Welcome! The parish family of St. Benedict is excited that you are considering becoming Catholic or completing your Initiation. We hope that this page will answer many of your questions, but we are here to answer any questions, address any concerns, and assist you throughout this journey. Please do not hesitate to contact us at the parish office, 724-834-9045.
We are eager to help you!

How do I become Catholic?

An unbaptized person or a person baptized in another Christian denomination is brought into the Catholic Church through the Sacraments of Initiation. For an unbaptized person, these Sacraments would include Baptism, Confirmation, & Eucharist. For a validly baptized Christian, this would mean receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation, followed by the Sacraments of Initiation of Confirmation & Eucharist.

The process that assists people on their journey into full communion with the Catholic Church is formally named the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA). Here at St. Benedict, we have tossed the formality and confusing acronyms and simply call this process what it is- Journey to the Sacraments

The focus of Journey to the Sacraments is to help form a person in the teachings, beliefs, and practices of the Church,
while at the same time furthering the spiritual development of the person.

Who is Journey to the Sacraments for?

Journey to the Sacraments is for those who have never been baptized, those who have been baptized in another Christian tradition, and those adult Catholics who desire to complete the Sacraments of Initiation (Confirmation and/or Eucharist).

What are the expectations of a person in Journey to the Sacraments?

All persons in Journey to the Sacraments are encouraged to join the parish community at Sunday Mass. While there are occasional modifications to the process, the norm is weekly formation sessions led by members of the Journey to the Sacraments team. The desire of this time of preparation is conversion through a change of heart and a deepening of your relationship with Jesus Christ.

Your faith journey, which has already begun, will continue throughout your life. This journey of conversion is a time for you to grow in awareness of your relationship with God and the Catholic Church. If God is calling you to begin the more formal process,
or ask more questions about it, please contact our parish office at 724-834-9045.

To learn more about our OCIA (Journey to the Sacraments) please click the link below.