Pat McCloskey, OFM

The Catholic Church teaches that we have a body and a soul. When do we receive our souls? Is it at the moment of conception?

As a child, I was taught to pray: “Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.” If this prayer hastened my returning to God, should I have been taught to say it?

My daughter-in-law’s brother is in a committed gay relationship and is going to be the father of a child carried by a woman who will allow the two men to adopt the baby.

Many years ago, as a child of 11 or 12, I read a book on Fatima. At the end of the book was a pledge called a heroic act where persons pledged to give all the indulgences they earned during life and after death to the souls in purgatory.

When I grew up I learned what or to whom each month of the year was dedicated. A lot of years have passed. Can you tell me if the months still have a special dedication? How are they dedicated?

What steps does the Church follow in recognizing saints? How do Servants of God and Venerables differ?

What is the meaning of eucharistic adoration in the Church? I have been attending such adoration in the past year and would like to know about it. It makes me feel good to attend. Does it carry a special blessing?