{"id":307,"date":"2020-08-13T16:11:42","date_gmt":"2020-08-13T20:11:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sap.diocesanweb.org\/church\/?page_id=307"},"modified":"2026-10-15T15:32:28","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T19:32:28","slug":"becoming-catholic","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/faith-formation\/becoming-catholic\/","title":{"rendered":"Becoming Catholic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Welcome! We&#8217;re glad you&#8217;re here.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The process of becoming a member of the Catholic Church is officially known as the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, or \u201cOCIA.\u201d OCIA is a spiritual journey of conversion and discernment \u2013 it is not an academic course with tests. It is a communal process of faith formation, prayer, and introduction to Catholic beliefs, Scripture, and the sacraments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Perhaps a major life moment such as an engagement, marriage, or the arrival of a child has caused you to become interested in knowing more about the Catholic Church or Catholic belief and practice. Maybe you want to learn about the process of becoming Catholic. Whatever has brought you here, we welcome you and hope that this information will provide answers to some of your questions or offer pathways to help you continue your inquiry.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/05\/53623122274_5860d3fa8b_k-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7135\" style=\"width:451px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/05\/53623122274_5860d3fa8b_k-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/05\/53623122274_5860d3fa8b_k-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/05\/53623122274_5860d3fa8b_k-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/05\/53623122274_5860d3fa8b_k-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/05\/53623122274_5860d3fa8b_k.jpg 2047w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/h3>\n\n\n<div id=\"accordion-block_5528aa8fe87a19c1aef4f50cc0c5ac4a\" class=\"accordionBlock \">\r\n        <div class=\"accordion\">\r\n      \t      \t\t\t<div class=\"accordionSectionTitle\"><i class=\"fas fa-plus\"><\/i><i class=\"fas fa-minus\"><\/i> <h3>I think I&#8217;d like to know more about the Catholic faith. What do I do now?<\/h3><\/div>\r\n      \t\t\t<div class=\"accordionContent\"><p>You have options! There are a couple of different approaches to begin your journey \u2013 feel free to pick the one most comfortable for you:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Chat with our <a href=\"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/staff\/katie-giglio\/\">faith formation office<\/a> or our pastor, <a href=\"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/staff\/rev-tony-pelak\/\">Father Tony<\/a>.<\/strong> We have an excellent team ready to help answer any questions you may have and talk with you about the process of becoming Catholic.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Start attending weekend Mass!<\/strong> You do not need to be Catholic to attend. You are most welcome to visit our parish every weekend. If you know someone who is Catholic, come with them for Mass!<\/li>\n<li><strong>Begin with a short prayer<\/strong> in the morning, thanking God for the day ahead of you. Or begin praying at night \u2014 examining where you saw God in your day before you fall asleep. Don\u2019t force anything \u2014 focus on being present with God and listening for His voice.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\r\n      \t\t      \t\t\t<div class=\"accordionSectionTitle\"><i class=\"fas fa-plus\"><\/i><i class=\"fas fa-minus\"><\/i> <h3>Who is OCIA for?<\/h3><\/div>\r\n      \t\t\t<div class=\"accordionContent\"><p>Adults 18 and older who are unbaptized; individuals baptized in another faith; or baptized Catholics who have not received their first Holy Communion and\/or the sacrament of confirmation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n      \t\t      \t\t\t<div class=\"accordionSectionTitle\"><i class=\"fas fa-plus\"><\/i><i class=\"fas fa-minus\"><\/i> <h3>How long does it take to become Catholic?<\/h3><\/div>\r\n      \t\t\t<div class=\"accordionContent\"><p>At least one complete liturgical year, or approximately 10-12 months of faith formation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n      \t\t      \t\t\t<div class=\"accordionSectionTitle\"><i class=\"fas fa-plus\"><\/i><i class=\"fas fa-minus\"><\/i> <h3>What if I change my mind?<\/h3><\/div>\r\n      \t\t\t<div class=\"accordionContent\"><p>Seeking information about the Catholic faith will not commit or oblige you to become Catholic. We encourage you to learn as much as you can and want to know about the faith and take as much time as you need to make this decision. While we love the Catholic faith, and hope that you will also come to love it, we will not pressure anyone to make such an important decision.