Talk to your local parish. They’ll probably ask you to attend classes in the RCIA program. If you’re serious about returning home, you will have to make a confession of your whole life since your last confession. But you should not do that until you have a good sense of what a sin is, and why you want to come back home. :hug3:Having left the church I missed out on completing certain sacraments. Next on the list was confirmation but what are the requirements for an adult returnee. What are the other sacrament and are those optional (marriage)?
if you were baptized Catholic and wish to return to the faith, all that is needed is sacramental confession and return to Mass and holy communion. If you married invalidly in the meantime (civil marriage, married to a non-Catholic etc.) you need to rectify that situation first, and it may be a simpler matter than you think, so speak to your pastor right away. if you were never confirmed, or never made first communion, the pastor can refer you to classes in your parish or diocese for that preparation. If you are planning marriage in the future you should be fully initiated (baptism, confirmation and first communion) before marriage. To receive any of the other sacraments you must be in a state of grace, so you must confess any serious sins you are conscious of in sacramental confession to a priest and receive absolution.Having left the church I missed out on completing certain sacraments. Next on the list was confirmation but what are the requirements for an adult returnee. What are the other sacrament and are those optional (marriage)?
You’ll go through RCIA, and the details will be given there. The other sacraments are: Marriage, Holy Orders, and Extreme Unction. Obiously not everybody is called to marriage, and not everyone is called to the Priesthood; some live singly till death, therefore Marriage and Holy Orders is not mandatory. Extreme Unction should be given when in danger of death, lots of graces available.Having left the church I missed out on completing certain sacraments. Next on the list was confirmation but what are the requirements for an adult returnee. What are the other sacrament and are those optional (marriage)?
Here are a few links to articles on some of the Sacraments. These may help you understand the Sacraments better.
- Baptism, which the Roman Catholic Church teaches removes original sin while infusing it with sanctifying grace.
- Penance, in which one confesses his/her sins to a priest.
- The Eucharist, considered the reception and consumption of the actual body and blood of Christ.
- Confirmation, a formal acceptance into the church along with special anointing of the Holy Spirit.
- Anointing of the sick or Extreme Unction, performed on a dying person for spiritual and physical strength as preparation for heaven. When combined with confession and the Eucharist, it is called the last rites.
- Holy Orders, the process by which men are ordained to clergy.
- Matrimony, which provides special grace to a couple.
Big step, Califman! Congratulations!thank, I was looking at marriage as something not in my cards. at present I have been attending church during mass and during the off hours. Its quite peaceful when the church is empty and it helps to think things out. Today I had my first confession in probably two decades. Theres no active adult educational program at this town parish. The diocese has something and I have to get in touch with them and see what they require. EWTN has been very educational as well in respects to general church teachings.