As a reminder, there is absolutely no pressure for you on your journey. Through praying and the Holy Spirit prompting and moving your heart, you will move at a pace that works for you on this journey.

Through a period of discernment, formation (learning about the Catholic Church), conversations, and most importantly, when you are ready, you will enter into full communion with the Catholic Church by receiving the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation) on an Easter Vigil.

Below is an attachment that lays out everything that we need from you and your sponsor before you can receive the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation) and enter into full communion with the Catholic Church.

As a reminder, there is absolutely no pressure for you on your journey. Through praying and the Holy Spirit prompting and moving your heart, you will move at a pace that works for you on this journey.

Through a period of discernment, formation (learning about the Catholic Church), conversations, and most importantly, when you are ready, you will enter into full communion with the Catholic Church by receiving your First Holy Communion and Confirmation at a mass.

Below is an attachment that lays out everything that we need from you and your sponsor before you can receive your First Holy Communion and Confirmation and enter into full communion with the Catholic Church.

As a reminder, there is absolutely no pressure for you on your journey. Through praying and the Holy Spirit prompting and moving your heart, you will move at a pace that works for you on this journey.

Through a period of discernment, formation (learning about the Catholic Church), conversations, and most importantly, when you are ready, you will enter into full communion with the Catholic Church by receiving your First Holy Communion and/or Confirmation at a specified time at the Cathedral.

Below is an attachment that lays out everything that we need from you and your sponsor before you can receive your remaining Sacraments of Initiation (First Holy Communion and/or Confirmation) and enter into full communion with the Catholic Church.

The stickers indicate what track (and/or period of formation) you are currently in.

No sticker: You are an Inquirer

Blue sticker: You are a Catechumen

Blue and Silver sticker: You are an Elect (meaning you are coming into the Catholic Church this Easter)

Yellow sticker: You are a Christian Candidate

Red sticker: You are a Catholic Candidate

Do no worry!

Our curriculum is developed in such a way that if you miss a class, you can still follow along in the comfort of your own home. When you attend an Inquiry Session, you are handed a folder that includes what we will discuss that day in class. You can follow along in your books. After class, Kira sends a summary of what we talked about, as well as any additional resources that may have been referenced during class.

Discernment is a process of discerning God's will for your life, often in the context of vocations (religious or married life) or major life decisions. It involves a careful reflection, prayer, and seeking guidance from others to determine the path that best aligns with God's plan.

Below is a wonderful video with Fr. Mike Schmitz with 4 helpful rules to help you discern.

A sponsor is a confirmed, active member of the Catholic Church who is willing to be a friend and guide, and to participate in the OCIA with you. If you don’t know of anyone to ask, we will be happy to introduce you to someone.

Sponsors can actively participate in our meetings and celebration of the Sacraments. They converse regularly with you in an ongoing process of faith development. Their promise is to be good listeners and to help participants to know where God is leading you. A sponsor prays daily for you and asks God to bless, direct and guide you.

The primary responsibility of the sponsor is to provide the candidate prayerful support and guidance in their journey and to “take care that the confirmed person behaves as a true witness of Christ and faithfully fulfills the obligations inherent in this sacrament” (code of canon law #892).

Being a sponsor is a lifelong commitment. A sponsor takes on the role of a spiritual parent who “brings the candidate to receive the sacrament, presents him to the minister for the anointing, and will later help him to fulfill his baptismal promises faithfully under the influence of the Holy Spirit."

Yes. It is not reserved for Catholics and is a powerful prayer of protection and enlightenment. By saying “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen” – you are combining an act of faith in Christ’s cross and passion with the profession of faith in the Holy Trinity. The sign of the cross on oneself is itself a prayer.

Baptism serves as the first sacrament one receives when entering the Catholic Faith. It is a sacrament of initiation (which you can only receive one time), meaning once you received it, you officially enter into the body of Christ, the Catholic Church. The recipient receives justifying and sanctifying grace when baptized, and the Holy Spirit begins to dwell within them.

Form and Matter

Every sacrament requires two things, form and matter. The form of the sacrament is the words that are spoken and the matter is the physical substance used during the sacrament.