<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n      \t\t    <\/div>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\r\n  #accordion-block_5528aa8fe87a19c1aef4f50cc0c5ac4a{\r\n    min-height:50px;\r\n    margin:25px auto;\r\n  }\r\n  #accordion-block_5528aa8fe87a19c1aef4f50cc0c5ac4a .accordionSectionTitle{\r\n    background-color:#fff;\r\n    border:1px solid #ADADAD;\r\n    display: flex;\r\n    justify-content: flex-start;\r\n    align-items: center;\r\n    padding:20px;\r\n    margin:0;\r\n  }\r\n  #accordion-block_5528aa8fe87a19c1aef4f50cc0c5ac4a .accordionSectionTitle.ui-accordion-header-active,\r\n  #accordion-block_5528aa8fe87a19c1aef4f50cc0c5ac4a .accordionSectionTitle:hover{\r\n    background-color:#0E2B4C;\r\n  }\r\n  #accordion-block_5528aa8fe87a19c1aef4f50cc0c5ac4a .accordionSectionTitle h3{\r\n    font: Bold 18px\/30px Open Sans;\r\n    color:#0E2B4C;\r\n  }\r\n  #accordion-block_5528aa8fe87a19c1aef4f50cc0c5ac4a .accordionSectionTitle i{\r\n    margin-right:15px;\r\n    font-size:18px;\r\n    color:#3BB9D5;\r\n  }\r\n  #accordion-block_5528aa8fe87a19c1aef4f50cc0c5ac4a .accordionSectionTitle.ui-accordion-header-active h3,\r\n  #accordion-block_5528aa8fe87a19c1aef4f50cc0c5ac4a .accordionSectionTitle:hover h3,\r\n  #accordion-block_5528aa8fe87a19c1aef4f50cc0c5ac4a .accordionSectionTitle.ui-accordion-header-active i{\r\n    color:#fff;\r\n  }\r\n  #accordion-block_5528aa8fe87a19c1aef4f50cc0c5ac4a .accordionSectionTitle .fa-plus{\r\n    display: block;\r\n  }\r\n  #accordion-block_5528aa8fe87a19c1aef4f50cc0c5ac4a .accordionSectionTitle .fa-minus{\r\n    display: none;\r\n  }\r\n  #accordion-block_5528aa8fe87a19c1aef4f50cc0c5ac4a .accordionSectionTitle.ui-accordion-header-active .fa-plus{\r\n    display: none;\r\n  }\r\n  #accordion-block_5528aa8fe87a19c1aef4f50cc0c5ac4a .accordionSectionTitle.ui-accordion-header-active .fa-minus{\r\n    display: block;\r\n  }\r\n  #accordion-block_5528aa8fe87a19c1aef4f50cc0c5ac4a .accordionSectionTitle .ui-accordion-header-icon.ui-icon{\r\n    display:none;\r\n  }\r\n<\/style>\r\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-tertiary-background-color has-background\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div style=\"height:23px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The journey of becoming Catholic<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You are invited to join our conversational, small group environment where you can explore faith and experience community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:11px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\"><div id=\"image-info-block_d34cdd140bd108755256f68e5aff1ce4\" class=\"imageInfoBlock aligncenter\">\r\n      <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"imageInfoImage\" src=\"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/55192139493_8b0bdea33d_k-1024x683.jpg\" \/>\r\n  <div class=\"imageInfoContainer\">\r\n          <div class=\"imageInfoTitle\"><h5>Glimmer<\/h5><\/div>\r\n        <div class=\"imageInfoText\">Catching a glimpse of the Catholic faith. <br> <br>\r\n\r\nThursday, Nov. 12, 2026 at 6 p.m. <br> Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2026 at 6 p.m.<\/div>\r\n          <a class=\"button\" href=\"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/faith-formation\/becoming-catholic\/ocia-application-form\/\" target=\"\">RSVP<\/a>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\r\n  #image-info-block_d34cdd140bd108755256f68e5aff1ce4{\r\n    margin-bottom:25px;\r\n    background:#F4F4F4;\r\n    max-width:350px;\r\n    width:100%;\r\n  }\r\n  #image-info-block_d34cdd140bd108755256f68e5aff1ce4 .imageInfoImage{\r\n    width:100%;\r\n    height:170px;\r\n    object-fit:cover;\r\n  }\r\n  #image-info-block_d34cdd140bd108755256f68e5aff1ce4 h5{\r\n    text-align: center;\r\n    line-height:30px;\r\n    margin-bottom:20px;\r\n  }\r\n  #image-info-block_d34cdd140bd108755256f68e5aff1ce4 .imageInfoContainer{\r\n    padding:20px;\r\n  }\r\n  #image-info-block_d34cdd140bd108755256f68e5aff1ce4 .button{\r\n    display: block;\r\n    margin-top:15px;\r\n    margin:0 auto;\r\n    background:transparent;\r\n  }\r\n  #image-info-block_d34cdd140bd108755256f68e5aff1ce4 .button:hover{\r\n    background:#3BB9D5;\r\n  }\r\n<\/style>\r\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\"><div id=\"image-info-block_57bbec20b8e084fb09fae8a456457236\" class=\"imageInfoBlock aligncenter\">\r\n      <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"imageInfoImage\" src=\"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/55192388165_db95faec29_k-1-1024x683.jpg\" \/>\r\n  <div class=\"imageInfoContainer\">\r\n          <div class=\"imageInfoTitle\"><h5>Illuminate<\/h5><\/div>\r\n        <div class=\"imageInfoText\">Gaining clarity on Church teaching and sacraments.<br> <br>\r\n\r\nBegins on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2027, at 6 p.m.<br> <i>Meeting weekly on Thursdays<\/i><\/div>\r\n          <a class=\"button\" href=\"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/faith-formation\/becoming-catholic\/ocia-application-form\/\" target=\"\">Register<\/a>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\r\n  #image-info-block_57bbec20b8e084fb09fae8a456457236{\r\n    margin-bottom:25px;\r\n    background:#F4F4F4;\r\n    max-width:350px;\r\n    width:100%;\r\n  }\r\n  #image-info-block_57bbec20b8e084fb09fae8a456457236 .imageInfoImage{\r\n    width:100%;\r\n    height:170px;\r\n    object-fit:cover;\r\n  }\r\n  #image-info-block_57bbec20b8e084fb09fae8a456457236 h5{\r\n    text-align: center;\r\n    line-height:30px;\r\n    margin-bottom:20px;\r\n  }\r\n  #image-info-block_57bbec20b8e084fb09fae8a456457236 .imageInfoContainer{\r\n    padding:20px;\r\n  }\r\n  #image-info-block_57bbec20b8e084fb09fae8a456457236 .button{\r\n    display: block;\r\n    margin-top:15px;\r\n    margin:0 auto;\r\n    background:transparent;\r\n  }\r\n  #image-info-block_57bbec20b8e084fb09fae8a456457236 .button:hover{\r\n    background:#3BB9D5;\r\n  }\r\n<\/style>\r\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\"><div id=\"image-info-block_900dc0f2386542e0d91ec9c659dc3e7d\" class=\"imageInfoBlock aligncenter\">\r\n      <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"imageInfoImage\" src=\"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/55192391890_317d7a08d2_k-e1792091843781-1024x587.jpg\" \/>\r\n  <div class=\"imageInfoContainer\">\r\n          <div class=\"imageInfoTitle\"><h5>Shine<\/h5><\/div>\r\n        <div class=\"imageInfoText\">Bringing that light into everyday life. <br> <br> \r\n\r\nCelebrate becoming Catholic at the Easter Vigil.