How to Become Catholic

Episode 1: Where Do I Start?

Thinking about becoming Catholic? Learn the OCIA/RCIA process, step-by-step in our series, How to Become Catholic. In this episode, we cover what to expect in the initiation process, how long it takes, and how to start your journey into the Catholic Church.

How to Become Catholic

Episode 2: Already Baptized

Already a baptized Christian, but curious about becoming Catholic? Maybe you were baptized Catholic, but never taught about your Faith. Where do you go from here? Watch our episode to find out how to be fully initiated into the Catholic Church, and what steps to take as someone who is already baptized.

How to Become Catholic

Episode 3: If You Are Unbaptized

Wondering how to become Catholic if you’ve never been baptized? Look no further, as we will take you through the process of being baptized as an adult, from your first steps in the process to receiving the Sacrament. Hear from people who became baptized as adults and found richness and community in the Catholic Church.

How to Become Catholic

Episode 4: If You Are an Older Child

Many people are baptized Catholic at birth; others choose to come into the Faith as an adult. But what if you or your child is curious about becoming Catholic somewhere in between? We’ll take a look at what the OCIA process looks like for children who are past their youngest years, but not yet adults. 

How to Become Catholic

Episode 5: Frequently Asked Questions

Not finding answers to your questions about becoming Catholic? Feeling like your situation doesn’t fit in a box? Whether it’s a complex marriage situation, questions about returning to the Faith, or what to do if you’ve never received Confirmation, the Church has resources and processes for addressing these frequently asked questions.

Why I Became Catholic: With Kelly Walsh

Testimony 1: From Atheist to Catholic Convert

"I don't want to be Catholic." That's what Kelly Walsh used to tell her husband — 34 years into their marriage, raised by an atheist father, with no belief in sin or in Jesus as the Son of God.

The turning point didn't come through an argument, it came through her son. After a life-changing encounter with Christ in college through FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students), he invited his mom to spend two weeks studying the Bible together. His patience, compassion, and surprising analogy between sin and a pack of gum opened the door to something Kelly never expected: a real encounter with Jesus.

Why I Became Catholic: With Michael Brazda

Testimony 2: I Was Afraid to Give Up My Heritage

"I was really a Protestant who was Orthodox and just didn't know it." Confusing as it was, Michael Brazda’s conversion story led him to embrace his unique identity in the Catholic Church.

Growing up, Michael moved between Protestant and Greek Orthodox churches. After losing his faith in college, he explored Calvinism before moving to Greek Orthodoxy, which led him to reconnect with his Greek heritage. Still feeling unfulfilled, he finally found his way into the fullness of faith in the Catholic Church as an Eastern Rite Catholic.

Why I Became Catholic: With Bryson and Yeun Gray

Testimony 3: 
We Followed the Evidence...and Became Catholic

Bryson grew up evangelical, became a committed atheist and materialist chasing "the evidence," and eventually found his way back to faith through C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity and G.K. Chesterton. Yeun grew up with a devout Christian mother and an atheist father, drifted through other religions in college, and slowly found herself drawn back in to Christianity.

The couple shares their honest, and at times, messy conversion story: the intellectual arguments that convinced them, the OCIA process that gave their faith real structure, the awkwardness of talking about religion with secular family and friends, and what it's actually like to build a new life of prayer, community, and identity as new converts — including navigating convalidation for a Catholic marriage while expecting their first child.

Why I Became Catholic: With Bryson and Yeun Gray

Testimony 4: I Left Mormonism and Became Catholic

After growing up deeply involved in the LDS Church, Alaina never imagined she'd return to organized religion—let alone convert to Catholicism. Negative experiences left her skeptical of religious communities, and after leaving Mormonism she searched everywhere for meaning, exploring New Age spirituality and other paths before encountering Christ in a new way.

Alaina talks openly about what it was like comparing the Mormon sacrament to the Catholic Eucharist, why she had to be baptized again in the Trinitarian formula, how prayer became more personal, the hard conversations with her Mormon family about the decision, and about finding a welcoming parish community. Not only was she surprised by the deep meaning in the traditions of the Catholic Church, but her preconceptions of religion were proven wrong—including what it would be like to become friends with a priest.