Help! How do I return to Catholicism?

  • Thread starter Thread starter MadamCurie
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
M

MadamCurie

Guest
I was baptized, confirmed, and received all the Sacraments as a child, went through 12 years of Catholic school, and was pretty active in the Catholic group at my college. However, in my senior year, I joined another religion (Mormonism). That was 10 years ago, and I now want to return to the Catholic church. I was since married outside of the church to a Mormon man and my son (who is 3) has not been baptized. What do I need to do to return to Catholicism? Is it as simple as going to confession? Should I ask to have my name removed from the rolls of the Mormon church? And is there a way to have my marriage solemnized by the Catholic Church?

Thanks!!
 
You need to call the priest at a Catholic parish near you and he should be able to answer your questions. Come home to Rome, I did many years ago and I couldn’t be happier.
 
MadamCurie said:
I was baptized, confirmed, and received all the Sacraments as a child, went through 12 years of Catholic school, and was pretty active in the Catholic group at my college. However, in my senior year, I joined another religion (Mormonism). That was 10 years ago, and I now want to return to the Catholic church. I was since married outside of the church to a Mormon man and my son (who is 3) has not been baptized. What do I need to do to return to Catholicism? Is it as simple as going to confession? Should I ask to have my name removed from the rolls of the Mormon church? And is there a way to have my marriage solemnized by the Catholic Church?

Thanks!!
Click to expand...
Yes, you can have your marriage solemnized by the Catholic Church. The first thing I would do is go to confession tomorrow and explain everything to the Priest.

The only issue that I can see, based on what you wrote, is that you were married outside the Church. That makes your marriage invalid in the eyes of the Church since, for a Catholics to be married validly, they are required to follow the laws of the Church. Just as someone in America is required to follow certain rules for their marriage to be recognized, so likewise does the Church have certain rules that Catholics must follow for the Church to recognize their marriage. You’ll need to speak to the priest about this point specifically. It might be that you are not morally permitted to have marital relations until the marriage is regularized. I think having the marriage blessed can be done can be done pretty quick.

It is probably a very common issue that the Priest deals with all the time, so I wouldn’t be nervous. Just find a Catholic Church near you, go to confession tomorrow, and explain all to the Priest. He will take it from there. I would also suggest praying that God sends you to a good Priest in your area.

It’s great that you are on your way back to the Church. Please keep us posted on your progress, and we’ll be praying for you.

BTW, is you husband willing to have your marriage blessed by the Church?
 
Welcome Home again 🙂

From what I’ve seen and understood, you are a confirmed Catholic in need of reconciliation. Your marriage to your husband needs to be validated as well.

Is your DH coming Home too?

Congrats!!
 
My hubby is lifer Mormon, and unlikely to be baptized Catholic :(. But he loves Catholic Masses and devotions and is very supportive of me and my spiritual journey. We went to a Marianist family retreat last year which rekindled my journey back to Catholicism, and we have decided to make that trip a yearly event for a our family. He is also on board with sending our son to Catholic school. He would be supportive of having our marriage solemnized by the Church, the only real concern is whether he will consent to having our son baptized before he is old enough to have an opinion about it. Mormons baptize at age 8, so in his world-view, that is when one “chooses” a faith.
 
He may be interested in RCIA, if only for the knowledge and information, even if he has no personal interest in becoming Catholic. He may also enjoy reading some of the Catholic information available on baptism.

Check the Catholic Answers Web site; do a search for baptism. There is a lot of well written solid information available here discussing all aspects of that sacrament and contrasting and comparing the Catholic teaching on baptism vis-a-vis the teaching of other religions.

Welcome back!
 
MadamCurie said:
I was baptized, confirmed, and received all the Sacraments as a child, went through 12 years of Catholic school, and was pretty active in the Catholic group at my college. However, in my senior year, I joined another religion (Mormonism). That was 10 years ago, and I now want to return to the Catholic church. I was since married outside of the church to a Mormon man and my son (who is 3) has not been baptized. What do I need to do to return to Catholicism? Is it as simple as going to confession? Should I ask to have my name removed from the rolls of the Mormon church? And is there a way to have my marriage solemnized by the Catholic Church?

Thanks!!
Click to expand...
It is wonderful that you want to return to Holy Mother Church.

You need to go to confession ASAP and marry properly in the Catholic Church. You should not have marital relations until you are properly married. As a baptized Catholic your marriage was invalid. Go see the local parish priest; this can be done quite quickly. You can be married in the priest’s office, no need for a big ceremony unless you want one. Also, you need to have your son baptized.

God Bless and Welcome Home!
 
MadamCurie said:
I was baptized, confirmed, and received all the Sacraments as a child, went through 12 years of Catholic school, and was pretty active in the Catholic group at my college. However, in my senior year, I joined another religion (Mormonism). That was 10 years ago, and I now want to return to the Catholic church. I was since married outside of the church to a Mormon man and my son (who is 3) has not been baptized. What do I need to do to return to Catholicism? Is it as simple as going to confession? Should I ask to have my name removed from the rolls of the Mormon church? And is there a way to have my marriage solemnized by the Catholic Church?

Thanks!!
Click to expand...
Go to confession, explain your situation, let him know that your marriage needs to be blessed, and he will let you know what to do…
 
I would recommend making an appointment to meet with a priest before going to confession.
As you are in an invalid marriage (i.e., one not recognized by the Church), you cannot receive any sacraments until you have taken care of your marriage situation or at least taken some action toward correcting the situation.

The priest will want to know if either of you have been married before. If not, the process to have your marriage convalidated (recognized by the Church) is relatively simple. There are some forms that the priest will help you complete. I married a Jewish man outside of the Church and when I came back it took about a month to process the paperwork, but every situation is different.

Welcome back!
 
Catholic Answers publishes “The Essential Catholic Survival Guide” and it has a chapter on Infant Baptism. Check it out.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top