Pope Francis presided at the Christmas Mass during the Night in St. Peter’s Basilica the evening of Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020. In recent years, this Mass has been celebrated at 9:30 p.m. Because of pandemic restrictions, the Mass was rescheduled to 7:30 p.m. Rome is seven hours ahead of us, so I was able to watch the Mass as it began at 12:30 p.m., well before my 4 p.m. vigil Mass. I turned to the Vatican’s English translation of the pope’s homily, and discovered that, toward the end, he quoted an American poet. Read More

Do I, how do I, approach and give alms to all those men and women on street corners with “homeless” signs? I am so conflicted.— Bill from Springfield Read More

While I understand that God does not need our prayers, my confessor assured me that I still need to say them. While I believe this, will you explain in greater detail why this is true? — Paula in Springfield Read More

Can a godparent be replaced? My sibling is godparent to two of my children and has done something terrible to me and my family and we no longer have a relationship and wondered if it is possible to make a change?— Anonymous in our diocese Read More

In the wake of announcements from multiple pharmaceutical companies about safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines, many are expressing ethical doubts about whether it is OK to take these vaccines. Do Catholics have a moral duty to decline an inoculation if it was unethically produced using a cell line that came from an abortion? The short answer is “no.” This has been discussed and explained in several magisterial church documents in recent years. Read More

“Everybody wants to go to Heaven, but nobody wants to die.” I remember hearing the chorus of a song with these words and they often come to mind when I consider the topic of death. Nobody will disagree that we will only be admitted to Heaven after we die, and while the prospect of being in Heaven is appealing, the getting there is not. Why are we so afraid of dying? To be sure, there are many reasons, and in this article, I would like to briefly address a few of them. Before I do so, let me first share… Read More

And so, we find ourselves in the brief season of Advent, at the point of entering the even briefer season of Christmas. When we examine our liturgical calendar, we find that this time of year is a sort of unkempt “seam” for the entire year, where the irregularities of each year are dealt with, not necessarily in an elegant fashion. Holy Family gets moved from Sunday to Friday in some years; the Baptism of the Lord moves from Sunday to Monday in others. Read More

Some states have “dying with dignity” laws. Can you please explain the Catholic Church’s teaching on physician assisted suicide? Read More

It took me several hours to read the new encyclical letter of Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti, after it was published on Oct. 4. In case you’re wondering about the word “encyclical,” it refers to a letter which is circulated to many people. In case you’re wondering about the title of the letter, it is Italian for “brothers all.” Read More

What does the church teach about physics, mediums, tarot cards, and Ouija boards? Read More

The key to apostolate is to perceive our mission field in our homes, neighborhoods, parishes, workplaces, schools, political arena, extended family, and friendships. Grace builds on nature so the more natural the relationship with individuals, the better we are able to minister to them. If people do not know us, how can they trust us? If they cannot trust us, how can they listen to and hear us? Read More

I am considering donating my body to medical science following my death and then having the remains cremated for eventual burial. What is the Catholic Church’s position regarding these procedures?— Diana in Petersburg Read More

Hey, Father! How can I turn everyday problems into moments of grace? — Drew in Springfield Read More

It happens every 12 years. Our three-year cycle of Sunday readings and our four-year election cycle line up so that, on a Sunday just a few weeks before a presidential election — that is, this weekend — we have before us the Gospel of Caesar’s Coin (Matthew 22: 15-21). Read More

Can I have both fear and faith? — Amber in Springfield Read More

Spiritual directors and spiritual mentors can mistakenly assume they must have all of the answers before engaging others in their apostolate. This is not true for the following reasons: Read More

 A recent column concerning divorce and declarations of nullity of marriage prompts this question: What about a practicing Catholic who divorces, has the prior marriage declared null, and then marries a divorced non-Catholic who decides they aren’t ready/comfortable with submitting the past marriage to a Catholic legal process? Is the Catholic still able to participate in the sacramental life of the church? — Anonymous in our diocese Read More

In my senior English class at Decatur St. Teresa High School (1974-1975), we read A Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flannery O’Connor. It did not go over well. For one thing, there is some really shocking violence. For another, there did not seem to be any sympathetic characters. Read More

What happens if the Eucharist touches the floor?— Maria Anna in Jacksonville Whether through simple inattentiveness or by way of a genuine accident, it sometimes happens that a consecrated Host falls to the ground or that a chalice with the Precious Blood is dropped or spilled. In such a situation, what is one to do? Read More

The 2020 Catechetical Sunday theme is taken from St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, “I Received from the Lord what I also Handed on to You.” This theme focuses on the essential work of catechesis, which is an invitation to a whole new life given by Christ himself. It emphasizes that living faith necessitates movement, inspiring all those who hear the Word to share it as witnesses of the true and living God. Read More