Path to Orthodoxy: Catechumen Program at St. Nicholas
Congratulations on your interest in becoming a member of the Orthodox Church! In the Orthodox Christian Church, we become united to Christ like a bride is to her groom. Becoming a member of the Orthodox Church, then, is the process of preparing ourselves for that wedding feast.
Becoming a member of the Orthodox Church is not a 'casual' process that ought to be taken lightly. Nor is it a journey that a person ought to rush through. In the early Church, the catechumen period leading up to Baptism took three years. While it is rare for it to take quite that long today, it remains a process that unfolds over a period of time.
Preparing to become a member of the Body of Christ is also, crucially, a process that can only take place within the lived community of the local parish. Many people who become interested in Orthodox Christianity today spend long periods of time researching the Orthodox faith online, often through podcasts or on YouTube, before ever visiting their local parish. While there is certainly value to some of these sources of information, your journey into the Orthodox faith does not really begin until you step through the doors of your local parish.
Here at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, we have structured the journey into the Orthodox Church according to the following steps:
Step One: Visitors
Using the metaphor of a marriage, this first step is the moment when you have laid eyes on the groom. Throughout this metaphor, we will use the traditional language according to which Christ is the groom, and we as the Church are his bride (the word for 'Church' in Greek, Ecclesia, is grammatically feminine). You do not necessarily know who he is yet, but you have seen him, and perhaps been captivated by him.
Your first step on the road into the Orthodox faith is simply showing up. This means visiting the Church for services, especially on Sunday mornings. Your goal at this point is simply to observe the community in action. You are not expected, at this point, to have made a decision about wanting to become a member. Nor should you expect to learn everything there is to know about the Orthodox faith in great detail at this point. There will be plenty of time for that later.
You are welcome, and encouraged, to begin attending the Agape Meal after the Divine Liturgy on Sunday mornings at this point. During that meal, you will have the opportunity to meet members of our community and to hear their stories.
Holy Communion, which is the wedding feast itself, is reserved for those who are already full members of the Orthodox Church. Just as you wouldn't consummate a marriage with a person to whom you haven't been married, so too we are united with Christ through Holy Communion only after we have been received as members of His Body. At the end of the Divine Liturgy, antidoron is distributed, which is bread that has been blessed, but is not Holy Communion. You are welcome to receive and eat a piece of that antidoron.
When you have attended Sunday services for at least a few months and feel ready to take the next step, contact the priest to set up a meeting so that he can get to know you and guide you as you move forward in the process.
Step Two: Inquirers
Continuing the marriage metaphor, this is the period of courtship. At this point in a relationship, you may not have made a decision regarding a life-long relationship, but you are getting to know the other person, and exploring the possibilities.
At this point in the process, it is appropriate for you to ask questions about anything that may have come up so far that you don't understand. You still shouldn't expect to learn everything at this point (just as in any relationship, there will always be more to learn). You are welcome (but not required) to begin attending Adult Ed courses that are being offered at the time.
If you have not already, you are encouraged at this point to join our email list so that you will get the most up-to-date information and services and events. You are also encouraged during this time to begin using an Orthodox prayer book at home in order to practice prayer as Orthodox Christians have for generations.
You should stay as an inquirer for at least three months before moving on to the next step. During that time, you should start moving away from any faith group of which you may have been a member previously. When you feel that you are ready to become a catechumen, let the priest know that you would like to schedule catechumen prayers.
Step Three: Catechumens
This is the period of betrothal, or engagement. You have declared your intent to unite yourself to Christ in the Orthodox Church. You might not have a date set yet. You might not know all the details yet. But you're officially engaged in the process.
This part of the journey begins with Catechumen Prayers, which are offered on Sundays following Divine Liturgy. From a Sacramental point of view, the Catechumen Prayers are what mark the beginning of your journey into the Church. These prayers are the same ones that are used directly before the Baptism of an infant.
The catechumenate is a period of learning (Gr.: katechesis). While you still will not come out of catechesis with an exhaustive knowledge of the Orthodox faith, you should gain during this period enough of an understanding to know that you are making an informed decision. The primary aspect of your time as a catechumen is attendance at our Introduction to Orthodoxy class, which runs every year from September through Easter. The class lays a foundation for your understanding of the practices, history, and teachings of the Orthodox Church.
Throughout this journey, regular attendance at Sunday services (and other services as able) is key. In addition, you should begin thinking about the answers to two questions: 1) Who is my patron Saint going to be? and 2) Who is my sponsor going to be? The sponsor can be any Orthodox Christian in good standing, whether a member of our parish or a different Orthodox parish. The patron Saint is a special intercessor for you, whose life you can learn from, and whose name you will use whenever receiving Sacraments in the Church.
While the early Church practiced a catechumenate lasting for three years, today it is typical for the catechumen period to last approximately one year. When you feel ready, talk to the priest about scheduling a date for your reception into the Church.
Step Four: Those Being Made Ready for Holy Illumination
Beginning at the fourth week of Holy Lent, special prayers are added to the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts "for those who are being made ready for Holy Illumination." This refers specifically to those catechumens who are scheduled to be received into the Church on that coming Holy Saturday, the day before Easter. Even if you are being received at a different time of year, the month preceding your reception into the Church marks a special time of preparation. In our marriage metaphor, we could say that the date has now been set, and the final preparations are being made for the feast.
At this time, you should finalize your decisions regarding your Patron Saint and your sponsor. Communicate these decisions to the priest so that he can make sure everything is in order. If the Introduction to Orthodox Christianity class is still ongoing, make sure that you continue attending faithfully.
The evening before your reception into the Church, you should pray the Prayers of Preparation for Holy Communion, and begin a complete fast (health permitting) at midnight. This is because you will receive Holy Communion for the first time at your reception into the Church.
Step Five: Reception into the Orthodox Church
The day for the feast has now come. While you will continue learning more and more about the Orthodox faith throughout your life, the period of formal learning is now finished.
As mentioned above, you should read the Prayers of Preparation for Holy Communion the evening before your reception into the Church, and begin a total fast (health permitting) at midnight.
In accordance with the Holy Canons and the Regulations of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Denver, converts to the Orthodox faith who have not yet been Baptized are received into the Church through Baptism, while those who have already been Baptized in water "In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" by a Christian group with a belief in the Holy Trinity will have their Baptism completed through the Sacrament of Holy Chrismation.
After your Baptism, Chrismation, and reception of Holy Communion, you will be given a Baptismal Certificate marking your entry into the Orthodox Church. This is an important document with legal significance in Greece and other Orthodox countries, and it should be kept in a secure place.
Step Six: The Newly Illumined
Anyone who has been married will tell you that the journey does not end on the day of the wedding. Instead, it is after the wedding that the real work of maintaining and growing a healthy, loving relationship begins in earnest. So too, in our journey of entry into the Church, much of the of work of growing into a mature Christian begins after we have been received into the Church.
For the first three Divine Liturgies that you attend following your reception, you should bring your Baptismal candle and receive Holy Communion before the rest of the congregation. Afterwards, you can either store the candle as a keepsake, or burn it down; do not simply throw it away.
While you have now completed the Introduction to Orthodox Christianity class, you are encouraged to continue attending other Adult Ed classes that are being offered at our parish. There is a lot to learn in the Orthodox faith, and you are encouraged to continue reading and growing in your understanding.
Every Orthodox Christian is expected to come to Confession at least once a year. Most people benefit from coming more frequently than that. Once during each of the four major fasting periods of the Church year is a good place to start for most people. Confessions are heard on Saturday evenings following Great Vespers, or by appointment.
