warning: the Chads (even the married ones) will be getting all the attention from the single females

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3866100&forum_id=2#35201086)

If you can't find documentation of your baptism, you should get conditionally rebaptised using the old Latin formula.

So the best first step is to contact a parish office and ask to speak in person to a priest, stating you want to become Catholic, also that you want to begin the process of catechesis, baptism, first confession, and confirmation.

I personally wouldn't do RCIA because nowadays it's very modernist. People on Catholic forums complain a lot about how pluralist/liberal it is with more emphasis on religious tolerance than the Catholic faith (which is not, you know, very tolerant). So try to feel out how the priest thinks... is he traditionally minded? Is he willing to work with you one-on-one with resources such as the Baltimore Catechism? I was even given some old Catholic books from the 1940s/50s, which was kind of a golden age for Catholicism in America because it went from being a working-class immigrant faith to mainstream suburbia. Point: try to have one-on-one catechesis.

Once you've got the basics down the priest will begin preparing you for conditional rebaptism. Ask for the Latin formula, which has a lot of question/response in English and you reading things in Latin.

Then at some point after, it's time for first confession. You need to do this with a validly ordained priest, NOT one who was ordained in the 1969 Rite of Ordination, which is not valid. This is where being in the Northeast is good because there are still some old priests who were ordained before that time. Make a point of looking for this.

Same thing with finding out who will be doing the confirmation - was the bishop ordained as a priest before 1969? Just about impossible to find this outside the northeast.

Also obtain a rosary and recite it daily. Do not recite the "luminous mysteries".

Obtain a gold crucifix necklace with gold chain. Wear it constantly. The crucifix should have the figure of Christ's body on it.

Obtain a wall crucifix (again with Christ's figure on it) and hang it in your home.

Obtain images of Jesus, the Blessed Virgin, Joseph, and other saints you like for display in your home. Maybe patron saints for things you care about. For example, I have one for St. Dymphna (I have personality problems) and one for St. Thomas Aquinas (I work in education).

Obtain a scapular and wear it constantly.

You do not need these things blessed by a priest. Just start using them.

Obtain a Douay-Rheims Bible and look at some online resources to guide your reading, or just go straight through.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3866100&forum_id=2#35201135)

the whole "ordinations after 1969 aren't valid" thing is a rather serious charge to make against the Church

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3866100&forum_id=2#35201208)

Yeah it's pretty serious but accurate and in line with Catholic teaching. And much more charitable than some of the things Francis has said.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3866100&forum_id=2#35201231)

What should happen is that the priest will discuss with you something along the lines of: What was the religion of your family? What have you thought in the past about God, Jesus, the Catholic Church, sin, heaven and hell? What's the source of your interest in Catholicism at this time?

It's fine to bring up current political issues, what you observe around you, or psychological/emotional needs, if those are what's relevant. The priest, if he's good at what he does, will then maybe assign some simple reading, and have you recite some prayers with him. Then afterward other meetings will be set up where he will perhaps review what was read with questions and answers, maybe like a Socratic method... it varies with the quality of the priest. I was very fortunate to have a more traditional-minded young priest.

Later on the priest should help you memorize the most well-known Catholic prayers (Hail Mary, Our Father Prayer, Glory Prayer). These prayers form the rosary, which the priest can help you memorize.

As for reading:

Starting right from the Book of Genesis is certainly good, but I think looking at the Baltimore Catechism is a good introduction to the concepts of Catholicism and might be more accessible to someone with your background. I really liked it and my own background isn't secular anyway. I was given a copy by my priest and he told me what to read for discussion at each meeting. But feel free to start reading on your own.

And/or a good starting point is the Gospel of John because its structure is more accessible, too. It outlines Jesus's nature as the Word of God, the Son of God, the Light of the World, and so on - of Jesus as God, which is bedrock to Catholicism and makes us distinct from Unitarianism, Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, and other heresy you might come across.

Jesus is a personal deity, true God and true man, consubstantial with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. This is the Holy Trinity - again, a non-negotiable bedrock of the Catholic faith, and a very fierce point of contention with Islam and Judaism.

(edit)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3866100&forum_id=2#35207609)

all that shit seems worthless if you're going to, say, live in a country with no catholic churches and continue to commit mortal sin such as engaging in homosexual sex

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3866100&forum_id=2#35208815)

and sacramentals are never worthless, but of course you would think that.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3866100&forum_id=2#35209503)

join the orthodox church that's growing stronger every day in this country. no shitlibs, no fraudulent charismatic preachers, just the church of god unbroken since being created by apostles of jesus himself (sadly, it's now clear the latin church was broken by vatican II).

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3866100&forum_id=2#35201559)

That said I don't see a ton of this at my parish, which is mostly families and relatively lacking in young adult stuff (at least, young adult stuff I can take part in).

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3866100&forum_id=2#35203005)