Yes, you need to be attending Mass every Sunday.

There is a Church rule that all Catholics must come to Mass every Sunday (or a Saturday Vigil Mass). This is not an imposition, this is not an inconvenience, this is not a rule that ties us down. Coming to Mass is our life, it is oxygen, it is being fully human. We are made to worship God. We come to Mass every Sunday because we are made for this and by doing it, we become who God made us to be.

It is also important that as a big family (the Catholic Church is God’s big family), we spend time together as a family and worship God. This time together makes us stop, and enjoy time with God and with one another.

If you desire to become Catholic then now is the time to begin to live like a Catholic. Now is the time to build good habits so that at your baptism or reception into the Church those good habits are in place and you are already living a Catholic life.

Attending Mass only now and then is not enough. In order to grow and mature in your spiritual life, praying every day and going to Mass every Sunday is essential.

If attendance at Mass every Sunday is too onerous at the moment, it would be better to defer baptism and reception into the church until a time when you are better placed to fully enter into the life of the Church.

It can feel very strange coming to a Catholic Mass and being exposed to all these unusual signs and symbols.

All the gestures, and movements, and symbols are ways of worshiping God and praying. And you needn’t worry, the significance of these will be explained in our classes.

So in the meantime, you are invited to do them, feel them, experience them, enjoy them! Copy the people around you. The more you do them, the more natural they will feel—and they will help to enmesh you into Catholic culture.

If you begin to embrace these gestures, and movements, and symbols now, over time you will feel at home with them.

No—not yet. Only a baptised Catholic who has completed his or her First Holy Communion, and is in what we call a State of Grace can receive Holy Communion at Mass.

There is a great mystery of God’s love that surrounds Holy Communion, a mystery that we will explore in our classes. Once you are spiritually prepared and have started to contemplate this great mystery of love, then you will be ready to receive Holy Communion at the Easter Vigil and beyond.

In the meantime, we don’t want you to feel left out in any way, so when it comes time for Holy Communion at Mass, you may either:

• Remain in your pew and pray;

  OR

• Approach the priest with your hands crossed over your chest for a blessing. When the priest sees your hands crossed over your chest he knows that you don’t receive Holy Communion and that you are approaching for a blessing. This is the usual practice and you will probably notice others doing this at Mass too.

Yes. Coming to all the lessons demonstrates your commitment and disposes you receive all the good things that God has to give you. It’s not a particularly demanding schedule and coming to all the lessons will prepare you for your ongoing life of faith.

Everyone gets sick and we understand. In the event of sickness one could still watch the video at home to stay up to speed.

Yes! The Catholic Church is a big family and you will often hear family terms being used.

In a special way the priest is a spiritual father who communicates the gentleness and love of God our Father in Heaven. And so, there is a beautiful and ancient Catholic tradition of addressing the priest as ‘Father.’

It’s a term of affection and familiarity and reminds us of God the Father’s closeness to us. So you are invited to embrace this beautiful Catholic tradition by addressing the priest as ‘Father’—just like in the movies.

The word catechumen comes from a Greek word meaning: ‘One who is being instructed.’

A catechumen therefore is a person who is actively learning about the Catholic faith and preparing to be baptised.

A candidate is a person who has already been baptised but is preparing to become Catholic, for example, someone from the Anglican or Pentecostal communities.

A sponsor is someone who accompanies a person who is seeking to become catholic and acts as a support and friend.

A sponsor needs to be available to accompany the catechumen or candidate to the Rite of Election and the Easter Vigil.

A sponsor needs to pray for the catechumen or candidate, and they are invited to come to some classes with the catechumen or candidate if they are able.

A sponsor must meet these requirements:

1. A sponsor must be aged 16 years or older.

2. Be a practicing member of the Catholic Church, and have undergone their own Christian initiation through Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Communion.

3. Be someone other than a parent.

4. Be in good standing with the Church.

The Rite of Election is an important step in becoming Catholic. It is a ceremony where all the catechumens in Sydney present themselves to the Archbishop at St. Mary’s Cathedral. So can your kids come? Of course! It is a long ceremony, lasting about an hour and a half, but your kids are welcome. Just let the RCIA team know so that we book enough seats to accommodate everybody.