Hi, Steven —

Congratulations and welcome home brother!!

You will receive your First Holy Communion, the day you are received into the Church. The next step is for you to join an  RCIA  program. You will have to undergo a period of study and discernment. While Baptists and Catholics share a great deal, there are significant differences. When you enter the Church you'll be asked if you accept Her Teachings, so in order to give an honest answer, you'll have to have an idea of what She teaches.

I know it may seem difficult to wait, but for Catholics, Communion is an act which implies full unity. It is comparable, on the spiritual level, to the conjugal act which can rightly only take place between husband and wife. For now, you are only engaged. On the day you are received into the Church, you will receive:

• the Sacrament of Confirmation, and
• your First Holy Communion
  (I'm assuming you've already received Trinitarian Baptism as a Baptist)

Again, welcome home.

Please let us know if we can be of further assistance.

John DiMascio

Hi, Steven —

There is a program called  RCIA,  which stand for Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults.
Like my colleague John said in another previous posting:

RCIA done properly is not just for doctrinal instruction; rather it should foster a sense of Catholic Community.

For that reason, it is usually a nine month preparatory program which starts by talking to a priest or pastor so you:

• will know what we believe as Catholics
• discern whether you want to embrace the faith, and
• can find your place or calling to serve within the Church

Sometimes this period can be shortened.

You will be able to participate in Holy Communion once your have finished RCIA and been baptized.

I know this can seem like a long time to wait but it will be worth it. What others, in your shoe's, have testified to is: they develop a longing for the Eucharist.

I used to run a free program that sent Catechisms to seeking Protestants and non-Christians but no longer have the financial or operational means to do this anymore. Nevertheless, if you wish to go deeper, consider buying a cheap copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church to learn everything we believe as Catholics.

It would give you a good prep to any RCIA classes you enter!

. . . and Welcome to the Family!

Mike

Hi guys,

It should be noted that since Steven is a baptized Christian, he does not strictly have to go through the RCIA program, which is intended for unbaptized people without exposure to Christianity.

He can instead be instructed one-on-one with a priest or in a different program with other candidates.

— baptized people seeking entrance into the Church are called candidates.
— unbaptized people are called catechumens.

It just so happens that many parishes put Christians through RCIA because it is convenient.

Eric

Hi, Eric —

Thanks for the correction.

As you can see Steve, having a support group of faithful Catholics can be a blessing because we can share off each others weaknesses . . . and I have a lot of weaknesses : ) LOL

Mike

Canonically speaking, Eric is indeed correct.

However, RCIA is the most common vehicle and most parishes use it to prepare baptized Catholics who have not been confirmed.

The program doesn't always run nine months and, for a non-Christian, it can run longer.

As the RCIA coordinator for my parish, I can tell you that RCIA is only part of the process.

As a Baptist, it's pretty much, you, your Bible, and Jesus; and while that is beautiful, it's incomplete.

In Catholicism, we understand Christianity is not just a personal relationship with Jesus, but a relationship with His entire Body, the Church. Therefore, RCIA can only provide a certain kind of formation. For your formation to be complete, you should immerse yourself in parish life.

Find an orthodox parish that has a Bible study and men's prayer group.

Learn to be a part of the Communion of Saints.

John