Want to know more about becoming a Catholic?
The best place to start is to find a Catholic church near where you live or work that offers an inquiry process for you. This process is called the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (or RCIA). Check out our Parish Search page to find a parish near to you.
Want to know more about preparing children and youth for sacraments?
The Standards for Preparing Children and Youth for the Sacraments were promulgated in June 2016. These Standards harmonize the sacramental preparation practices in parishes throughout the Archdiocese. They build upon the specific roles of families, parishes and Catholic schools in preparing children and youth for the sacraments and describe a process for working together.
All parishes and Catholic schools have received a printed copy of the Standards document, which is intended to remain with the building (parish/school) when a person moves.
Download the Standards for Preparing Children and Youth for the Sacraments (PDF, 139 pages)
Download the Additional Resources to the Standards (PDF, 40 pages)
These include sample letters to parents; sample handbills explaining Baptism, Confirmation and Becoming Catholic; guides for Confession for various age groups; and other resources.
(Press-ready files for the handbills have been given to each school district and are also available from the Office of Communications.)
Sample Letters to Parents
These letters are meant as a first step in reaching out to parents, to introduce them to sacramental preparation for their children. Click on the language you wish to download; complete the fillable fields, and print. (Compare with the English letter if you are unsure of which parts of the text you need to customize with your parish and/or school name.)
Baptismal Certificates
For details about baptismal certificates, click the
sign below to open and close the answer text.