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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 traditional hymns replaced by Latin ones. Our bishop seems to favor these changes. People are leaving our parish.
Sometimes at night I cry about my own death and the afterlife. At 17, I don’t want to make wrong choices (especially about chastity). Why am I so worried about death and the afterlife?
Thanks for writing. I hope you find this reply helpful. As someone who taught high school students for 16 years full-time and three more years part-time, I appreciate that you find death scary. At age 71, I’m probably closer to death than you are.
My wife and I do not feel comfortable discussing this with our parish priest and hope you can provide some guidance. As cradle Catholics, we find it very difficult to continue in our Catholic faith because of repeated reports of abuse of children by pedophile priests. Despite these reports, there is no definitive action mostly lip service. Pope Francis should declare these behaviors unacceptable and inconsistent with Christ’s teachings.
I am the only practicing Catholic in my family of birth and my husband’s. My only nephew may soon “come out ” to our overseas family about his homosexuality and same-sex relationship. We will be visiting his family soon. How do I respond if my nephew asks me directly how I feel about his sexual orientation and same-sex marriage? I want to be true to my faith and still be a loving aunt without appearing to condone his lifestyle.
He will always be your nephew, a man created and loved by God. His “coming out ” does not change that.
Do Catholics take seriously the corporal work of mercy to visit those in prison? Do Catholic parishes and colleges or universities have this on their radar?
First, students at law schools in some Catholic universities have participated in “innocence projects ” that have led courts to release certain prisoners who did not commit the crime for which they have been found guilty and imprisoned. Some parishes have prison ministry groups.
“Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature, ” Jesus told his apostles (Mk 16:15). Christianity has been doing that ever since.
I have a very rare and painful illness that has left me handicapped. I have trouble finding rides to doctors’ offices and to church.
Consequently, I feel very disconnected from my parish in which I once served as a catechist and director of religious education. I do some adult education from my home. My chemo schedule makes attending weekend Masses problematic, but I could go to some weekday Masses if I had a ride. Any suggestions?
