Catholics/converting to catholicism

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Expert: - 5/4/2007


Question
Hello,
I am marrying a man next April 2008 who would like me to convert to catholicism. How do I go about starting this process and how long is the process? Also, what all is involved? Thanks for your help.
Sincerely,
Mary


Answer
Hi... I'm asked this question a lot. You can probably find more than one answer if you search through my already answered questions list.

Basically you'd start by contacting a priest at the parish you wish to join. This is done by first making an appointment with his secretary at the parish.

The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) usually begins in September and finishes up at Easter.

It often entails weekly meetings, usually at night, where you learn the core aspects of the Catholic faith.

There's no "test", written or oral. But you may follow a small book called a catechism. A catechism is just a synopsis of what Catholics believe. Catechisms can be long or brief. Chances are you'll start with a fairly brief one.

For precise details as to baptism and confirmation, see these links:

http://www.ecatholic2000.com/rcia/rcia.shtml

http://www.cin.org/users/james/files/how2.htm

http://www.catholicdoors.com/courses/rcia.htm

I hope this helps.

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Michael Clark, Ph.D.

Expertise

I'm a progressive Catholic--not a liberal, conservative nor a single-minded critic of Catholicism. I simply believe that adults in the 21C should use the mind God gave them and not just repeat ancient and medieval modes of thinking.

I can probably help with questions that intelligently and respectfully question those aspects of Catholicism that are not infallible. But if you're looking for someone to vigorously defend or perhaps refute Catholicism as a whole, that's not me. So please ask another expert.

Experience

I run an educational website earthpages.org and know what the web has to offer. I might suggest hyperlinks and/or book titles as I have a Ph.D. in Religious Studies and a considerable personal library.

Publications
Print Media:
My table from "Religions and Cults" at earthpages.org is reproduced with permission in L. Lindsey, S. Beach and B. Ravelli, Core Concepts in Sociology, 2nd ed., p. 157

World Wide Web:
My online article "Letter to God" coauthored with Buddhist monk, E. Raymond Rock, appears on several different spirituality-based websites, including http://tinyurl.com/db7a5o

I've interviewed, as a Christian, a self-proclaimed mystic: http://tinyurl.com/cawykr

My articles appeared at the former New View magazine nuvunow.ca and are published at earthpages.org.

Education/Credentials
Ph.D. in Religious Studies
M.A. in Comparative Religion
B.A. Hon. in Psychology/Sociology
For more info, please see my CV and letters of recommendation and my blog at michaelwclark.com.

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