How to Worship in the Catholic Church
Are you interested in worshiping in the Catholic Church? In this article, I will discuss how to worship in the Catholic Church, even if you are not a member.
The Catholic Church actively encourages non-Catholics to worship with them as much as they like. Non-Catholics are welcome to attend any Catholic sacrament or prayer service that they like.
If you are interested to see what types of worship are available at the Catholic Church, check the “bulletin”, a weekly pamphlet given out by the parish detailing the various worshiping activities.
Some of the most common of these activities are the following:
The Eucharist: This is the most common activity at parishes, and in it, Catholics participate in the Last Supper, when Jesus offered his body as a sacrifice of atonement for sins.
Eucharistic Adoration: Often, Catholics will pray in front of the Holy Eucharist, simply speaking to Christ non-verbally or quietly. There is a short set of communal prayers at the beginning and end, but even if you don’t know them, you can still participate easily.
The Rosary: In this prayer, Catholics say a number of prayers while meditating on the important moments of the lives of both Jesus and Mary. There will usually be “how to pray the rosary” pamphlets at the back of the church, and people will usually be happy to help. If you don’t have a rosary, someone may be willing to lend you one and the priest will have some extras if you ask.
The Stations of the Cross: In this prayer, people follow the fourteen stations detailing components of Jesus’ trial and death and pray a selection of prayers and meditations. If you can’t find a “how to pray the stations of the cross” book in the church (they’re less common than the rosary ones), just Google it before you go or ask someone once you’re there.
Pilgrimages: Pilgrimages are trips that people take to holy sites, sometimes in the same city and sometimes as far away as Israel. They will often include trips to shrines, which honor particular saints, relics, or other places of religious significance.
As you can see, even non-Catholics have a wide range of worshiping options in the Catholic Church. The one thing the Church asks is that non-Catholics not receive the sacraments, meaning that, in the case of Eucharist, that they not eat the bread or drink the wine. In order to participate in worship in this way, speak to the priest about the “RCIA” or “Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults” program.