ASK A PRIEST
GENERAL QUESTIONS
“Ask a Priest: Is Heaven Closed to Someone Who Willingly Risked Death?”
Q: I’ve been trying to get an answer to these questions since I was 8 years old. I understand that if a person takes his own life, he will not go to heaven. My question is, if a person knows that an action will kill him, and he does the ...
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“Ask a Priest: Would the Church Accept Me, a Single Mom?”
Q: I was raised in a Baptist church and became agnostic. I am a single mother of two children, and I was not raised Catholic. My children have not been brought up with religion. I want to convert to Catholicism as I feel God’s spirit is guiding me there. But ...
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“Ask a Priest: What If I Can’t Shake a Childhood Memory?”
Q: This is silly, but it keeps coming up when I pray or meditate. When I was in sixth grade I had a nun who absolutely hated me. The students that she preferred were petite, well-kept girls. I was a tomboy and overweight. My parents were working class. This nun ...
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“Ask a Priest: Am I Doomed If I Leave the Church?”
Q: A few years ago, we had a family trauma regarding my son and several people who attended a Catholic school. When things got tough and we needed community, the parish was unsupportive. We found ourselves isolated from the very people we had shared pews with for so many years. ...
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“Ask a Priest: Is Wanting to Look Thin Sinful?”
Q: Is it a sin to want to lose weight if you are not overweight to start with? If not, when does it fall into the sin of vanity? Is it a sin if you want to lose weight to be happier/more satisfied with your appearance if you’re at a ...
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“Ask a Priest: Why Would the Clergy Bristle at Questions?”
Q: In my life I have had some doubts. It seems to me that when questions are raised, clergy of many denominations are defensive or take offense. I want to be clear that I would never mock anyone for having a belief. So why do some clergy take offense at ...
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“Ask a Priest: What If I’m Losing My Faith After a Month in College?”
Q: I’ve been at college for about a month now and have realized that my faith has been weakened a lot. God is not my priority anymore, and I find it a struggle to find time to pray since I’m constantly surrounded by others, doing homework and just straight up ...
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“Ask a Priest: What Can I Do About My Jealousy?”
Q: How do I handle jealousy? I am jealous of others who have more faith than I do. Thank you. – J. Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC A: A good first step to overcoming jealousy is to remember that all good things come from God. If a person is charitable, ...
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