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My middle-aged daughter recently told me that there is no purgatory, that the Catholic Church made that up.

I am the youngest in a large family. Many of my siblings suffered physical or verbal abuse from our father when we were growing up. Although he has abused our mother verbally and continues to do so, she has stayed with him all these years. They are now in their 80s.

In reading the Bible, I’m noticing numerous references to the number three or sets of three. For example, the three calls of Samuel, three temptations of Jesus in the desert, the Trinity, three days in the tomb, Jesus’ three-year ministry, 33 when he died!

I will be attending a family wedding in an Orthodox church. May I receive Communion during the wedding Mass?

Can you tell me anything about the pilgrim statue of Our Lady of Fatima? I’ve been to Fatima and am very interested in the statue which I see mentioned in our Catholic paper as being at various churches. What is the significance of it?

I have trouble placing mortification in perspective. I have heard that St. Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer advised, “Choose mortifications that don’t mortify others.” What does that mean?

Why is Ash Wednesday 40 days before Easter? What is the significance of the number 40? I know that it is used many times in the Bible (for example, Jesus was in the desert 40 days and 40 nights).

How can I learn more about the Church and where I could be useful, other than taking up pew space?

Is competing in a boxing or karate competition wrong? Am I sinning by training my body and mind to defeat my opponents? By risking injury to myself?

What are the requirements for being a godparent? Do both godparents have to be Catholic? Must there be a man and a woman? Can godparents be changed later if the first ones turn out not to be very good role models?