,

First became intrested about a year ago, met a wonderful Catholic lady who became my mom’s and my friend. She will be our sponser also. It was my mom’s idea first, then me, then my Dad. My Dad was not intrested last year, but now he is big time.

We’ve had alot of problems in our family, (death, sickness and some family members who don’t act family.)

Had a really big scare with my Dad a week ago, so that did it for us.

Thanks!

Evelyn:)
 
Wisegal92 said:
All of you are so helpful! Thank you all so much! I will have many, many more questions.

Thanks,

Evelyn:D
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Ask away! If we don’t know the answers, we can hook you up to a source that does! Welcome to our Faith Community! 🙂
 
Welcome Home 😃 I will pray for you and your family. Glod Bless you every day
 
anjoh66 said:
Yes as you said Fermat, she can attain all other parts of the mass and do as everyone else is doing except from recieving the sacraments, communion, confession and so on.
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There are some sacraments you can take part in, like anointing of the sick.
 
Hello Wisegal,
Welcome, welcome!!! I am so happy for you and your family. I get such an awesome feeling inside when I hear someone has or will be following our “Lord, Jesus Christ” through Catholicism. Being Catholic is wonderful, Evelyn!
We will all be praying for you and your family! God Bless each of you!!! :signofcross:
 
Because I received the anointing of the sick in a Catholic church and I’m not Catholic.
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Not to bring attention to you maliciously or anything but the Sacraments are not supposed to be received until you have had the Sacraments of Initiation performed.

I know in our RCIA class we were told by the “teacher” that it is up to the individual to not receive the Sacraments, you will not be denied if you come up to receive them. What she meant by that is that a Parish, especially during Mass is filled with various and many people…even guests. Alot who the Father and other parishoners may not recognize. When they come up to receive the Eucharist for instance, it may be given, however the Father may be unaware that the individual is not even Catholic.

Its to no fault of either party as the Sacraments are a very beautiful and filling part of the Catholic religion and the Father is sometimes overwhelmed. Heck when I worked as an officer at the jail I passed out so many trays to offenders that some would jump back in line a second time and I would never know it.
 
LARSCOUT0311 said:
Not to bring attention to you maliciously or anything but the Sacraments are not supposed to be received until you have had the Sacraments of Initiation performed.

I know in our RCIA class we were told by the “teacher” that it is up to the individual to not receive the Sacraments, you will not be denied if you come up to receive them. What she meant by that is that a Parish, especially during Mass is filled with various and many people…even guests. Alot who the Father and other parishoners may not recognize. When they come up to receive the Eucharist for instance, it may be given, however the Father may be unaware that the individual is not even Catholic.

Its to no fault of either party as the Sacraments are a very beautiful and filling part of the Catholic religion and the Father is sometimes overwhelmed. Heck when I worked as an officer at the jail I passed out so many trays to offenders that some would jump back in line a second time and I would never know it.
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The Priest new I wasn’t Catholic. There is no doubt about that.
Maybe I was one of the special circumstances mentioned earlier, in post #17.
 
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