For example, for baptism, the form is the baptismal formula, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” The matter is the water poured over the head of the recipient. Traditionally, the one being baptized has water poured over them or is fully emerged in water three times. Additionally, the ceremony includes vows rejecting Satan, vows of the godparents, and the material symbols of the white gown and baptismal candle. These additional aspects are important, but not required for all baptisms, namely those in emergency situations (scroll down to learn more about emergency baptism).

Valid and Licit

Like any sacrament, baptisms must be both valid and licit to serve the individual as God intended. If a baptism is valid, then it is recognized as having been done using the correct form, matter, and structure that is needed for the sacrament. If a baptism is licit, meaning it’s legal, it is recognized as having been done in line with Canon Law.

It is impossible for a baptism to be invalid and licit, because all invalid baptisms are also illicit. However, a baptism can be valid and illicit. An example of this would be if a lay person baptized someone using the baptismal formula and pouring water over their head, but doing so without being in an emergency situation that requires such action. Another more specific example would be if the parents of the child being baptized said during the ceremony that they will raise the child in the Faith, but are lying and don’t actually intend to do so. It is very important for baptisms to be both valid and licit, making the form, matter, structure (baptismal promises, vows of the godparents, baptismal candle, etc.) and meaning (the “why” behind it all) of the sacrament of great significance.

St. Paul describes baptism as the “first installment of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s possession, to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:14). According to aboutcatholic.combaptism does five things:

1. It forgives all sins that were committed before baptism including original, mortal, and venial sin.
2. It makes the baptized a new creature.
3. It turns the baptized into a newly adopted son or daughter of God and a member of the Church.
4. It brings them to share in the royal priesthood of Christ. (1 Peter 2:9)
5. It leaves a spiritual mark (or character) of belonging to Christ on the soul of the baptized.

It serves as the foundation of communion within the Church, and the initiation into Christ’s Body the Church. With this initiation comes a sort of seal, St. Augustine calls it a “character.” This character, which is the fifth thing that baptism does in the list above, is “like a brand imprinted on a soldier that cannot be removed.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church speaks upon this character as well, saying:

“No sin can erase this mark, even if sin prevents baptism from bearing the fruits of salvation … The baptismal seal enables and commits Christians to serve God by a vital participation in the holy liturgy of the Church and to exercise their baptismal priesthood by the witness of holy lives and practical charity” (CCC, 1272 and 1273).

Baptism orients the soul not only to worship God and serve him with their lives, but also to take part in his kingly, prophetic, and priestly offices.

It is the bread and wine that has become the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus in the mass.

It is the gold box in the adoration chapel behind the altar. It is a liturgical furnishing that houses the Eucharist outside of mass. Bread that was consecrated during previous masses and was not consumed are put in the tabernacle where they reside until they are removed by a priest or deacon for use at the next mass. Every Catholic Church has a tabernacle identified by a lighted red candle.

It also helps prevent the profanation of the Eucharist. Thus the law requires, “The tabernacle in which the Eucharist is regularly reserved is to be immovable, made of solid or opaque material, and locked so that the danger of profanation may be entirely avoided” (Code of Canon Law # 938 §3).

The word tabernacle means “dwelling place.” Any place someone dwells is a tabernacle. The term is also sometimes used for a temporary dwelling place. Thus the tent-like sanctuary that the Jews used before the Temple was built was called the Tabernacle, because God dwelt there. Similarly, for the feast of Sukkot the Hebrews erected temporary shelters to live in for the festival, which is often called “the feast of tabernacles” or “the feast of booths” as a result.

The tabernacle in Church is so named because it is a place where Christ dwells in the Eucharist.

Mass is the central act of worship in the life of a Catholic. Going to Mass is about spending time with God, but also receiving his graces (inner strength to live the Christian life). The name 'Mass' comes from the final blessing said by the priest in Latin ‘Ite missa es’ meaning “to send out” as Jesus Christ sent his disciples out to the world to take his teaching to them.

The Mass has four basic parts or ‘rites’. The beginning is called the Introductory Rite. The second part of Mass is called the Liturgy of the Word. The third part of the Mass is called the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The final part of Mass, is quite short, and is called the Concluding Rite.

Back in the day, the Jewish people would have their days start at sundown and would last until sunset. With this understanding, we have Vigil Masses (for various feast days, and our Sunday Masses).

