Becoming Catholic
The Catholic Church warmly extends an invitation to anyone, old and young, who would like to become a part of Jesus’ Church. We believe that Jesus founded a method to draw close to Him in every time and era, and that is through participation a visible unity of Faith, Sacrament, and Charity found in the Catholic Church. Current estimates say that there are 1.2 billion Catholics in the world! We hope that this says something about the life and vitality of the Catholic way of living as we strive to be good disciples of Jesus and servants of the Gospel.
But becoming Catholic is not just about joining something large and world-wide… it is also personal and intimate. To become Catholic means that you are choosing to live your life as an active disciple of Jesus in the way that Jesus gave us to draw close to Him and Him to us. The Catholic Church has a rich and deep way of life spanning 2,000 years of prayer, witness, and charity. To become Catholic means to commit yourself to love God and your neighbor in concrete and specific ways.
There is a process to becoming Catholic that includes preparation, prayer, and learning to live within your local Catholic parish. The process in the Church is known as the Order of Christian Initiation (OCIA). At Sacred Heart Parish, this means we have a time of learning, praying, and participation.
So what should you do?
Come to Mass
The Mass is where we participate in Christ’s loving offering to His Heavenly Father. Although you can’t receive Holy Communion (yet!), you can come and pray with the parish!
Contact Fr. Lou
Say hi to Fr. Lou and others before and after Mass. Fr. Lou will help you see what we need to do for you on your journey to communion with Jesus Christ in the Church.
Attend classes
We meet on a regular basis to cover parts of the Catholic Faith. Classes are normally on Sundays mid-day
Pray — daily
Learn about prayer here: Bishop Barron on Prayer.
RECEIVE THE SACRAMENTS
The Sacraments are God’s way of saying “I love you.” When you are prepared, you will receive these Sacraments — very often on the Vigil of Easter with others.
If you have any questions about this process or if you would like to join Christ please contact Fr. Lou at frlou@sacredheartenumclaw.org
