OMG, I was baptized Catholic?

[Annabelle_Marie]

I could have done without that.

Update: It is being discussed further since I have been actively studying Catholicism and that counts for something.

I just feel emotionally drained and resigned.

I’ll abide by whatever is decided.

Just know that in the end…you may still have to go through RCIA. Especially if you have had no formal classes. Heck…my husband was baptized Catholic…and married to a Catholic…and had done lots of studying with me…we both were really knowledgable in a lot of areas.

And yet he had to go through all that…in obedience…and it gave glory to God. In the end…at the Easter vigil…it was so special for him…he wept for his first holy communion. I’m sure there were times were he wondered why…especially when you are baptized Catholic, you are considered Catholic by virtue of your baptism.

 

[vince2paul]

Just know that in the end…you may still have to go through RCIA. Especially if you have had no formal classes. Heck…my husband was baptized Catholic…and married to a Catholic…and had done lots of studying with me…we both were really knowledgable in a lot of areas.

And yet he had to go through all that…in obedience…and it gave glory to God. In the end…at the Easter vigil…it was so special for him…he wept for his first holy communion. I’m sure there were times were he wondered why…especially when you are baptized Catholic, you are considered Catholic by virtue of your baptism.

I believe RCIA also help the candidates/catechumen to have sense of community as Body of Christ. By being part of the RCIA, you might be able to help others by sharing your knowledge with them.

 

[PbloPicasso]

No matter what you do you will ultimately have to go through RCIA, even if you are actually Catholic. It’s one of a few ways of getting the proper catechesis for confirmation. Besides, it is a wonderful journey. I’m glad I went through it as a sponsor for my wife. I learned things I never knew which started me digging really deep into church history.

 

[pablope]

Well, I hope the document is enough. All it has is the date of my baptism by a Reverend so and so. My mom says he was a Catholic Priest. I’m pretty sure she won’t sign any affidavits either, lol.

But let’s say it is and I go to confession. Do I have to confess everything since infancy or since my second baptism as a teen?

:thumbsup:Truly amazing news, TL…from the document, you should be able to trace or tell the parish where you were baptized, and the diocese, if you need some information to confirm. Catholic dioceses and parishes usually keep good records.

Ask the priest regarding your confession. He will be able to guide you.

 

[pablope]

I could have done without that.

Update: It is being discussed further since I have been actively studying Catholicism and that counts for something.

I just feel emotionally drained and resigned.

I’ll abide by whatever is decided.

I think the one on one will get you to confirmation sooner, and yes, your actively studying Catholicism will count for something. I have heard of some catechumens being received earlier because of their already advanced knowledge through their studying. So this will work for you as well.

Well, it is just natural to be emotionally drained. But you should be glad about this tidings…this is from the Lord, thank Him for this discovery.

Hope you get confirmed soon!

 

[TrueLight]

Thanks for the encouragement everyone.

Either way, I will be attending RCIA. I’ve already audited two classes and I’m going to the last class this week, because the instructor is fantastic! So even if I were allowed to start taking communion, I would still join the September RCIA class for confirmation.

 

[Phemie]

It actually does make a difference. **You are not allowed to obtain your baptismall record on your own. ** I, on the other hand, have an original copy. But the real original is still located at the parish I was baptized in San Antonio while my dad was stationed at Lackland Airbase. Your parish is responsible for obtaining your records if you know where they’re located. You can simply send in a request form. You home parish will always be the same parish for the rest of your life. That includes confirmation, marriage. It is the rule and how nations have so many detailed records that go way back into history.

That is not true. Anyone can contact the parish where they were baptized and request a Certificate of Baptism. Any time a parish issues a certificate, it’s an ‘original’ as long as it’s signed and has the Parish Seal on it. The information it contains is copied from the Parish Register of Baptisms, a large book where the information about each baptism is recorded: the name of the baptized, date and place of birth, date of baptism, names of the parents and godparents and the name of the officiant at the baptism. There remains space to record Confirmation, Marriage, Holy Orders or Religious Profession, Decree of Nullity, Adoption, etc.

Parishes also have a Register of Confirmation and a Register of Marriage and may also have one for First Communion & Death although they aren’t required by Canon Law.

You’re right that the parish where you are baptized will become the repository for your sacramental record. If you are confirmed &/or married in another parish, that parish has a responsibility to inform the parish where you were baptized so that the information can be entered into your baptismal record. That’s usually done for marriage but some parishes are unfortunately not as diligent about forwarding information about confirmation, sometimes just because new staff aren’t informed that it has to be done.

 

[Annabelle_Marie]

Thanks for the encouragement everyone.