The term “vigil” derives from the Latin vigilia which means, “a night to watch,” generally the fourth part of the night from sunset to sunrise. In the Christian Church, it is a religious service held during the night leading to a feast day. This practice dates back to early Christianity when the faithful would wake up in the middle of the night to pray.

Today, a few solemnities have their own Vigil Mass which is usually celebrated on the evening before the feast day. These solemnities are: Easter Sunday, the Ascension of the Lord, Pentecost, the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, St. Peter & St. Paul, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Nativity of the Lord, and the Epiphany of the Lord. The readings and prayers for these Masses are different from the texts of the Mass celebrated on the feast day.

The greatest and the most significant of all Vigil Masses, and all celebrations of the liturgical year, is Easter. The Easter Vigil is the culmination of Lent and the peak of the Liturgical Year, as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. This vigil is strictly celebrated at night, between sunset of Holy Saturday and sunrise on Easter Sunday.

Catholics are instructed to attend Mass and enjoy adequate rest on Sundays (see Catechism of the Catholic Church #2180-2188). This is not optional. However, in our modern society filled with packed schedules and stacks of bills, many Christians treat Sunday like just another day.

The moral obligation is not a matter of laying another law on the backs of Christians but to protect us from going astray. The Church’s one concern for each of us is that we attain heaven and live with God eternally. Thus, the precept of the Catholic Church that tells us to worship God on Sundays and Holy Days is like a spiritual GPS route given to us by the Church, our Mother, to get us to heaven the fastest and most direct way. She wants to protect us from unnecessary detours, or worse, going in the wrong direction, away from heaven and God.

To deliberately miss Mass on Sundays and Holy Days is like driving in the wrong direction, away from our intended destination. When we are going to an enjoyable leisure activity, such as a vacation, we all want to get there by the fastest and most direct route. We wouldn’t think of wasting time going in the opposite direction.

Just as it is folly to travel away from our vacation spot, it is the greatest folly to head away from the ultimate place of rest with God in heaven.

These “obligations” may seem restrictive to a rebellious child, but the wise parent - God - knows that these rules for life lead to full human flourishing. So, too, is the Church’s insistence that we worship God in a particular way so as to flourish fully.

Seen in this light, we begin to understand the morally binding nature of the precept of the Church to go to Mass. To deliberately disobey this precept is to harm oneself, and thereby dishonor God. It is tantamount to saying that one has better things to do than to love and worship God. It means that one places something or someone (including oneself) in first place, ahead of God. And that is a most serious matter.

This is why a person who has deliberately missed an obligatory Mass, that is, deliberately avoided the necessary worship of God, must confess the matter in the sacrament of penance and avoid approaching Holy Communion until having made use of confession.

Participation in the Eucharistic Celebration

Just like Abel, we are called to give God our first fruits. After all, we’ve received everything from him. So we ought to give him thanks and offer him a pleasing sacrifice. Going to Sunday Mass is the highest form of worship that we can give to God. It is our first fruits.

The question is, what sort of sacrifice pleases him? How can we adequately thank the Lord for what he has given us?

Scripture is clear: There is no sacrifice worthy of the name except the one sacrifice that Jesus offered on the cross. Hebrews 10:12 says that Christ “offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins.” That sacrifice cannot be repeated. The Mass is not an additional sacrifice or a repetition of Christ’s sacrifice; rather, it is a re-presentation of the one sacrifice of the cross.

Because Christ was a unique human being, the sacrifice he offered on the cross once and for all is a unique act. He was a human being, so it was an act that took place in history and is therefore past. He is God, who is outside time and lives in the eternal present. Past and future are always present to him. This means that the actions of Christ on Calvary and on Easter Sunday morning are eternal acts that can be made present again by the power of the Spirit.

This is what happens in the Eucharist. The power of Calvary—the sacrifice that takes away sins, heals, and transforms—becomes present and available to us. It can be applied to our need.

But that’s not all. The cross is incomplete without the Resurrection. You can’t understand what happened on Good Friday apart from what happened two days later on Easter Sunday. The Resurrection, too, is made present every time the Eucharist is celebrated. When we go to Mass, we are mysteriously present at the foot of the cross, watching the Savior give his life for us. And we’re also standing outside the open tomb with the women who greeted the risen Jesus. “This is for you. I give my life to you,” Jesus is saying at every Mass. “Receive my power.”

