The Process
The essential element in your faith journey is you. Come with an open heart and open mind. Be open to sharing your thoughts and beliefs. Be open to listening to new understandings. Open yourself to God's invitation to change and grow. The more you engage the more you will be enriched. At the beginning the primary goal is not to find the right answers but to raise the right questions.
Paths
Every person's journey to faith is different. There are two main paths in becoming Catholic. There are those who have been initiated as infants and those who join the Church as adults. Officially the "ordinary" way is to be initiated is as an adult however more commonly people join the Catholic Church by being baptised as an infant. For those seeking to join the Catholic Church once they are already adults we need to determine if they have been baptised validly. If the person has been baptised then they are already a member of the Church and just need to be fully initiated. Those who have never been baptized need to go through the entire initiation process. Each person's path is differnt, just as we all have differnt starting places. Therefore the length and course of the process is different depending on the particular situation.
The Unbaptised
Precatecumenate
Rite of Acceptance entry into the Order of the Catechumens
Catechumenate
Rite of Election at the Cathedral
Period of Purification
Easter Vigil
Mystagogia
Feast of Corpus Christi at the Cathedral
The Baptised
Inquiry
Rite of Welcoming
Formation for full Communion
Rite of Calling Candidates to Continuing Conversion
Lenten Retreat
Rite of Reception
What is the First Step?
The first step is to recognize that God is already active in your life. You are always welcome to come to the next scheduled Inquiry Dinner, the date of which is listed on the Home Page. These are normally on the third Thursday of each month at 7pm and last about an hour and a half. You may also want to contact the faith formation office and set up a meeting with Lisa Brown, the Director of Religious Education by calling 248-391-4074.
Baptism Certificates
The Catholic Church places great value on the Sacrament of Baptism. The Church recognizes the validity of baptisms by most christian denominations. If you have been baptized then you are already a member of the Church and would then be seeking full union with the Catholic Church. If you have been baptized it is very important to obtain and provide to us a copy of your baptismal certificate. If you come from a tradition that does not provide baptismal certificates please let us know and we will work with you to find the best way to proceed. We require a copy of ones baptismal certificate prior to the Rite of Welcoming.
Marriage Issues
People always have questions about the Church's teaching about marriage, divorce and annulments. If you have questions just bring them up with the team or contact us privately with your concerns. In some situations annulments may be necessary but that is a determination that to be made after meeting with the Team and then the Pastor. You can begin the process of inquiring without having made any final decisions. That is the point of inquiry it is a time to figure out what we want to do and how. If an annulment is the route decided, do not worry, we have a very skilled and pastoral team member to help you with the process.
Children
In church law an infant is any child under the age of seven. Seven years old has long been a turning point in the life of a child. Traditionally, seven years old is when a child is seen to have attained the age of reason. Prior to age seven a child is to be baptized like any other infant with little or no formation because it is presumed that the family will then raise the child Catholic and the child will receive education and formation afterwards. However, after the age of seven the child is treated as an adult by church law. Therefore, the child will need to have formation prior to their initiation. If you have a child over age seven who needs to be baptized please contact the parish office to for special arrangements to be made with Lisa Brown.