Journeys / Curious, or no faith / Step 9 of 9
Beyond the Jordan, about the tenth hour
Two young men have started following Jesus at a distance.3 He turns round and asks them: “What seek you?”4
They answer with a question of their own: where are you staying?4 He says: “Come and see.”5
No lecture. No test. An invitation. The Gospel even remembers the time of day.
01The chain
Andrew goes to find his brother
They spent the rest of that day with him; it was “about the tenth hour.”5
One of the two was Andrew.6 The first thing he did was find his brother Simon and tell him: “We have found the Messias.”7 Then “he brought him to Jesus.”8
Simon became Peter.8
The next day it happened again. Philip told his friend Nathanael, who was sceptical: “Can any thing of good come from Nazareth?” Philip did not argue. He said: “Come and see.”
That is not a coincidence. It is how faith has always worked.
02The pattern
Faith is handed on by people
The Catechism says it plainly: the believer “has received faith from others and should hand it on to others.”1
St Paul asks: “how shall they hear without a preacher?”9 No one can proclaim the Gospel to himself: faith comes from what is heard.10
Somebody told Andrew. Andrew told Simon. Philip told Nathanael. Someone, somewhere, told you something, or you would not be reading this.
So who is your Andrew? And what on earth do you say to them?
03The practical part
Who you can talk to
A parish priest is the most natural person to start with. Phone or email the parish office and ask for a short conversation. You do not need to be Catholic, and you do not need to have decided anything.
A Catholic friend can come with you, or simply listen. If one parish does not answer, try another.
If you do not know what to say, try this
“Hi. I have been reading about the Catholic faith and I have some questions. Could we talk sometime?”
That is the whole message. You can send it as it is.
And if that first conversation goes well? Here is what can happen next, only if you want it.
04What comes next
A journey, at your pace
From the time of the apostles, becoming a Christian has been a journey in stages, which “can be covered rapidly or slowly.”2
For adults, the preparation is called the catechumenate, and it aims to bring conversion and faith to maturity, together with a parish community.1213 Of those preparing, the Church says: “With love and solicitude mother Church already embraces them as her own.”14
And you do not need to know everything first: the faith asked for at the start “is not a perfect and mature faith, but a beginning that is called to develop.”15
Two young men asked where Jesus was staying. He did not give them an address. He said three words.
Your move
Try this, this week
- Read John 1:35-46. Count how many times one person brings another.
- Find a parish near you. Use the parish finder and note the office hours.
- Send one short message. “I have some questions about the Catholic faith. Could we talk?”
- Bring a friend if you like. A Catholic friend can come with you, or simply listen.
You’ll need
- The phone number or email of a nearby parish.
- One question you want answered.
Remember You only need to ask the first question.
Optional: watch a short film
Video: How to Become Catholic | A Priest Explains, St. Patrick’s Seminary & University. Link checked 4 October 2026. Loads from YouTube (privacy-enhanced mode) only when you press play. Watch on YouTube
What this video covers (summarized from the publisher’s description, not a transcript): Fr. Jerome Magat walks through the Church’s process of initiation for adults, known as OCIA, and the spiritual journey of conversion that comes with it, for the unbaptized, baptized Christians and the simply curious.
What the Church teaches on this: The catechumenate aims at bringing conversion and faith to maturity, in union with an ecclesial community. CCC 1248
Videos come from faithful Catholic teachers. Where a video and this page differ in wording, the Catechism and Scripture cited here are the authority.
If this is hard
If reaching out feels hard, or a past conversation with a church went badly, it is fine to start small: one email, one question. If one parish does not answer, try another. A good priest will be glad you asked.
Two questions people ask
Do I have to be baptized already to talk to a priest?
No: the Church welcomes those preparing for Baptism, and the catechumenate exists for adults on that path.12 The Church says of catechumens: “With love and solicitude mother Church already embraces them as her own.”14
Only one thing to do
Your one next step
Copy the short message above and send it to one parish this week. One message. Asking commits you to nothing.
Find a parish near youStep 9 of 9 · Curious, or no faith
Ready for a next step? See how adults become Catholic, or visit a Mass without any pressure.
Take it with you
Printable one-page cardDownload card (A4 PDF)Download card (US Letter PDF)Short link: stoneandincense-preview.pages.dev/go/cu9
Notes
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 166. vatican.va
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1229. vatican.va
- John 1:37, Douay-Rheims. read the chapter
- John 1:38, Douay-Rheims. read the chapter
- John 1:39, Douay-Rheims. read the chapter
- John 1:40, Douay-Rheims. read the chapter
- John 1:41, Douay-Rheims. read the chapter
- John 1:42, Douay-Rheims. read the chapter
- Romans 10:14, Douay-Rheims. read the chapter
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 875. vatican.va
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 2179. vatican.va
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1247. vatican.va
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1248. vatican.va
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1249. vatican.va
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1253. vatican.va
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1233. vatican.va
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 168. vatican.va
Excerpts from the English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for use in the United States of America Copyright © 1994, United States Catholic Conference, Inc. – Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Used with Permission. English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church: Modifications from the Editio Typica copyright © 1997, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops – Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Scripture: Douay-Rheims, Challoner revision (public domain). Early Christian writers: Ante-Nicene Fathers (1885, public domain). Video: “How to Become Catholic | A Priest Explains,” St. Patrick’s Seminary & University, supporting material, not a teaching source.
Scenes marked “Imagine” are an invitation to picture the moment, not a historical record. Stone & Incense restates Church teaching in plain words; our wording is not an official Church text. Report an error.