ASK A
PRIEST
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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“Ask a Priest: Any Tips on Finding a Good Confessor?”
Q: Do you have any tips on finding a good confessor and the qualities to look for? We’re at a parish with many priests. Is there a correct etiquette where it doesn’t come across as picky, seeing you don’t always know when certain priests will be there? – Bridget Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC A: You are blessed to be in a parish with many priests. That is far from the norm. Seeking a good confessor is a sign of prudence not pickiness. A good confessor can guide you well and help you grow in holiness. A bad confessor ...
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“Ask a Priest: Do I Have to Practice Catholicism Even If I Don’t Believe in It?”
Q: I was baptized and raised Catholic. My family was not very involved in the Church and I never felt any connection to God while attending Mass, Sunday school, etc. As an adult, I found a non-denominational church and for the first time ever felt the presence of God. I ...
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“Ask a Priest: How can I defend the Church’s teaching on mortal sin?”
Q: I am having trouble defending the Church’s teaching on mortal sin — specifically the idea that one can fall from grace through one act of disobedience. I am not having trouble defending this logically, but it just seems to many people to be a little rigid and mechanical, as ...
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“Ask a Priest: How Does the Church Want a Body Treated After Death?”
Q: My husband participated in a memorial for a fellow Knight of Columbus who recently died. The service took place at the nursing home; the Knights prayed the usual rosary. My husband said the member’s body was not present, since it was donated to a university medical school. To us, ...
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“Ask a Priest: Was Joseph Much Older Than Mary?”
Q: Some friends and I are having a discussion about this. It would appear that St. Joseph was much older than Mary when they married. Was he widowed with children? -J.M. Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC A: There is not much definitive teaching about the life of St. Joseph. ...
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“Ask a Priest: Is it harmful to have a voodoo doll?”
Q: My mother recently came back from New Orleans and brought me a voodoo doll for success and happiness. I decided to make a little altar for it and write down my hopes and wishes on it, which were not at all harmful or vain — things like: I want ...
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“Ask a Priest: We were born imperfect… How can I help others understand this?”
Q: I am engaged in graduate-level biblical study, but for personal reasons, I still pursue courses that might fall into the personal growth, self-help or New Age categories. I like to keep in touch with that world since this is what many people my age turn to instead of religion, ...
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“Ask a Priest: When does a person receive the anointing of the sick?”
Q: My dad is ill with cancer. My aunt wants his last rites done. I said it isn’t time yet since he doesn’t even know he has cancer. He is coherent, it hasn’t hit his brain, so we have time. Had she suggested anointing of the sick, I would have ...
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“Ask a Priest: Is our personal participation in debt considered immoral and sinful?”
Q: Pope Francis has called debt immoral. It is easy to see that we are to care for the poor — the others — and not be guided by the “me” consumerism of our day. My question: Is our personal participation in debt (i.e., borrowing money, credit cards, etc.) considered ...
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