Jesus offered himself as a sacrifice in order to bring us salvation and give us his spirit. Pentecost is the fruit of the sacrifice of the cross and the victory of the Resurrection. Thus, the Church teaches that every Mass is a new Pentecost, a new opportunity to receive the Spirit afresh (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 739).

To sum up, the Mass is Christ’s sacrifice made present again. It’s not recalled, as if it had been absent or was merely a past event. It’s re-presented. And so when we go to Mass, we are connected to the life-giving power of these saving events that have the power to make all things new. And we are offering to the Father the only sacrifice that could possibly please him: the perfect offering of his perfect Son. But it is our offering as well, since the Son has generously made us members of his body.

In his papal document, Lumen Gentium, promulgated by Pope St. Paul VI during the Second Vatican Council, we are able to grasp in even more detail how necessary the Eucharist and the Mass are to the Christian life:

“Incorporated in the Church through baptism, the faithful are destined by the baptismal character for the worship of the Christian religion; reborn as sons of God they must confess before men the faith which they have received from God through the Church… Taking part in the Eucharistic sacrifice, which is the fount and apex of the whole Christian life, they offer the Divine Victim to God, and offer themselves along with It. Thus both by reason of the offering and through Holy Communion all take part in this liturgical service… Strengthened in Holy Communion by the Body of Christ, they then manifest in a concrete way that unity of the people of God which is suitably signified and wondrously brought about by this most august sacrament” (LG 11).

This phrase really does not sound like merely sitting around at all.

Fr. Mike Schmitz also has a quick explanation video for you to watch:

It is not OK to miss Mass on Sundays or Holy Days, even on vacation. Every Catholic who is traveling has the duty to learn where the nearest church is and what the Mass times are. Simply going to mass online does not fulfill your obligation.

There is a fantastic website to help you find Catholic Masses as well as confession schedules: masstimes.org. It is also an app that you can download on your phone. The U.S. bishops also have an online directory for finding churches. Social media is another place to look for assistance in finding churches and sacramental schedules.

One exception might be if you are traveling in a country where Mass isn’t available. In that case, you should approach one’s parish priest to explain the situation before you leave for your trip. He will offer counsel about what to do in lieu of going to Mass. In the case of being unable to attend mass, you may ask your parish priest for a dispensation.

Just like going to mass on Sunday, going to mas on Holy Days of Obligation is the highest form of worship that we can give God.

A Holy Days of Obligation is a type of solemnity. In the Church, solemnities are special days when we reflect on a particular mystery of our faith or remember a particular saint. The holy days of obligation are solemnities that have something distinctive about them: they’re so important that the Church asks us to attend Mass on these days, even if they don’t land on a Sunday.

At their core, they are celebrations, not obligations. The Church is not merely demanding that we “go to Mass.” The Church is demanding that we celebrate! You can even see this in the name itself. We get our word holiday from the concept of a “holy” day, and so a “holy day” of obligation is really a “holiday” of obligation.

We go to Mass on these days to rejoice. At the heart of Christianity is the belief that we have something to rejoice over: our salvation in Christ. The Church invites us to Mass on these holy days to remind us of this reason to rejoice. If we go about our time distracted from this truth, we’re forgetting the most important thing, the thing most worth celebrating. The Church isn’t telling us, “Go to Mass so you can pay your debt”; it’s telling us, “Your debt has been paid! Go to Mass to celebrate!”

Seen from this perspective, holy days of obligation become a gift. We must take a step back from all our worries and preoccupations to remember what is good, joyous, and true. We must celebrate, not so that we can “get away from it all,” but so that we can get back to it all, back to everything that really matters. The Church badly wants us to hear this message every holy day, and too often we lose sight of that message.

