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Today’s secular world throws curve balls at us all the time. Ask A Priest is a Q&A feature that anyone can use. Just search the topics below for an answer to your question! You can ask about anything – liturgy, prayer, moral questions, current events. Our goal is to provide a trustworthy forum for dependable Catholic guidance and information. So go ahead and ask your question.
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I’m a Widow — Is It OK That I Watch Mass at Home?
Q: I lost my spouse and moved out of the state. I tried to attend the local church and didn’t feel right. Am I committing a sin for not attending? I do watch TV Mass or EWTN or Mass on YouTube. Keeping my faith is the only thing I have to hold me together. I hope I’m doing something right. — K. Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC: Please accept my condolences on the death of your husband. May Our Lord rest his soul. There is still one man with you who loves you dearly and who wants you close ...
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“Ask a Priest: What If We Feel Pressured to Attend an Invalid Wedding?”
Q: Our divorced daughter and her boyfriend, both atheists, live together a few states away. We maintain a good relationship with them, hoping and praying daily that they will find God. She recently let me know that they have been thinking about getting married. She said she understood that we ...
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“Ask a Priest: Is It OK to Hold on to Native American Items?”
Q: Over the years I have been given or acquired (when visiting the West or festivals) some Native American jewelry, pottery and a replica of a peace pipe. Is it best not to have any of that? I have gotten rid of all “dream catchers” or anything with symbols on ...
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“Ask a Priest: Is It Sinful to Want to Get Tipsy?”
Q: Is it a sin to willfully get tipsy? I know getting drunk is a sin, but am wondering about being tipsy. Is it venial? – Dawn Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC A: There is no one-size-fits-all answer in this case. Two key factors are the context in which you ...
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“Ask a Priest: May I Work on a Project Whose Data Might Be Used by IVF Clinics?”
Q: I work as a computer programmer and am interviewing soon for a new job. The position’s duty is to provide computer support to a research project on how genetics affects cancer development and especially how to improve treatments. I would mostly be building programs that researchers use to store ...
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“Ask a Priest: What If My Love Interest Expects to Sleep With Me?”
Q: I recently met a man on online after being single and celibate for seven years. I have a list in my heart of what I am seeking in a spouse, and he checks every box, and I am pretty lovestruck. I am a cradle Catholic, and he is a ...
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“Ask a Priest: Does My Atheist Girlfriend Have a Chance at Salvation?”
Q: I’m worried about my girlfriend, who’s an atheist. The rest of her family is religious and believes in God. I told her I accepted her beliefs. But yesterday I forgot those who believe go to heaven and those who don’t go to hell. I don’t want her to spend ...
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“Ask a Priest: Could We Disregard Some of Those Biblical Stories?”
Q: Are Catholics allowed to believe that events in the Bible did not actually happen, and take them more as metaphors? For example, can a Catholic believe that there weren’t actual people named Adam and Eve and that Noah did not actually build a boat and put every animal on ...
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“Ask a Priest: Is It Odd to Feel in Mourning for a Loved One Still Alive?”
Q: My mom and I go to my grandparents’ house every week. My grandma is 90 years old, has survived three strokes and now has dementia. Is it normal for me to feel like I am mourning the grandma I once knew? Her personality is so different. Could God heal ...
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