<br> <i>Saturday, April 15, 2028<\/i><\/div>\r\n          <a class=\"button\" href=\"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/news\/view-photos-and-videos-from-holy-week-and-easter\/\" target=\"\">Read More<\/a>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\r\n  #image-info-block_900dc0f2386542e0d91ec9c659dc3e7d{\r\n    margin-bottom:25px;\r\n    background:#F4F4F4;\r\n    max-width:350px;\r\n    width:100%;\r\n  }\r\n  #image-info-block_900dc0f2386542e0d91ec9c659dc3e7d .imageInfoImage{\r\n    width:100%;\r\n    height:170px;\r\n    object-fit:cover;\r\n  }\r\n  #image-info-block_900dc0f2386542e0d91ec9c659dc3e7d h5{\r\n    text-align: center;\r\n    line-height:30px;\r\n    margin-bottom:20px;\r\n  }\r\n  #image-info-block_900dc0f2386542e0d91ec9c659dc3e7d .imageInfoContainer{\r\n    padding:20px;\r\n  }\r\n  #image-info-block_900dc0f2386542e0d91ec9c659dc3e7d .button{\r\n    display: block;\r\n    margin-top:15px;\r\n    margin:0 auto;\r\n    background:transparent;\r\n  }\r\n  #image-info-block_900dc0f2386542e0d91ec9c659dc3e7d .button:hover{\r\n    background:#3BB9D5;\r\n  }\r\n<\/style>\r\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Contact:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Katie Giglio | Religious Education Coordinator<\/strong><br><a href=\"mailto:&#107;g&#105;gl&#105;&#111;&#64;&#115;apar&#105;&#115;h&#46;c&#111;m\" data-type=\"mailto\" data-id=\"mailto:&#107;gigl&#105;o&#64;s&#97;p&#97;r&#105;sh.&#99;&#111;&#109;\">kg&#105;g&#108;io&#64;&#115;&#97;&#112;&#97;ri&#115;h.c&#111;&#109;<\/a> | (616) 453-8229, ext. 103<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome! We&#8217;re glad you&#8217;re here. The process of becoming a member of the Catholic Church is officially known as the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, or \u201cOCIA.\u201d OCIA is a spiritual journey of conversion and discernment \u2013 it is not an academic course with tests. It is a communal process of faith formation, prayer,&#8230;<a class=\"moretag\" href=\"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/faith-formation\/becoming-catholic\/\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9096,"parent":271,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-307","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Becoming Catholic - St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/faith-formation\/becoming-catholic\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Becoming Catholic - St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Welcome! We&#8217;re glad you&#8217;re here. The process of becoming a member of the Catholic Church is officially known as the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, or \u201cOCIA.\u201d OCIA is a spiritual journey of conversion and discernment \u2013 it is not an academic course with tests. It is a communal process of faith formation, prayer,...Read More\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/faith-formation\/becoming-catholic\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-10-15T19:32:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/BC2026-1-scaled-e1775486489464.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1420\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saparish.com\\\/church\\\/faith-formation\\\/becoming-catholic\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saparish.com\\\/church\\\/faith-formation\\\/becoming-catholic\\\/\",\"name\":\"Becoming Catholic - St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saparish.com\\\/church\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saparish.com\\\/church\\\/faith-formation\\\/becoming-catholic\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saparish.com\\\/church\\\/faith-formation\\\/becoming-catholic\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saparish.com\\\/church\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/BC2026-1-scaled-e1775486489464.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-08-13T20:11:42+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-10-15T19:32:28+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saparish.com\\\/church\\\/faith-formation\\\/becoming-catholic\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/saparish.com\\\/church\\\/faith-formation\\\/becoming-catholic\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saparish.com\\\/church\\\/faith-formation\\\/becoming-catholic\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saparish.com\\\/church\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/BC2026-1-scaled-e1775486489464.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saparish.com\\\/church\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/BC2026-1-scaled-e1775486489464.