We assist pastors and catechists throughout the diocese in implementing the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, which is the process by which people become members of the Catholic Church.
Mary Hickin
Director of Faith Formation for Catechesis and Sacraments
Phone: (814) 824-1222
Click here to send email
Or call Faye Froess, Administrative Assistant, with questions
(814) 824-1210
It's time to register for the 2025 Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion
One liturgy will take place at St. Peter Cathedral, 230 W. 10th Street, Erie, on March 9, at 3 pm.
The second liturgy will be held at Holy Spirit Parish, St. Catherine of Siena Church, 118 S. State Street, DuBois, on March 16, at 3 pm.
All parishes must RSVP, even those who do not have any catechumens or candidates. Click here to register. No registration form will be sent in the mail. Please complete the form by Feb. 14. Contact Mary Hickin with questions at mhickin@eriercd.org.
• Text for optional Rite of Sending at your parish, which may be celebrated prior to the Rite of Election/Call to Continuing Conversion
• A Declaration of Intention (optional) for use with the candidates in the parish’s Rite of Sending
• Our Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion rituals will follow this outline.
RESOURCES FOR PARISHES
Text for optional Rite of Sending at your parish, which may be celebrated prior to the Rite of Election/Call to Continuing Conversion
A Declaration of Intention (optional) for use with the candidates in the parish’s Rite of Sending
Our Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion rituals will follow this outline.
Clergy form requesting the Faculty to Confirm: click here
RESOURCES FOR PEOPLE INTERESTED IN BECOMING CATHOLIC:
How To Become A Catholic Christian
If you are interested in the Catholic Church, contact a parish near you. You will be invited to meet with a group of people like yourself who are inquiring about the Catholic faith. Many of your questions will be answered, and you will feel very much at home.What do I do next? If you desire to continue, you will enter a period of formation and instruction called the catechumenate. You will attend the liturgy of the Word at Mass each Sunday, and over a period of time come to discover the full meaning of Catholic life and belief.
How do I enter the Church? At the end of this time, you will celebrate the Rite of Election in which the Bishop calls you to immediate preparation for baptism.
When am I baptized? Finally you will be baptized and confirmed at the Vigil of Easter, the night proceeding Easter Sunday.
Is there more? Following your becoming a Catholic, there is a period of continued faith sharing and instruction.
What if I am a baptized non-Catholic person? Persons coming into the Church from other faith traditions (for example, Lutheran, Presbyterian, etc.) may not require involvement in the total process described above. This depends upon a number of factors, different in every case.
Would you like to learn more? Read more here.