What’s more, the Church wants us to live out the joy of salvation for the entire day. We shouldn’t just celebrate for one hour at Mass; we should celebrate morning, afternoon, and evening, into the night. The entire day is holy, after all. If you want to add these festivals to your calendar now, then here are the six holy days of obligation:

• January 1 – Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
• Thursday of the sixth week of Easter – Solemnity of Christ’s Ascension into Heaven (in the Diocese of Salt Lake City, this Holy Day of Obligation is moved to a Sunday)
  
• August 15 – Solemnity of Mary’s Assumption into Heaven
• November 1 – Solemnity of All Saints (All Saints’ Day)
• December 8 – Solemnity of Mary’s Immaculate Conception
• December 25 – Christmas, Christ’s birthday

The water is blessed by a priest or a deacon making it holy water. As we enter church, we bless ourselves with the holy water remembering the graces of our baptism when we became one in Christ. We are purifying ourselves before we enter church. As we leave church, we bless ourselves again with holy water to remind ourselves of our baptismal calling to live the gospel.

Yes, non-Catholics can bless themselves with the holy water. Although for the unbaptized it doesn’t remind them of their baptism, it does in fact prepare them to receive grace and dispose them to cooperate with it.

It is called genuflecting. We genuflect towards the tabernacle to show honor and reverence to Jesus who resides in the tabernacle. We genuflect as we enter and leave the pew.

We genuflect towards the tabernacle and bow to the altar when we approach it. We bow to the altar to indicate its importance as an altar of sacrifice where the bread and wine become Jesus as a sacrifice for our sins. However, some people have medical conditions limiting their ability to genuflect so they bow towards the tabernacle.

The last reading is always from one of the Gospels and in mass is always read either by a deacon or a priest. When sacred scriptures are read in church, God himself speaks to his people, and Christ, present in His word, proclaims the Gospel. The USCCB says this: “These words from the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) set before us a profound truth that we need to ponder and make our own. The words of Sacred Scripture are unlike any other texts we will ever hear, for they not only give us information, they are the vehicle God uses to reveal himself to us, the means by which we come to know the depth of God's love for us, and the responsibilities entailed by being Christ's followers, members of his Body. What is more, this Word of God proclaimed in the liturgy possesses a special sacramental power to bring about in us what it proclaims. The Word of God proclaimed at Mass is 'efficacious' that is, it not only tells us of God and God's will for us, it also helps us to put that will of God into practice in our own lives. How, then, do we respond to this wonderful gift of God's Word? We respond in word and song, in posture and gesture, in silent meditation and, most important of all, by listening attentively to that Word as it is proclaimed. Following each reading we express our gratitude for this gift with the words "Thanks be to God" or, in the case of the Gospel, "Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ," and it is appropriate that a brief period of silence be observed to allow for personal reflection. Following the first reading we sing the Responsorial Psalm, a meditation on God's word through the inspired words of one of the psalms from the psalter, the Bible's prayer book.

The Gospel is the highpoint of the Liturgy of the Word. The readings from the Old Testament tell us of God's promises and his preparation of his people for the coming of his Son; the epistles and other pre-Gospel New Testament readings offer the reflections of St. Paul and other contemporaries of the Lord on the life and message of Christ; in the Acts of the Apostles we have a history of the early Church. We believe that all Scripture, the Old and New Testaments, is inspired by the Holy Spirit, but the Church has always given special honor to the Gospel because in the Gospel we have not simply the preparation for and prefiguring of Christ, nor reflections on his message, but the words and deeds of Christ himself. The proclamation of the Gospel is surrounded with marks of respect and honor: the Gospel is read by an ordained minister, the deacon, or, when no deacon is present, by a priest; the Book of the Gospels is carried aloft with honor in the entrance procession and placed on the altar until the Gospel reading to show the unity of Scripture and Eucharist, of the table of the Word and the table of the Christ's body and blood; just before the Gospel is read the Gospel book is carried in procession to the ambo to the accompaniment of an acclamation sung by the people; it may be incensed before the reading and is kissed at its conclusion; finally, all stand as the Gospel is proclaimed. Through this posture and through the honor paid to the book containing the Gospel, the Church pays homage to Christ who is present in his Word and who proclaims his Gospel.”

This is done once the priest or deacon announces which Gospel from which he will be reading. As the congregation responds with “Glory to You oh Lord”, we sign ourselves in this manner such that God’s Word will stay in our thoughts, be proclaimed on our lips, and reside in our hearts.

Yes, a non-Catholic can make the sign of the cross with their thumb on their heads, lips, and heart. Anyone can fully participate in mass with the exception of Holy Communion. One must be Catholic to receive Communion.

