The totality of Catholic belief is summed up in the Nicene Creed:

I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.

Amen.

Being a Catholic means a lifelong pursuit of Christ through building a holy life:

• prayer;
• celebration of the Sacraments;
• living out the Beatitudes;
• and helping to build Christ’s Church.

"Christ instituted the sacraments of the new law. There are seven: Baptism, Confirmation (or Chrismation), the Eucharist, Penance, the Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders and Matrimony. The seven sacraments touch all the stages and all the important moments of Christian life: they give birth and increase, healing and mission to the Christian’s life of faith. There is thus a certain resemblance between the stages of natural life and the stages of the spiritual life."

–Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1210

Starting the journey to becoming Catholic begins with a conversation with our Pastoral Associate of Evangelization & Catechesis, Joey Gutierrez. Please contact him at (830) 379-1796 or at jgutierrez@saintjamescc.org.

Becoming Catholic is a process which initiates you into a lifelong pursuit of conversion. Following Christ isn’t just a one-and-done deal; we are still human after receiving the Sacraments, and God has made his infinite grace available to us time and time again through the celebration and reception of the Sacraments, especially during those times when we fall or falter.

If you are not baptized, you begin this process as a catechumen (someone who has not celebrated Baptism) who will celebrate Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist. If you are baptized in another Christian tradition, you are a candidate who will celebrate Confirmation and the Eucharist.

After determining you would like to move forward, you would then participate in a nine- to eleven-month journey in RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults). This is a process for those who have reached the age of reason (about seven years of age) and older who have yet to receive the Sacraments in the Catholic Church.

Children who have reached the age of reason but are not yet adults participate in RCIA-C (Rite of Christian Initiation Adapted for Children).

Journeying to the Church through RCIA involves weekly classes on important and essential Church teachings, plus weekly Mass attendance with dismissal prior to the Liturgy of the Eucharist so you may further study the Word.

You won’t be alone in this process, however: you will choose a sponsor (godparent) who will walk with you on this journey and will serve as a guide to you when you have questions or doubts.

Throughout the RCIA journey you will also celebrate different rites, marking your maturation in the faith before, finally, you celebrate the Sacraments and are receiving as a Catholic into the Church!

Absolutely! You can contact Joey Gutierrez, Pastoral Associate of Evangelization of Catechesis & Evangelization at (830) 379-1796 or jgutierrez@saintjamescc.org.

RCIA is for you, too! You can contact Joey Gutierrez, Pastoral Associate of Evangelization of Catechesis & Evangelization at (830) 379-1796 or jgutierrez@saintjamescc.org so we can help you become a fully initiated Catholic.