Ask a Franciscan
Are the Knights of Columbus Anti-gay?
Pat McCloskey, OFM
May 20, 2026
Q. I recently heard that the Knights of Columbus spent over $500,000 on anti-gay literature. Where is this hatred of gays coming from? Also, can my local pastor refuse me Communion at Mass if I tell him that I am a member of Call to Action?
Mary as ‘Mirror of Justice’
Pat McCloskey, OFM
May 19, 2026
I pray the rosary and the Litany of Loreto daily for world peace and the end of abortion. What does the litany’s invocation ‘mirror of justice’ mean?
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Widowed Deacons
Pat McCloskey, OFM
May 18, 2026
A Catholic neighbor recently told me her parish priest said that if a deacon’s wife dies, the Church forbids him from marrying again. What is the reasoning behind this Church ruling?
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‘Is Every Encyclical Infallible?’
Pat McCloskey, OFM
May 15, 2026
I know that the pope’s infallibility is not a personal trait but is part of his office as the successor of St. Peter. Even so, is every encyclical infallible?
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Why We Should Pray the Rosary
Pat McCloskey, OFM
May 14, 2026
Both my children, graduates of Catholic schools, are studying the Bible and want to know where it says that we should to pray the rosary to honor Mary, the mother of Jesus.
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The Oldest Marian Shrine
Pat McCloskey, OFM
May 13, 2026
What is the oldest Marian shrine in the United States?
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Coping With a Mother’s Death
Pat McCloskey, OFM
May 12, 2026
Does God have a specific minute for us to die—known to God before each of us is born?
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