Mary Immaculate Church, Waverley

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Mary Immaculate Church

St Charles Borromeo Parish, Waverley

Becoming Catholic

Becoming Catholic

Rite of Christian Initiation

For youth or adults interested in becoming Catholic, the Church has a Rite of Christian Initiation (RCIA). The Rite leads a candidate through the process of learning about the Catholic faith and preparing to receive the Sacraments of the Church. This preparation to become a Catholic can be carried out with a priest privately or with a group.

A different approach is needed preparing adults for Baptism and Confirmation compared to the preparation of children with which we are more familiar.

If you are an adult interested in joining the Catholic faith please contact our Parish Office on 02 9369 9399. Alternatively, please contact:

The Catechumenate Office
Catechumenate Website (rcia.org.au),
Level 11, Polding Centre, 133 Liverpool Street, Sydney, NSW 2000

The Sacramental Life

The Catholic Church has named and formally recognised seven sacraments as the powerful ways God reaches out to connect with his people here and now.

The Sacramental Life is an essential part of the Catholic faith. There are seven Sacraments some of which are received only once and others that are received over and over. Each of the seven sacraments of the Church emphasises a different dimension of our relationship with our loving God.
The Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist) highlight our relationship with each person of the Trinity:

    • In Baptism we become a child of God the Father as we are reborn spiritually. We use the symbol of water to signify this rebirth (recalling the waters of our natural birth). Many of the prayers of baptism express belonging, being part of the family of God, and being an heir in God’s kingdom, just like a real son or daughter.

    • In Confirmation, we recommit to our baptismal vows (made on our behalf by our parents and godparents) and we receive the permanent gift (“seal”) of the Holy Spirit. We are empowered as adult members of the Church to live the Christian life with conviction.

    • At our first Communion we unite with Jesus. When we eat his body and drink his blood, we become one flesh with him. That’s why it’s called ‘communion’; we become one body and one spirit with Jesus.

The Sacraments of Healing (Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick) highlight the merciful nature of God, while the Vocational (or Mission) Sacraments (Matrimony, Holy Orders) illuminate our call to intimacy with Him and to share his love with others.