Adult+Baptism

If you are an adult who has not been baptised a Christian, but are thinking about becoming a Catholic, then the first step is to go to the local church and ask how they go about receiving people into the Church. Most churches are delighted to welcome new people into their church. You will probably be asked to participate in instructions. Sometimes the priest does this himself; some churches have a programme - the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults or R.C.I.A. - to prepare people for baptism. **Joining the Community**

When you ask for Baptism you are asking to become a member of the Catholic Church. You will be expected to take part in the life of that community on a regular basis. Like any community, hopefully, you will find people there you get on with. **Committing your life to God**

Baptism is the sacrament in which we commit ourselves to God. We proclaim our faith in God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit and we promise to avoid evil and to do good. The baptism ceremony for adults is similar to baptism of children except that you make the baptismal promises yourself. Instead of godparents adults have sponsors whose role is to encourage you in the catholic faith. Traditionally adult baptisms take place during the ceremony of the Easter Vigil. In some parishes, therefore, you might be asked to wait for Easter for Baptism.