Becoming Catholic

While the Catholic Church is the largest religion in the world, it is sometimes also the most misunderstood. The Catholic Church has consistently upheld and proclaimed the same beliefs and teachings that she always has through the ages. Because God has given endowed our humanity with the faculty of reason, the ability to think, He also desires and guides us to learn more about these beliefs and teachings. And so, throughout the ages men and women have pondered and contemplated the faith through prayer and study, and the result is that we have a greater understanding of the truths that God has entrusted to the Church. Here are some of the key truths she has passed down to us:

• We believe that everything God creates is created as good and out of love. All of creation reflects God's goodness and points back to Him as its author.
• We believe that man and woman were created very good, as is written in Genesis 1:26, made in God's image and likeness to have dominion over the earth; that is, to care for and cultivate it. For this reason, the Church believes in the dignity of the human person over and above all of creation.
• We believe in man and woman's task of stewardship. Everything is given to us by God and it is our Catholic responsibility to share our time, talent and treasure with those around us to further the mission of the Church God has established for the salvation of all.
• We believe in the Holy Trinity, that God has revealed himself to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who live and reign in a communion of knowledge and love, and that He has created us to share in that communion.
• We believe in the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, that her members are a part of the living Body of Christ and, as such, are a reflection of the communal nature of the Trinity.
• We believe that God loved his creation so much that the Word became flesh, that God became man in Jesus Christ to walk among us and save us from our sin.
• We believe in Jesus’ crucifixion, death and resurrection, and ascension into heaven, and we hope that one day we will rise to new life with him.
• We believe in the communion of the saints – models of faith who pray for, help and guide us in our daily lives to live in accord with the Gospel.

Becoming Catholic today means joining an ancient faith, deeply rooted in the teachings and traditions of Christ and his Church, that is filled with hope and vibrancy as we continue to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to all the ends of the earth.