Catechumen or Candidate Name *

First Name

Last Name

That there is one God, creator and Lord of all things *

I have heard

I have embraced

That God is a Trinity - the Father, Son and Holy Spirit *

I have heard

I have embraced

That he is a historical figure... (From the creed) *

I have heard

I have embraced

That he is a living person -- I have encountered him / come to know his presence in personal way... *

I have heard

I have embraced

I have begun & continue to learn to speak with him in prayer *

I have heard

I have embraced

That he is who he says he is: the only begotten Son if God... the long awaited messiah who saves us from sin and death *

I have heard

I have embraced

That he is my Lord... And I desire to be his disciple and learn how to live my life as such *

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I have embraced

That Jesus has left us the Church to show us how to become genuine disciples *

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I have embraced

I would like the Church, though her representatives, to teach me to be a disciple of Jesus and commit to attend all formation meetings and participate in the weekly Sunday Liturgy (Mass). *

I have heard

I have embraced

Catechumen or Candidate Name *

First Name

Last Name

I believe in one God, creator of all things – One Divine Trinity; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. *

I have heard

I have embraced

I believe In Jesus Christ, the eternal Son, the second person of the Holy Trinity, who was born of the Virgin Mary, by whose passion, death and resurrection we are saved. *

I have heard

I have embraced

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Holy Trinity, who proceeds from the Father and the Son *

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I have embraced

I believe the Church is the mystical body of Christ… it is both human and divine and, though it is filled with sinful people, it is at the same time always holy. *

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I have embraced

I believe that the Church is Catholic – it is universal – it is true for all cultures, peoples and eras; it is diverse yet is one in faith: one baptism, one Lord Jesus Christ. *

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I have embraced

I believe that Jesus established a hierarchical Church, with teachers, elders (priests), prophets and apostles (bishops) with the Pope, the successor of Peter – the Bishop of Rome as the visible sign of that unity. *

I have heard

I have embraced

I believe that the Church is the pillar and foundation of truth; it is built on the teachings of the Apostles handed down by apostolic succession to this day through the bishops of the Church. Though individually imperfect, the voice of the Church through the bishops in union with the Pope is sure and free from error when they profess to speak with this authority on faith and morals. *

I have heard

I have embraced

I believe in the Saints; our brothers and sisters in Christ who have now been perfected and the angels who stand before God in heaven. They know us and pray for us. There is communion between all of God’s people: those in heaven, in purgatory and on earth. *

I have heard

I have embraced

I believe that in death, though the body usually decays, the soul remains and those who have died in the state of grace through Christ journey toward heaven. Those not yet perfectly purified through purgatory. Those who reject God in life are forever separated from Him in hell. *

I have heard

I have embraced

I believe that Jesus will one day return to complete the transformation of all creation. The souls of the dead will be united to their bodies; those who have done good to the resurrection of eternal life and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. *

I have heard

I have embraced

I believe in heaven: God’s dwelling where all those who by faith and grace through Christ share in the eternal beauty and fellowship of the Father, Son and Spirit. *

I have heard

I have embraced

I believe in the reality of sin… that it separates us from God and harms our soul. We are born in original sin as a result of the sin of our first parents. Venial sin damages the life of grace in us and mortal sin kills it. Grace restores and heals our souls from the effects of sin *

I have heard

I have embraced

I believe that grace, which is a participation in the life of God, is communicated through visible signs called sacraments; signs that actually confer the grace they signify. They are powers that come forth from the body of Christ. The Church gives us seven of these: baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, confession, anointing of the sick, holy orders and marriage. *

I have heard

I have embraced

I believe Baptism makes us part of the mystical body of Christ. It effects a permanent change in our souls and therefore can only be received once. It opens the door to the rest of the sacraments (one must be baptized before receiving any of the other sacraments). It is necessary for salvation *

I have heard

I have embraced

I believe Confirmation gives us supernatural grace to defend the faith and build up the Church *

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I have embraced

I believe the Eucharist is the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ. It realizes and strengthens our union with Jesus and because of that the communion of all of God’s people. It washes away venial sin. *

I have heard

I have embraced

I believe Confession forgives the eternal punishment of sin, restores relationship with God and the Church, which is the body of Christ. Penances and indulgences forgive / heal the damage (temporal punishment) wrought by sin. I intend to go to confession at least once a year. *

I have heard

I have embraced

I believe Anointing of the sick heals both body and spirit. *

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I have embraced

I believe Holy Orders effects a permanent change (and can therefore only received once) in a baptized man’s soul and allows him to stand in the person of Christ the head, the bridegroom of the Church, and sanctify God’s people by administering God’s grace through the sacraments.. *

I have heard

I have embraced

I believe Marriage takes a baptized man and a woman and makes them into one flesh. The marriage makes this union an icon – a living picture – of the union between Christ and His Church and is oriented toward the sanctification (salvation/holiness) of others, particularly the family. Because of this marriage is indissoluble (which is why it can only be given once) and always open to life. *

I have heard

I have embraced

There are other signs – sacramentals -- that (though not on the same level as the sacraments that actually communicate grace) dispose us to receiving grace and are therefore beneficial to our souls: i.e the praying the rosary, holy water, blessings, signing oneself with holy water etc … *

I have heard

I have embraced

I believe the God gave us the 10 Commandments - God gave us our conscience to help us objectively distinguish between right and wrong. Because our consciences are clouded by the effects of original sin, God gave us the commandments as a sure standard for right and wrong. Jesus summarized these in the beatitudes and ultimately in the great commandment. *

I have heard

I have embraced

I believe that I will never truly love my neighbor if I do not love God first: *

- I must love and trust God above all things. - I must respect / reverence His name and everything / everyone called by his name - I must totally devote one day week for God (though every day is His): Sunday, the Lord’s Day. On this day, I must attend the Holy sacrifice of the Mass and avoid work or activities that hinder worship owed to God. I intend to go to Mass every Sunday and holy days of obligation.

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I have embraced

I believe that my reverence for God obligates me to honor the legitimate authorities God has placed over me beginning with my parents through whom God created me, the Church and state. *

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I believe in the sanctity of life from conception to natural death. No one may take innocent life through murder, abortion or (self or assisted) suicide. *

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I have embraced

I believe in the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman as an icon of Christ and His Church; because of this marriage should always be marked by fidelity, is indissoluble and always open to life; contraception or conception that doesn’t involve the physical union of husband and wife (i.e. IVF) are always immoral *

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I have embraced

I believe we are stewards of creation and should always be respectful of the property / rights of others – We must not steal from others (whether they are individuals or groups like the state i.e. taxes) and always work to ensure that all people – all creation in fact – befitting their nature (human beings from all walks of life, all creatures, the earth) receive the care and justice they deserve. *

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I have embraced

I believe in the sanctity of the word – to be committed to the truth in all things. *

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I believe in protecting my heart from desiring and obsessing things or people above God or outside his will. *

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I have embraced