Dear Sean:

If your father baptized you correctly, that is, with water pouring over your skin (head), or immersion in water, and in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, (Trinity as defined by the Church -- Mormons have a different defintion of the Trinity and thus their baptism are not valid) with the intention of doing a true baptism, then you are probably validly, but illicitly, baptized.

The problem is proving this baptism. The Church may want to give you what is called a "conditional baptism". This is essentially a baptism "just in case" your previous one was not valid. I had to have a conditional baptism when I became Catholic because I could not produce proof of my baptism in the Baptist Church.

You do not mention whether or not your father was Catholic and intended this to be a baptism as a Catholic, or if you were raised Catholic. Those validly baptized in various non-Catholic fellowships are not in communion with the Catholic Church and thus may not receive the Eucharist. One must be baptized AND in communion with the Catholic Church, as well as properly disposed in a State of Grace, to receive the Eucharist.

Properly disposition means that one must attend to the Sacrament of Confession whenever one gravely sins. To receive the Eucharist when one is not properly disposed or not in communion with the Church commits an extremely serious grave sin called sacrilege. St. Paul said that some people are sick and some even die when they receive the Eucharist without proper disposition and refuse to be properly disposed.

Those not baptized in the Catholic Church, but validly baptized somewhere else, may come into full communion with the Catholic Church through the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Because of the irregularity of your baptism, you need to immediately contact your parish priest and discuss this with him, and arrange to be Confirmed. In the meantime, I would recommend refraining from receiving the Eucharist until your status in the Church is affirmed.

As for being "truly Catholic" you do not decide for yourself. The Church decides that. To be "truly" Catholic, that is, in full communion with the Catholic Church, you must be validly baptized, believe all that Catholics are bound to believe, and, at your age, confirmed. If a person were to deliberately refuse to be confirmed then that person is sinning by that rebellion and will not be in a State of Grace and thus cannot receive the Eucharist.

What you need to do as soon as possible is contact your local parish priest and arrange to have your baptism affirmed, or if necessary to receive a conditional baptism, and also arrange to be confirmed.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary