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Illustration of the holy Eucharist

Why Closed Communion?

April 22, 2024
I am in the process of becoming a Catholic but am having difficulty accepting closed Communion.
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Person standing in front of a grave with flowers

A Deep Wound

February 26, 2020
How could God take my precious son at age 43 and yet allow rotten people who have stopped believing in God to keep on living? My son was a great Catholic and spent eight years in Catholic schools.
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Statue in a church

Franciscan or Roman Catholic?

January 29, 2020
I like what I read in St. Anthony Messenger and enjoy other products from Franciscan Media. One question keeps coming back to me: Are you Franciscan or Roman Catholic? I ask this because these days I feel much closer to ...
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Father Stephen Saffron, parish administrator, elevates the Eucharist during a Tridentine Mass at St. Josaphat Church in the Queens borough of New York City in this July 18, 2021, file photo. The Vatican's Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments has responded to bishops' questions about Pope Francis' July document limiting use of pre-Vatican II Mass. Among the clarifications was that confirmations and ordinations are not permitted to be celebrated according to the older rites. (CNS photo/Gregory A. Shemitz)

Why the Push for a Latin Mass?

November 27, 2019
There seems to be a push to return to the Latin Mass and all its implications. Our parish has become very divided when this was imposed on us with refusal of Communion in the hand, reintroduction of Communion rails, and ...
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Person sitting with back against the wall on the bed holding coffee

Grieving Family Members

August 2, 2019
Q. For six years, I was the sole caregiver of my mom and my aunt. They died eight weeks apart. I miss them so much; they were my best friends, and we did everything together. I still grieve their deaths, especially ...
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Can Laypeople Give Blessings?

October 24, 2018
Can someone give a blessing to a sick friend, or a birthday blessing, a blessing at a meal, or on other occasions? Does the person need the permission of the local bishop?
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Artwork of Jesus Christ surrounded by people

Jesus and Slavery

September 23, 2018
I have been a Catholic from birth but often have questions about some of the issues we are facing today, such as the evils associated with slavery. The Romans had slaves, but is there any evidence that Jesus condemned that ...
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Do you have a question for Father Pat McCloskey, OFM? The author of St. Anthony Messenger’s popular “Ask a Franciscan” column is ready to answer your toughest questions!

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