Either way, I will be attending RCIA. I’ve already audited two classes and I’m going to the last class this week, because the instructor is fantastic! So even if I were allowed to start taking communion, I would still join the September RCIA class for confirmation.

Good for you! I was baptized Catholic,had first communion…then a long absence with no confirmation. I went through the RCIA classes for confirmation because my husband was going. In the end I was glad I went through and got confirmed!

And I was able to provide feedback to help the next class

 

[TrueLight]

Good for you! I was baptized Catholic,had first communion…then a long absence with no confirmation. I went through the RCIA classes for confirmation because my husband was going. In the end I was glad I went through and got confirmed!

And I was able to provide feedback to help the next class

The interesting thing is even though the class is fantastic, I find that I already know a lot by virtue of all the helpful people on the board and also from being a Christian. There are some basics that most Christians know. The parts I find interesting are the doctrines that are exclusively Catholic, like the communion of Saints.

 

[Annabelle_Marie]

The interesting thing is even though the class is fantastic, I find that I already know a lot by virtue of all the helpful people on the board and also from being a Christian. There are some basics that most Christians know. The parts I find interesting are the doctrines that are exclusively Catholic, like the communion of Saints.

The value I received from confirmation was not necessarily the “head knowledge” but it was from the journey…and people I’ve met along the way.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I was baptized Catholic as a baby, but was raised in a Methodist Church. I always knew I’d been baptized in the Catholic church, but since my parents stopped going to a Catholic church when I was a baby I never would have considered myself Catholic. My husband was born and raised Catholic, but he had fallen away when we met, so we were married in the Methodist church I grew up in and had our first two children baptized in the Methodist church.

In the early part of 2010, we decided to come back to the Catholic church and the first thing we had to do was have our marriage convalidated. We met with our priest a couple of times and he agreed to schedule the date for it. My husband went to confession, we had our marriage convalidated, and then he was able to start receiving communion again.

Since I did not receive any real instruction in the Catholic faith as a child I still had to go through RCIA. The classes start in September each year, so I had to wait 9 months for the classes to begin, then go through 8 months of weekly classes leading up to the Easter Vigil. There were three of us in the class who were already Catholic - two had received their First Communion as children and just needed to be Confirmed, and then me. We did not participate in any of the scrutinies or the Rite of Sending, etc, since we were already Catholic, but I did not receive the Eucharist until Easter Vigil. I had my first Confession with the rest of the group a couple of weeks before the Easter Vigil after we had a class on how to go to Confession.

As much as it would have been nice to be able to start receiving Communion right away, in the end I am actually kind of grateful for having to go through the lengthy preparation process. It felt even more meaningful and special since I felt completely prepared and had been waiting for it for so long.

This is not especially relevant, but you, living in NW Ark (I live in SW Mo, a not dissimilar place) might find some meaning in the following.

I once new an ancient hillbilly lady who, with her family and everybody she knew, attended a country fundamentalist church. But she claimed that long ago some in her family had been Catholic. She knew that, but not much more. As a resident of NW Ark, you are undoubtedly aware how isolated some of the natives have been, and for how long. (Some remnant from the Irish Wilderness perhaps? Perhaps more ancient than that, but improbably remembered?) She, therefore, by her own logic, considered herself Catholic of a sort as well, but only of a sort; like being Irish without ever having been to Ireland, but just as real. It didn’t seem inconsistent to her that she attended the country Baptist church exclusively, and that she didn’t know a whole lot about Catholicism (though she did a little). But I was always fascinated by the fact of her self-identification. She wasn’t hostile about it or apologetic or anything. She seemed respectful of it. Whether someone in her family had baptized her or not is something I never learned. But considering her very improbable self-identification, given her circumstance, I had to consider the possibility. She didn’t make the whole thing up about “being Catholic in a way”. Someone had undoubtedly told her.

Now, I know I’m going a bit over the edge here, or at least sidling up to it, but I have been put to wonder just a bit whether there is something about such things that amounts to more than just historical information. Do we (as we are formally taught) have a mark on our souls from (even perhaps) being baptized into the Church? And does that somehow have an influence on our lifetime spiritual paths if our souls are open to it?

I can’t express this very well, I know. Regardless, I salute you on your almost miraclous (or perhaps miraculous) return.

 

[TrueLight]

This is not especially relevant, but you, living in NW Ark (I live in SW Mo, a not dissimilar place) might find some meaning in the following.

