Ask a Franciscan

Closeup of Saint Joseph statue

Two Feasts for Saint Joseph?

On March 19, we celebrate Saint Joseph, husband of Mary. On May 1, we celebrate Saint Joseph the Worker. Why are there two feasts for the same saint?

The worldwide Church has long honored St. Joseph, and his feast entered the worldwide calendar in 1324. The feast of St. Joseph the Worker was added in 1955.

Read More →
Person sitting down and holding her head in sadness

Handling Post-Abortion Guilt

I have had two abortions. My friend at work told me that the Catholic faith can help me with the massive guilt that I feel. Please tell me how. Thanks for writing. You are not alone in realizing that an ...
Read More →

Nurturing a Franciscan Spirituality

I need some practical advice for how to live and grow in Franciscan spirituality as a layperson. Because I am not close to a Secular Franciscan group, I need to do this on my own.
Read More →

Is Agnosticism a Sin?

I know that being an atheist is looked down upon, but I want to know if being an agnostic is a sin.
Read More →
A religious painting

Why Does God Make the Devil So Powerful?

If God created the angel Lucifer, who failed God through pride, why didn't God simply dump him in hell instead of allowing him to torment and wreck so many human lives? Isn't God more powerful than Satan? I have heard ...
Read More →
statue of a hand and water

Understanding the Term ‘Born Again’

Q. The term born again has become very popular among many Christians now, but I am not sure of its meaning. I suspect that it is misused or misunderstood by many people who proudly use it. Also, we read in ...
Read More →

How Can Mary Be the ‘Mother of God’?

In the second part of the Hail Mary, we say, "Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen." My fundamentalist brother wants to know how Mary can be the mother ...
Read More →

Ask a Franciscan

Do you have a question for Father Pat McCloskey, OFM? The author of our popular "Ask a Franciscan" feature is ready to answer your toughest questions!

Name
Checkboxes

In order to provide you the content requested, we need to store and process your personal data. If you consent to us storing your personal data for this purpose, please tick the checkbox below.

Information Consent