Becoming Catholic

“To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love, For it is in giving that we receive. . .”
~ from The Prayer of Saint Francis

  • Have you experienced a desire for greater meaning and purpose in your life... a deeper sense of belonging to something bigger than yourself?
  • Thinking of joining the Catholic Church?
  • Are you wondering what the Catholic faith is all about? OR Do you know someone who is asking questions?
  • Have you been worshiping with us, and now is the time to officially take the step to become Catholic?
  • Have you joined us from a different background and would now like to find out more about the Catholic Church?

Holy Cross welcomes you to discover the depth and beauty of our Catholic faith - founded 2,000 years ago by Jesus Christ and embraced by more than 1.2 billion people across the globe.

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is a communal process of spiritual and educational formation for adults who seek to become full members of the Roman Catholic Church through a conversion of mind and heart. The process is open to all persons, regardless of religious background or philosophical persuasion, who genuinely seek, by God’s grace, to live their lives in the distinctive Catholic Christian faith.

If you are interested or have questions, please contact the Holy Cross Church Parish Office at 503.289.2834.


Word on Fire, Bishop Robert Barron's website

Resources used for RCIA sessions include:

Prayer Aids online:

Best Catholic Books List

  • Catechism of the Catholic Church
  • The Imitation of Christ Thomas a Kempis
  • The Confessions of St. Augustine Augustine of Hippo
  • The Seven Storey Mountain Thomas Merton
  • Dark Night of the Soul St. John of the Cross
  • Crossing the Threshold of Hope St. John Paul II
  • Interior Castle St. Teresa of Avila
  • St. Thomas Aquinas: The Dumb Ox G.K. Chesterton
  • The Long Loneliness Dorothy Day