Non-Catholics can either stay in their pews or approach the priest or deacon or Eucharistic Minister (person giving out communion that isn’t a priest or deacon) with their arms crossed over their chest indicating they cannot receive Communion. The priest / deacon / Eucharistic Minister will give them a blessing at which time they would return to their pew.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is one of the most unique and beautiful aspects of Catholicism. Jesus Christ, in His abundant love and mercy, established the Sacrament of Confession, so that we as sinners can obtain forgiveness for our sins and reconcile with God and the Church. The sacrament “washes us clean,” and renews us in Christ.

Confession helps us to better “know thyself.”

• St. Augustine and countless other saints and doctors of the Church talk about the importance of knowing ourselves well. Through coming to know ourselves better, we realized how fallen we are, and how badly we need God’s help and grace to get through life. Frequent Confession helps remind us to rely on God to help rid us of our sins.

Confession helps us overcome vice.

• The grace we receive from the Sacrament of Confession helps us combat our faults and failings and break our habits of vice much more easily and expediently than we could otherwise do without the sacramental grace.

Confession brings us peace.

• Guilt from the sins we commit can make us feel all mixed up inside and cause us to lose our peace and joy. When we hear God’s forgiving words to us from the lips of the priest in Confession, a burden is lifted off our shoulders and we can again feel the peace of heart and soul that comes from being in a good relationship with God.

Confession helps us become more saintly, more like Jesus.

• Jesus was perfectly humble, perfectly generous, perfectly patient, perfectly loving—perfectly everything! Don’t you wish you could be as humble, generous, patient, and loving as Jesus? Saints throughout history have felt that way too, and they have frequented the Sacrament of Reconciliation to help transform them into people who are more like Christ. Little images of Christ—that’s what saints are!

• Confession makes our will stronger.
  
  Every time we experience the Sacrament of Confession, God strengthens our will and our self-control to be able to resist the temptations that confront us in our lives. We become more resolute to follow God’s will and not our own whims.
  

If you haven’t been to Confession in a while, the Catholic Church wants to welcome you back, and invite you to participate in this beautiful sacrament of healing. Take a step in faith. You’ll be surprised about how free you feel after taking part in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. So many Catholics describe incredible feelings of peace, joy, relief, and love that they never expected. Jesus is calling you to experience His mercy in this way too.

By stating your sins out loud, it is an act of humility. You are stating your sins and asking for forgiveness.

By sin, it was God that was offended; and God set down the conditions for forgiveness. You cannot insist of God that He forgive your sins on your own conditions. And Jesus Christ did not bestow the power and responsibility to forgive sins to the Apostles and their successors knowing that all one needed to do was to seek forgiveness through prayer. The Church does not deny that sins will be forgiven via prayer directly to God, given of course that there's true repentance coupled with firm resolution to avoid this sin in the future; however, the only way we can be sure of proper disposition of the forgiveness of sin with absolute certainty is via the means established by Christ - the sacrament of Penance.

In the Gospel of John (John 20:21-23), we can see how Jesus commissioned his Apostles to go out and forgive sins in his name. In Confession, the priest is not the person who is forgiving your sins. He is merely an agent of Jesus Christ, acting in persona christi.

No. The rosary is a form of devotional prayer.

The body of law that governs church practice and protects the rights and privileges of individuals and community.

The instruction and spiritual formation of the catechumens, neophytes and candidates.

A catechism is a text which contains the fundamental Christian truths formulated in a way that facilitates their understanding. There are two categories of catechism: major and minor. A major catechism is a resource or a point of reference for the development of minor catechisms. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is an example of a major catechism. The Baltimore Catechism is an example of a minor catechism.

The process, which takes place over an undetermined period of time, during which adults and older children prepare to receive the Sacraments of Christian Initiation.

Apart from its obvious use to refer to a building where Christians gather to worship God, church has a rich theological and doctrinal meaning for Catholics that also sets limits on how it is applied.

The local or particular church means the diocese, the community of faithful gathered around the altar under its bishop. Each particular church has all the necessary means of salvation according to Catholic teaching (i.e. fidelity to apostolic teaching; the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church; and all the communal means to holiness that God grants through his graces).

The universal church—the meaning of catholic church, lowercased—is the communion of all those particular churches spread throughout the world who are in union with the bishop of Rome (the pope) and who share in fidelity to apostolic teaching and discipleship to Christ. In Catholic teaching the church embraces all its members—not only those still living on earth, but also those in heaven or purgatory.