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1420},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saparish.com\\\/church\\\/faith-formation\\\/becoming-catholic\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saparish.com\\\/church\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Faith Formation\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saparish.com\\\/church\\\/faith-formation\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Becoming Catholic\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saparish.com\\\/church\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saparish.com\\\/church\\\/\",\"name\":\"St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church\",\"description\":\"Grand Rapids, MI\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saparish.com\\\/church\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saparish.com\\\/church\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saparish.com\\\/church\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saparish.com\\\/church\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saparish.com\\\/church\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saparish.com\\\/church\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/b1879c959403aae54d48634d6241495b-1.jpe\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saparish.com\\\/church\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/b1879c959403aae54d48634d6241495b-1.jpe\",\"width\":788,\"height\":298,\"caption\":\"St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saparish.com\\\/church\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/channel\\\/UCJw1bLb5svj70907LkVBMJA\\\/featured\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Becoming Catholic - St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/faith-formation\/becoming-catholic\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Becoming Catholic - St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church","og_description":"Welcome! We&#8217;re glad you&#8217;re here. The process of becoming a member of the Catholic Church is officially known as the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, or \u201cOCIA.\u201d OCIA is a spiritual journey of conversion and discernment \u2013 it is not an academic course with tests. It is a communal process of faith formation, prayer,...Read More","og_url":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/faith-formation\/becoming-catholic\/","og_site_name":"St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church","article_modified_time":"2026-10-15T19:32:28+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1420,"url":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/BC2026-1-scaled-e1775486489464.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/faith-formation\/becoming-catholic\/","url":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/faith-formation\/becoming-catholic\/","name":"Becoming Catholic - St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/faith-formation\/becoming-catholic\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/faith-formation\/becoming-catholic\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/BC2026-1-scaled-e1775486489464.jpg","datePublished":"2020-08-13T20:11:42+00:00","dateModified":"2026-10-15T19:32:28+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/faith-formation\/becoming-catholic\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/faith-formation\/becoming-catholic\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/faith-formation\/becoming-catholic\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/BC2026-1-scaled-e1775486489464.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/BC2026-1-scaled-e1775486489464.jpg","width":2560,"height":1420},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/faith-formation\/becoming-catholic\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Faith Formation","item":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/faith-formation\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Becoming Catholic"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/#website","url":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/","name":"St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church","description":"Grand Rapids, MI","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/#organization","name":"St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church","url":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/b1879c959403aae54d48634d6241495b-1.jpe","contentUrl":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/b1879c959403aae54d48634d6241495b-1.jpe","width":788,"height":298,"caption":"St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCJw1bLb5svj70907LkVBMJA\/featured"]}]}},"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-10-28 00:08:03","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/307","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=307"}],"version-history":[{"count":44,"href":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/307\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9518,"href":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/307\/revisions\/9518"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/271"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9096"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/saparish.com\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=307"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}