Becoming Catholic

Do you have questions about the Catholic faith and are new to the Catholic faith?
Are you a Christian who wants to learn more about Catholicism?
Has God been calling you to consider the Catholic Christian faith?
Are you an adult Catholic who has never received First Holy Communion?
If you have answered yes to any of these questions... please JOIN US!

Contact our DRE Coordinator and we will be happy to meet with you at 830-833-0444

Please note that you need not have decided to become Catholic to begin your initial inquiry and OCIA Classes.

A person is brought into full communion with the Catholic Church through reception of three sacraments of Christian initiation - Baptism, Confirmation , and the Eucharist - but the process by which one becomes Catholic can take different forms.

A person who is baptized in the Catholic Church becomes a Catholic at that moment. One's initiation is deepened by confirmation and the Eucharist, but one becomes a Catholic at baptism. This is true for children who are baptized Catholic (and receive the other two sacraments later) and for adults who are baptized, confirmed, and receive the Eucharist at the same time.

Those who have been validly baptized outside the Church become Catholic by making a profession of the Catholic faith and being formally received into the Church. This is normally followed immediately by the sacrament of confirmation and the Eucharist.

Before a person is ready to be received into the Church, whether by baptism or by profession of faith, preparation is necessary. The amount and form of this preparation depends on the individual's circumstance. The most basic division in the kind of preparation needed is between those who are unbaptized and those who have already become Christian through baptism in another Church.

For adults and children who have reached the age of reason (age seven), entrance into the Church is governed by the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA).

The Order of Christian Initiation is based on the principle that the process of conversion proceeds gradually, in stages. Progress from one stage to the next is marked by a liturgical celebration in the midst of the parish community. The experience and needs of each individual differs, and so the length of time may vary for each person, yet there are certain similarities in the process everyone will experience.

Each year, Catholic parishes throughout the world offer individuals who wish to learn about the Catholic faith an opportunity to get acquainted with Catholic beliefs and practices through Inquiry Sessions during the Pre-Catechumenate. Attending the Inquiry Sessions of the Pre-Catechumenate is a requirement for persons desiring to receive the sacraments of initiation in the Catholic Church. This year these (English) sessions at St. Ferdinand, will take place on Thursday at 7:00pm – 9:00pm starting in August.

After the Inquiry Sessions, individuals who desire to become full members of the Catholic Church continue learning and preparing prayerfully to receive the sacraments of Baptism, (if the adult is not already a baptized Christian), Holy Eucharist, and Confirmation during the Catechumenate. These Catechumenate sessions will continue through the Spring.

For additional information, please call or come by the Parish Office or email our DRE Coordinator DRE Coordinator or call 830-833-0444 before August of of this year. For children seven years and older who have not yet been baptized, please contact the DRE Coordinator about OCIA Adapted for Children. Most importantly, please join us in praying for those who are seeking Christ, that they may have the grace to find Him in our faith community.

Already baptized a Catholic and interested in receiving all of the Sacraments of Initiation?

Adult Eucharist and/or Confirmation

For persons w

ho are already baptized Catholic, have received the sacrament of Eucharist (Communion), and wish to receive the sacrament of Confirmation, classes are offered in the fall of each year. For additional information, please email the DRE Coordinator, call 830-833-0444 or come by the church office in September.

Are you Catholic and need to get reacquainted with Catholic beliefs and practices?

Observing or being an OCIA Sponsor is an excellent way to re-educate yourself in the Catholic Faith. You can attend all of the classes in the early fall of the current year and complete the classes after Pentecost of the following year. In doing so you will get a renewed understanding of what it means to be a disciple of Christ and the ways one must live as christian witness in the world.

For additional information, please email the DRE Coordinator call or come by the church office before August of this year. Most importantly, please join us in praying for those who are seeking Christ, that they may have the grace to find Him in our faith community.