The rite in which the Presider touches the ears and the mouth of the elect and prays that they be opened to hear and proclaim the word of God in faith. (It is celebrated as part of the preparation rites on Holy Saturday right before they receive Baptism, Confirmation and First Holy Communion.)

Prayers for the deliverance from the powers of evil and falsehood and for the reception of the gifts of the Lord, especially the Holy Spirit. Exorcisms are part of the rites of scrutiny.

A form of sacrifice by which faithful Christians join themselves with the suffering and death of Jesus by foregoing food for a specific period of time. On Ash Wednesday and on Good Friday, Catholics are obliged to fast in a modified way.

The general term for all the church's official acts of worship.

It includes the Mass (also called the Eucharistic liturgy), the celebration of the other sacraments, and the Liturgy of the Hours, which contains the official prayers recited by priests and some others to sanctify parts of the day.

The central act of worship in the Catholic Church.

In most Eastern Catholic churches the Mass is called the Divine Liturgy. The Mass is divided into two main parts. The Liturgy of the Word includes Scripture readings and a homily and ends with the general intercessions. The Liturgy of the Eucharist begins with the offering of the gifts, followed by consecration of the bread and wine and the reception of Communion. Catholics believe that in the consecration the bread and wine truly become the body and blood of Christ.

A specific community of the Christian faithful within a diocese, having its own church building, under the authority of a pastor who is responsible for providing ministerial service. Most parishes are formed on a geographic basis, but they may be formed along national or ethnic lines.

A priest in charge of a Catholic parish or congregation. He is responsible for administering the sacraments, instructing the congregation in the doctrine of the church, and providing other services to the people of the parish.

"Pastor" is not ordinarily used as a title before the name of a Catholic priest: He is Father Stephen Tilley.

The title, since about the 9th century BC, of the bishop of Rome, who is the leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

Doctrinally, in the Roman Catholic Church, the pope is regarded as the successor of St. Peter, who was head of the Apostles of Jesus. As bishop of Rome, the pope is thus seen to have full and supreme power of jurisdiction over the universal church in matters of faith and morals, as well as in church discipline and government.

In general, Catholics refer to nuns as Sister, religious brothers as Brother and priests as Father. Those religious titles take precedence over whatever job titles they might hold, such as pastor, chancellor, vicar general, associate pastor, executive director.

The other chief religious titles for clerics are Msgr., Bishop, Archbishop, Cardinal, Pope and, for the head of a male monastic community, Abbot.

O.C.I.A. stands for Order Of Christian Initial for Adults. It is the initation process focused on helping adults become full members of the Catholic Church by receiving sacraments of Baptism and/or First Holy Communion and/or Confirmation.

Catholics believe that there are 7 sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Matrimony, Holy Orders and the Anointing of the Sick.

The first three (Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist) are also called the Sacraments of Initiation.

Penance (or also known as Confession) is also called the sacrament of Reconciliation. The Anointing of the Sick used to be called extreme unction when it was only given to those gravely ill or in danger of death. Now it can be administered to anyone who is seriously or chronically ill. They are called Sacraments of Healing.

Matrimony and Holy Orders are known as Sacraments at the Service of Communion.

Saints hold a special place in the Catholic Church. They’re not just revered figures but also serve as role models for all Christians.

A “saint” refers to a holy soul reunited with God in Heaven. The word “saint” comes from the Latin word sanctus, which translates to “holy.”

Saints, whether officially canonized in the Catholic Church or not, are souls in heaven who lived virtuous lives on earth, serving as models of holiness. This includes those who were martyred because of their faith or those who selflessly offered their lives for others.

Sin is a break in a relationship due to our words, thoughts, actions, and inactions. It hurts 3 relationships: with yourself, with your neighbor/community, and with God.

Sin is an offense against reason, truth, and right conscience; it is failure in genuine love for God and neighbor caused by a perverse attachment to certain goods. It wounds the nature of man and injures human solidarity.

Sin is an offense against God: "Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in your sight." Sin sets itself against God's love for us and turns our hearts away from it. Like the first sin, it is disobedience, a revolt against God through the will to become "like gods," knowing and determining good and evil. Sin is thus "love of oneself even to contempt of God." In this proud self-exaltation, sin is diametrically opposed to the obedience of Jesus, which achieves our salvation.

