This article describes the whole process by which the Roman Catholic church brings new adult members into its communal life. The process culminates with baptism at Easter Vigil, which is both preceded and followed by periods of instruction and spiritual formation.
Once upon a time, in the not too distant past, adults who wanted to join the Catholic church went through six weeks of "convert instructions" and were baptized quietly on a Sunday afternoon in a dark church with a few relatives...
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