HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT GOD MIGHT BE CALLING YOU TO BECOME A CATHOLIC?

You might be reading this page because you are curious about what is involved in becoming a Catholic, or because you firmly desire to join the Catholic Church. Perhaps you come to Mass with your family but never have been invited to take the next step. Or maybe you know a Catholic who has impressed you by their life of faith. Do your children attend a Catholic school and you would like to share what they experience there? Whatever the reason, we invite you to "test the water" becoming to the first few meetings of the new RCIA group, starting in September. Just fill in the form below and we will contact you with details.
We wish to assure you that at no stage will the Catholic Church put you under any pressure to sign up and become a full member. In fact, you may find the process of becoming a Catholic somewhat slower than you would like (taking around a year)… because membership involves making a firm commitment to God and to our local Catholic community, and is not to be undertaken lightly!

You are very welcome, indeed. Please spend time looking around the site and take watching our live stream Mass each morning at 10am, or when able to come and visit us at one or more of our four churches; St Joseph's, St Pius X, St Mary's and St Edward's. Also check out our bi-weekly parish newsletter.  No one expects a newcomer to know or understand all that is happening and everything about the faith. It sometimes takes a very long time before a person decides to actually become a Catholic. However, most people who become Catholics either visit us out of curiosity and end up staying or have partners who are Catholic and either through them or through the children, they discover their faith. 

There are plenty of ways to become involved and share in the life of the parish before you make that commitment and there are also lots of people and sources of information that will help you as you find your way and learn more about what this Catholic thing really is. Because being Catholic is not just about attending Mass every Sunday. It really is a way of life, a way of seeing the world and it is about being a member of a Christ-centred community and family.

Once you feel that being a Catholic is for you, you will no doubt spend time on the RCIA programme - which is a course and spiritual/social journey. RCIA stands for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and it is run by a team of Catholic parishioners. You emerge from it not just a much better informed person ready to make the commitment to become a Catholic, but as a member of the community who has already begun to contribute to parish life and worship.
But the initial steps are fairly easy. Please accept our welcome and spend time looking at the website; we will look forward to meeting you sometime soon in church. Also check out this years RCIA course that starts in September, with more details below

​Returning to Catholicism?

If visiting our website is a first step back towards the Church we are very pleased to welcome you. Take as much time as you want to see what we are like. Masses are streamed daily through the website on our live stream page. It might be possible later to Mass at the weekend in one of our four churches (St Joseph's, St Pius X, St Mary's and St Edward's) and discover what it's like now and to see how our parish might serve your needs. Although the core of the Mass (the Eucharist) never changes and is at the heart of our faith, often the way we come to that sacred place is important.
If you have children, you might find the the Sunday morning masses suitable for your family. Also the 6pm Mass on a Sunday evening at St Joseph's has more modern music that attracts all ages of parishioners. The other masses are quieter without music, but prayer and attract a range of parishioners, therefore please visit again and see what a quieter Mass might be like. Check out our range of Masses and Mass times here.
Most masses use large projector screens that display much of the liturgy or responses during the mass, so you need not worry about knowing the new Liturgy and these will help you if you are uncertain when it is appropriate to stand, kneel, sit, etc. 
You might be surprised by just how familiar and comfortable it feels to be in church, but whether it feels good or not, taking the opportunity to chat with with our clergy team may be just the thing you need to do. Their advice and help could be all you need to find a path through the tangles of past emotions and present needs to help you find your place here in the Catholic Parish of Guildford

 Joining the 2020-2021 RCIA Course

In the autumn we are planning to bring together a group of adults who are seeking to know about the teaching and worship of the Catholic Church, with a view to receiving Baptism and Confirmation or if already a baptised Christian, reception into the Church. In the present situation this might have to be via a computer over Zoom, but if you don't have access to that we will hope to accommodate you in another way.

The Schedule
Weekly Meetings take place over three terms to share and learn about Catholic Christianity. The course starts in the Autumn, running until May.

The Tuesday sessions, start at 7.30pm and the meetings take place in St Mary's Hall, Aldershot Rd. GU2 8BP.

Some liturgical celebrations at Sunday Masses take place to mark stages in the candidates faith journey. The climax is at the Easter Vigil when baptism, confirmation and first Communion are conferred, after which the group continues to meet for a few weeks, finishing with a celebration before Pentecost.

Interested?
If you would like to be part of that process or know of someone who may be interested in becoming a member of our Church, then please do get sign up through the link above by the image, or if you have queries please contact the course coordinator Jan Burr through the form above. If you're not baptised or confirmed or are a member of another Christian denomination - then the RCIA would be able to help. R.C.I.A (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) is a process for welcoming new members into the Roman Catholic Church. It Prepares Adults for Baptism, Confirmation, First Communion through Teaching Discussion and Prayer.