Ask a Franciscan

Who besides St. Francis of Assisi and St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina have received the stigmata, the marks of Christ’s five wounds? Have any women received the stigmata?

What do the four stages in the canonization process (servant of God, venerable, blessed and saint) mean?

Were all the apostles single men when they began to follow Jesus? Is there anything in the Bible on this? Is that why the Catholic Church ordains only single men?

After John described Jesus as the “Lamb of God” (Jn 1:36), Andrew and another disciple left John to follow Jesus. Was John the Baptist having doubts about who Jesus was?

Aren’t immigration laws as binding as all other laws? Even though someone can campaign to change a law, isn’t that person obliged to obey all current laws?

We decided to get married before God but privately. We knelt down before a crucifix and made our wedding vows before God. Have we committed a sin and, if so, what should we do?