Introduction

I would like to introduce myself. My name is Becca and I am currently in the process of becoming a Catholic. I am in the RCIA class of my fiance's parish (RCIA meaning Rite of Catholic Initiation for Adults) and he is my sponsor (a Catholic who helps you and supports you along your journey). I love this parish and I love going to Mass and being with this community. Today I went through my first Rite, the Rite of Welcome, where you stand in front of the parish and state that you want to become a Catholic, basically. It is a very special ritual and rite of passage for everyone involved. It was very deeply spiritual to me when my fiance and sponsor, Greg, made the sign of the cross on my forehead to bless me. I felt very close to him and extremely close to Christ.

There are two groups who are going through RCIA, catechumens, who have not been baptized, and candidates, who have been baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and who will not go through the Sacrament of Baptism again, but only take the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Confirmation, and Communion or Eucharist. I am a Candidate because I was already baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and the church recognizes my baptism.

I have learned so much from attending Mass, talking with Greg and his family and other Catholics, attending class, reading, and through prayer. I know that for me this is the right path. It is true and right to me. I am closer to God and my faith than I have ever been. I understand my faith more and I feel more blessed everyday as I grow closer to God. As a protestant I was skeptical about Catholicism and everything it stood for. However, the more I learn about their beliefs, the more I realize that this has been my faith all along and this is the community in which I belong. I have not found one thing that is contradictory to my beliefs. Protestants, I have found, have many misconceptions about the Church and its teachings. I know I did.

For me this is a most exquisite and exciting journey. I feel uplifted, blessed, and I truly feel like a child of God. I feel in the presence of God when I pray, when I am before the Eucharist, especially when it is being consecrated (I believe that's the correct terminology- when you pray over it Friday night-Saturday morning), and I feel in his presence in everything I do. I understand why Catholics hold Mary in such high regard (it's not worship, it's honor and respect), why they listen to the Pope, why Catholics do all kinds of things I never understood before. It is an eye-opening experience and I am so excited and genuinely glad to have discovered what I have longed for- a community of believers who believe exactly as I do, a church that is universal in its teachings and does not make callous decisions, a truely passionate devotion to Christ and a feeling that he is as close as my spouse (Bride and Bridegroom) and that he is my one true Father. I love being his child and I always have. Now, I know I am closer to him as I learn more about his teachings and his life and what God has done throughout the history of Christianity and throughout the world. Nothing can be proved false. And not only that, I know He lives because I have his Spirit within me.

This is a journal of my journey to become Catholic and my journey as a believer.