Some examples include: calumny (telling lies about others), being judgmental, breaking promises deliberately, hatred, impure thoughts, excessive materialism, lying, murder, prostitution, selfishness, unjustified anger, masturbation, gluttony, envy, pride, or selfishness.

To pray the sign of the cross, you start by touching your forehead, then your chest, then left shoulder followed by right shoulder while saying, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

Catholics typically begin and end their prayers with the Sign of the Cross. This is a simple way to ask God for protection and blessings!

Commonly known as the Our Father.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

When the disciples asked Jesus how to pray, he taught them the Our Father. This prayer is one of the most well-known and widely used prayers in the world!

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

The Hail Mary prayer is a powerful intercessory prayer to Mary, the mother of Jesus. The majority of the Hail Mary is taken from the Gospel of Luke! It pulls from the greeting of the Angel Gabriel when he visited Mary to ask and announce her virginal conception of her son, Jesus and Elizabeth's greeting to her cousin when Mary came and visited her.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

The Glory Be is a short prayer that helps you to pray to the entire trinity–the father, the son, and the Holy Spirit.

I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

The Apostles' Creed is a statement of the core Catholic doctrine: the Trinity, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the communion of saints. It is often prayed at the start of the rosary and sometimes during Mass.

Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.

The Guardian Angel Prayer is a way of asking for the guidance and protection of your guardian angel.

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve: to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.

Soul of Christ, sanctify me, Body of Christ, save me, Blood of Christ, inebriate me, Water from the side of Christ, wash me, Passion of Christ, strengthen me, O good Jesus, hear me. Hide me within your wounds, keep me close to you, defend me from the evil enemy, call me at the hour of my death, and bid me to come to you, to praise you with your saints, forever and ever. Amen.

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that any one who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession, was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence, We fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins my Mother; to thee do we come, before thee we stand, sinful and sorrowful, O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not our petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer them. Amen.

The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
And she conceived by the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace...

Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
Be it done unto me according to thy word.

Hail Mary, full of grace...

And the Word was made Flesh.
And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary, full of grace...

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God,
that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray. Pour forth, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ, thy son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by his passion and cross be brought to the glory of his resurrection, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Dear Lord, I do not know what will happen to me today — I only know that nothing will happen that was not foreseen by you and directed to my greater good from all eternity. I adore your holy and unfathomable plans, and submit to them with all my heart for love of you, the pope, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Amen.

Lord Jesus Christ, take all my freedom, my understanding, and my will. All that I have and cherish you have given to me. I surrender it all to be guided by your will. Your love and your grace are wealth enough for me. Give me these, Lord Jesus, and I ask for nothing more. Amen.

Bless us, O Lord, and these thy gifts, which we are about to receive, from thy bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Divine Mercy Chaplet is a powerful way to ask Jesus for mercy and love and was popularized by St. Faustina. People typically use Rosary beads to lead them through a series of prayers, including the Our Father, Hail Mary, and the Glory Be.

Nothing will change your life so completely, absolutely, and forever like learning how to really pray. In prayer we learn who we are and what we are here for, what matters most and what matters least. Through prayer we discover-the-best-version-of-ourselves, and are given the courage to celebrate and defend it in each moment of each day. In prayer we learn how to love and be loved, because we discover that we have been loved, are loved, and will continually be loved by God.

The Rosary is an ancient and powerful prayer that leads you through a meditation of different scenes of Jesus’ life like his birth, Crucifixion, and his Resurrection (to name a few!). As you meditate on these scenes, you say other prayers including the Apostles creed, the Our Father, the Hail Mary, the Glory Be, the Hail Holy Queen, and others. People usually use Rosary beads to help them keep track of the prayers. The beads make the Rosary a physical prayer as well as a spiritual prayer. The simple motion of moving your fingers from one bead to another creates a powerful rhythm. This physical motion and the rhythm it creates add to the soothing of your heart, mind, and soul that praying the Rosary produces. The Rosary has been named one of the most powerful prayers and a favorite of many saints–but don’t just take our word for it! You can learn how to pray the Rosary here!