Welcome Home is an Order of Christian Initiation for Adults program for people 18 years and older at Immaculate Heart of Mary. 

There are two different courses.  Please read below to determine which course is best for you.

The first course is for people in two different situations:

1. Have not been baptized - also known as a catechumen. 
2. Have been baptized but have not received Confirmation or 1st Holy Communion - also known as a candidate. 

Classes for these students began on August 26, 2025 at 6:30 pm. Classes are held on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm in the church.  Students pay a registration fee of $75 and will receive a Catholic Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church and a three-ring binder with all 38 lessons plus many more resources.  Registration is now closed.  

Classes will be held most Tuesday evenings from August 26, 2025 to April 28, 2026 with the exception of Thanksgiving week, the last two weeks of December for the Christmas break and Holy Week. Most of the classes are taught by our clergy (priests and deacons) except for a couple of classes.  We start and end every class with prayer. The guest instructor for the evening will present the lesson and then at approximately 7:25 pm, the class will break off into small groups for questions and discussion. Once a month, we will have a fellowship dinner meal provided by IHM for all the students to join us and break bread.  This meal is held in the parish hall starting at 5:30 pm before one of the classes.  The monthly meals are optional for students.

There will be two retreats during the year.  There will be a retreat on prayer on Saturday, November 1 from 10:30 am to 1 pm in the church. In the spring of 2026 on March 7, we will host a retreat from 9 am to 3 pm at Mother Cabrini Shrine in Golden as many of the students will be preparing to receive their sacraments.  

Registration closed on Wednesday, October 1, 2025.   Check back on this website for details of when the next course will be offered. 


Confirmation Class
The second course is for people who have been baptized and received 1st Holy Communion but are in need of the Sacrament of Confirmation. The course will be offered from January 15, 2026 to February 12, 2026.  Registration will open on December 1, 2025. 

These students should have a good understanding of Scripture and the Catholic faith.  They must be attending Mass on a regular weekly basis and receiving the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Communion on a regular basis in order to be accepted into the Confirmation course. Otherwise, if they have not been practicing the Catholic faith, receiving the Sacraments, attending Mass, etc., they will be assigned to the catechumen/candidate course mentioned above. 

Students in the confirmation class will need to provide their baptism and 1st Holy Communion certificates, select a saint for their Confirmation name and select a sponsor who is a practicing Catholic (per the Archdiocese of Denver guidelines).  

The class would follow the teachings in the Catechism of the Catholic Church Article 2 pages 325-333, pages 80-81 of the Compendium, the Didache Bible pages 1306-07 and lessons from the current curriculum over a five-week period including the following topics:

1. Overview of the Kerygma
   1. God has a plan for your life
   2. Sin interrupts that plan and separates you from God
   3. Jesus Christ died and rose so that you could be forgiven of these sins and be united to God in heaven.
   4. Through faith and his Church, you can be united to God forever.
2. Confirmation in the Economy of Salvation
3. The signs and the Rite of Confirmation
4. The effects of Confirmation
5. Who can receive this Sacrament
6. The Minister of Confirmation
7. Prayer
8. Holiness
9. Mission (What’s Next)

Classes will be held Thursdays in 2026 on January 15, 22, 29, February 5 and 12 starting at 6:30 pm in the Holy Family Room. The class will be ninety minutes in length.  Deacon Paul Louderman will be teaching this course.  The cost for this course is $25.  Registration will open on December 1, 2025.  Check back for specific registration details in late November, 2025. 


But what if I'm a practicing Catholic and just want to audit one of the classes?
Yes, you can register when registration opens again for either class.   In the meantime, IHM has a fantastic adult faith formation program with several classes.  For more information, go to https://ihmco.org/adult-faith-formation or contact Tyler Eberle, Director of Evangelization and Communications at [email protected] for more information. 

If you have any questions, please contact Deacon Paul at [email protected] or Deacon Jerome at [email protected].

If you are thinking about becoming Catholic, here is a step-by-step guide to learn more.  Click here.