When Couples Divorce
Pat McCloskey, OFM
August 28, 2026
What happens when a couple divorces? One person may not want a divorce but is unable to stop it in a state where there is a nofault divorce law.
Posts from:
Pat McCloskey, OFM
Pat McCloskey, OFM, is the Franciscan advisor for St. Anthony Messenger and the writer of its "Ask a Franciscan" column.
Can People Who Choose Cremation Go to Heaven?
Pat McCloskey, OFM
August 27, 2026
My aunt says that her parish priest told her that God will not raise at the Last Judgment anyone who has chosen to be cremated. Is that true? If so, why?
‘I Am Consumed with Guilt and Sorrow’
Pat McCloskey, OFM
August 26, 2026
Q. I am feeling very guilty. I was driving my car and accidentally hit a man with my side mirror. I never saw him, and I don’t know if he stepped in front of me or not. The only reason I know he was hit was my side mirror flipped in, and I heard the snap. I immediately pulled over and asked the man if he was OK.
Mass on Saturdays
Pat McCloskey, OFM
August 25, 2026
When did Saturday night Mass for Sunday start to be allowed?
First, please remember that Judaism in Jesus’ day considered that a “day ” began with sunset of the previous day. Jewish feasts still follow that custom. Although some Christians accepted this calculation for their own celebrations, most people considered a “day ” to go from midnight to midnight.
St. Francis and the Eucharist
Pat McCloskey, OFM
August 24, 2026
What did the Eucharist mean to St. Francis? How did he express his devotion to it?
How Can a Mass Be Offered for a Single Person?
Pat McCloskey, OFM
August 21, 2026
If every sacrifice of the Mass is offered for the Church, how can people request individual intentions?
Why Two Judgments?
Pat McCloskey, OFM
August 20, 2026
In parochial school, I learned that there is a particular judgment when a person dies and that there will also be a general judgment at the end of the world. Why?