May I receive Holy Communion?

[johnnyc176]

Hello,

I was baptized and raised in the Catholic faith. To be honest I did not know much about my faith. I believed in God but did not know God and did not practice my faith. I basically left the church. A few years ago I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior and have read the Bible and found a peace that I have been searching for that I was seeking for a long time. Funny thing though...ever since that time I have also had a growing urge to go to Mass and practice my faith as a Catholic. So recently I acted upon that and attended Mass but did not receive Holy Communion. So this leads me to my question. Can I still receive Holy Communion under the conditions I explained? Do I have to do confession with a priest? Or is confessing my sins to God sufficient. Is there anything else I need to do like go to RCIA?

Thank you so much for any guidance. God Bless!
John

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Dear John,

We rejoice with you that you have met the Lord and want to follow Him. You do need to know what the Catholic Church teaches. So yes, you do need to go through the RCIA or some Church approved study before receiving the sacraments. Check with your pastor. Welcome home!

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.