I once new an ancient hillbilly lady who, with her family and everybody she knew, attended a country fundamentalist church. But she claimed that long ago some in her family had been Catholic. She knew that, but not much more. As a resident of NW Ark, you are undoubtedly aware how isolated some of the natives have been, and for how long. (Some remnant from the Irish Wilderness perhaps? Perhaps more ancient than that, but improbably remembered?) She, therefore, by her own logic, considered herself Catholic of a sort as well, but only of a sort; like being Irish without ever having been to Ireland, but just as real. It didn’t seem inconsistent to her that she attended the country Baptist church exclusively, and that she didn’t know a whole lot about Catholicism (though she did a little). But I was always fascinated by the fact of her self-identification. She wasn’t hostile about it or apologetic or anything. She seemed respectful of it. Whether someone in her family had baptized her or not is something I never learned. But considering her very improbable self-identification, given her circumstance, I had to consider the possibility. She didn’t make the whole thing up about “being Catholic in a way”. Someone had undoubtedly told her.

Now, I know I’m going a bit over the edge here, or at least sidling up to it, but I have been put to wonder just a bit whether there is something about such things that amounts to more than just historical information. Do we (as we are formally taught) have a mark on our souls from (even perhaps) being baptized into the Church? And does that somehow have an influence on our lifetime spiritual paths if our souls are open to it?

I can’t express this very well, I know. Regardless, I salute you on your almost miraclous (or perhaps miraculous) return.

Thank you for sharing this story.

I do believe we are marked and I do feel that this was all meant to be.

Until recently, I had never even thought about being Catholic. I had no desire whatsoever. To think that I was actually baptized Catholic and had no idea blows my mind.

It makes me wonder if my mom was also baptized Catholic because my great grandmother was Catholic and my grandmother converted to Protestantism at some point. She had my mom at 20. And thus began generations of Protestants in my family.

It never occurred to me that my mom may had been baptized. It probably would have meant nothing to me the same way my baptism meant nothing to my mom because “real” baptisms occur when one is old enough to make that decision.

That’s what I used to believe and that’s what my mom still believes.

I’m sure my mom won’t want to talk about it if she knows lol.

 

[guanophore]

Yesterday, I was at my mom’s and I saw an old document that said I was baptized Catholic as a baby. I was shocked.

I asked my mom, why she never told me I was baptized. There is only one Baptism and I got baptized again as a Baptist teen.

She shrugged it off and said your father had you baptized. She said it as if it didn’t matter or make sense (she is Baptist). My parents divorced when I was 9 ad my father died when I was 19.

I hadn’t even known my father was Catholic. He certainly was non-practicing and never went to Mass. I did find out after he died he had been a mason.

Looks like I’ve come full circle.

It is a consummate mystery how the graces imparted at baptism bring us full circle. Now that you have your certificate, you can make a copy for your parish.

 

[TrueLight]

It is a consummate mystery how the graces imparted at baptism bring us full circle. Now that you have your certificate, you can make a copy for your parish.

It’s not a baptismal certificate unfortunately.

The “document” is my birth certificate. I was born in the Caribbean, but came to the U.S. at three years of age. I had never seen my birth certificate because I had always had my citizenship papers and passport. I thought it had been lost.

The birth certificate lists my birth date as well as the date of my baptism, which was four months later. My mother said my father, who was a non-practicing Catholic, still had me baptized, because for some reason even non-practicing Catholics baptize their kids. Her words.

The chances of my getting a copy of the baptismal certificate is almost nil.

 

[Debbie58]

If you know the name of the Island you were born on…most are very small…so you can make inquiries of the few Catholic churches on each island. As an example …there are 23 churches in Jamaica. May take a little work…but may be worth it.

 

[TrueLight]

If you know the name of the Island you were born on…most are very small…so you can make inquiries of the few Catholic churches on each island. As an example …there are 23 churches in Jamaica. May take a little work…but may be worth it.

I’m going to try. Keep me in your prayers.

 

[guanophore]

This never even occurred to me. I might be able to go to confession AND receive communion. The thought is too wonderful to entertain. I don’t want to be disappointed.

Yes. Bring your documentation to the parish, and ask the priest to help you with the sacrament of reconciliation. Read up online so you can educate yourself about the examination of conscience and the procedure. RCIA will still be good for you, and you can look forward to confirmation next.

 

[TrueLight]

Yes. Bring your documentation to the parish, and ask the priest to help you with the sacrament of reconciliation. Read up online so you can educate yourself about the examination of conscience and the procedure. RCIA will still be good for you, and you can look forward to confirmation next.

LOL Guanophore, I think you should read the whole thread. There have been some updates.

 

[guanophore]

LOL Guanophore, I think you should read the whole thread. There have been some updates.

Yeah, I just now figured that out! Sorry.

 

[Like]

Aloha TrueLight,

Would you mom know what island that would be? Or if she doesn’t want to talk about it, does the birth certificate have a hospital name or island name?

Congratulations on finding this! God bless!