To prepare for the celebration of Baptism for your child (under age 6) please contact the Pastor.
Children older than 6 who need Baptism are eligible for RCIA and the joint celebration of Baptism, Confirmation, and First Communion. Contact the Pastor for more information.

First Reconciliation (Confession) takes place in Advent for children in Grade 2. Contact Tom Voglewede for more information.
First Communion takes place on a Sunday in the Easter Season for children in Grade 2. Contact Tom Voglewede for more information.

Confirmation takes place according to the schedule set by the Christian Formation Office of the Richmond Diocese for young people in Grade 10. Preparation takes place 3-4 months prior. Contact Tom Voglewede for more information.
To prepare for Confirmation for young people past Grade 10, please contact the Pastor.

I was raised in a non-Christian faith (Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, etc.) or I grew up in a Christian household but have never received baptism. Now I desire to become Catholic.

A Catholic / Roman Catholic is a baptized Christian

• who professes faith in the Blessed Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) as revealed in sacred scripture,
• recognizes Jesus Christ as Son of God, who by his passion, death, and resurrection brought about our reconciliation with God through the forgiveness of our sins,
• is nourished and nurtured by the Holy Spirit through the grace of the sacraments,
• under the care of legitimate pastors in Apostolic Succession in union with the Bishop of Rome.

The path to baptism involves a process of discernment with the assistance of the Christian Initiation Team (OCIA--Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) made up of baptized Catholics who assist the pastor  and his delegate (Patti Smith, OCIA Director) in forming the Seeker in the faith and tradition of the Catholic Church. Baptism for adults is typically celebrated at the Easter Vigil after at least a full calendar year of formation in the faith. Each step of the process is carefully reviewed by the Pastor with the recommendation of the Christian Initiation Team, and celebrated with the church community.

The person who baptized me may have been a minister or not, who either poured water on my head or immersed my entire body in a pool, and used the words "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." I also practiced the Christian faith for a number of years as a member of another church community. And now I desire to be Catholic.

As a baptized Christian, you are already a member of the Body of Christ. Although you do not yet share full communion with the Catholic Church, your baptismal dignity gives you certain rights in the assembly of the baptized. If you join us for Mass, you have a place with us as we listen to the Word of God proclaimed and preached. You may also take a place among us during the Liturgy of the Eucharist, but should not approach the Table to receive Communion until you are formally received into full communion with us.

FULL COMMUNION is a term that expresses our sharing in three significant aspects of life as Catholic Christians.

The first significant aspect is our profession of the same Christian faith, enshrined in the Apostle's Creed or the Nicene Creed, which we proclaim publicly at Sunday Mass. Many Christian communities profess one or other of these creeds regularly.

The second significant aspect is our recognition of the same sacraments. A majority of Christian churches recognize the validity of each other's baptism, as long as it is done using water and the words of the Trinitarian formula are spoken. For this reason, baptism is never repeated. Other sacraments recognized by the Catholic Church (Holy Eucharist and Marriage) may not be considered as sacraments by those of other churches. Currently, Roman Catholics are in full communion with 23 Eastern Rite Churches (Uniate) and recognize each other's sacraments. At the moment however, we do not share full communion with churches of the Protestant Reformation. But significant dialogues are taking place between the Catholic Church and these Christian communities that hopefully will lead to mutual recognition.

The third significant aspect is our recognition of the same legitimate pastors. The Roman Catholic Church was founded by Our Lord Jesus Christ himself on the rock of the faith of Simon Peter the apostle. And we regard as most vital our unbroken connection to Peter and the current Bishop of Rome through the succession of legitimate pastors (Apostolic Succession) on account of which we share communion with one another. The Reformation in the 1600s caused a rupture in the legitimacy of pastors and ministers of churches that broke communion with the Bishop of Rome, and called into question the validity of their ordination and the sacraments they celebrate. At the present time, several dialogues are occurring between individual churches and groups of churches, as we work toward greater understanding of the things that unite us.

Baptized Catholics in the Diocese of Richmond are invited to receive Confirmation in Grade 10 following the sacramental preparation program directed by the Office of Christian Formation in Richmond.
Catholics past Grade 10 may prepare to celebrate Confirmation under the direction of the Pastor who also administers the sacrament upon completion of preparation. Contact the Pastor for more information.