Whether you are coming from a different faith tradition or no religion at all, Jesus Christ and the entire Catholic Church are eager to welcome you home. 

Even if you are still deciding whether you want to become Catholic, you are welcome to begin the process and make your decision along the way. 

The First Steps

1 - Start Praying!

You can start deepening your relationship with God right now, even before you officially become Catholic. The more you spend time with Jesus, the more you will understand His will for you and learn to grow in love--which is what being Catholic is all about!

2 - Get in Contact with your local Church for OCIA

In order to officially begin the process of becoming Catholic, you need to start "OCIA," which stands for "Order of Christian Initiation of Adults." OCIA is the term for the gradual process of learning, prayer, and liturgy which will welcome you into our Communion of Faith. 

OCIA is conducted locally by parishes and some college campus ministries. If you don't know what the closest Parish to where you live is, use our Parish Finder. If you are a college student, contact your Campus Minister. 

Do you have a friend or family member who is Catholic? Tell them about your interest, and ask them to help you get started with OCIA. It might make sense to contact your friend/family's parish. 

Once you've found a parish, send an email to a Parish Staff member and express your interest in learning more about becoming Catholic. They will know who to connect you with and how to get you started.

Need more help?

Contact Executive Director of Evangelization and Formation, Maggie Riggins: mriggins@allentowndiocese.org.