Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC, ordained to the priesthood in 2001, taught theology and Scripture at the then Mater Ecclesiae College in Rhode Island and is now a part-time chaplain at Overbrook Academy in Greenville, R.I.
He holds degrees from Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Connecticut, the Regina Apostolorum Athenaeum in Rome, and Northwestern University in Illinois.
He was an assistant publisher of the National Catholic Register and Faith & Family magazine and an editor of the Zenit news agency’s English edition. He has written for SpiritualDirection.com and ePriest. Fr. McIlmail also worked in spiritual retreats in the Northeast, New England, the Midwest, and the South and assisted with mission work in Mexico.
Born in Philadelphia, he worked in journalism and was active in the pro-life movement before entering the novitiate of the Legion of Christ in 1992. His contributions to RCSpirituality include responding to Ask A Priest questions and sharing his insights in our Weekly Newsletter.
Q: I am a practicing Catholic. My husband is Muslim. He recently said I could baptize him, but he refuses to go into a Catholic church to be baptized by
Q: Over time I’ve begun to dislike going to Mass. I attend on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, but it is not with fervor. I am distracted by every noise
Q: Is telling the personality of a person something that falls under judging others? Is judging a mortal or a venial sin? — M. Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC
Q: I have three questions. 1) Is it a sin to wear crop tops or strapless shirts? I understand that it is inappropriate to wear them inside the church because
Q: My 13-year-old daughter is being disrespectful during Mass. She doesn’t follow the Mass, is awkward with others during the rite of peace, and today she decided that she wasn’t
Q: My fiancé and I were both raised in the Catholic religion (even confirmed). We’re getting married in April but not having a Catholic wedding. We are still navigating our
Q: For many years I have been tormented by the thought of hell, so much so that I have started to rationalize the possibility that it doesn’t exist. It has
Dear Friends, When Pope Leo XIV stepped out onto the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica on May 8, there was something calming about his presence. He wore the accoutrements
Q: I’ve heard that Catholicism is not Christianity, on the basis that: a) Baptism is not required for salvation; b) Catholics require a long process to maintain salvation, dependent on works,
Alex Kucera has lived in Atlanta, GA, for the last 46 years. He is one of 9 children, married to his wife Karmen, and has 3 girls, one grandson, and a granddaughter on the way. Alex joined Regnum Christi in 2007. Out of the gate, he joined the Helping Hands Medical Missions apostolate and is still participating today with the Ghana Friendship Mission.
In 2009, Alex was asked to be the Atlanta RC Renewal Coordinator for the Atlanta Locality to help the RC members with the RC renewal process. Alex became a Group Leader in 2012 for four of the Atlanta Men’s Section Teams and continues today. Running in parallel, in 2013, Alex became a Team Leader and shepherded a large team of good men.
Alex was honored to be the Atlanta Mission Coordinator between 2010 to 2022 (12 years), coordinating 5-8 Holy Week Mission teams across Georgia. He also created and coordinated missions at a parish in Athens, GA, for 9 years. Alex continues to coordinate Holy Week Missions, Advent Missions, and Monthly missions at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Cumming, GA.
From 2016 to 2022, Alex also served as the Men’s Section Assistant in Atlanta. He loved working with the Men’s Section Director, the Legionaries, Consecrated, and Women’s Section leadership teams.
Alex is exceptionally grateful to the Legionaries, Consecrated, and many RC members who he’s journeyed shoulder to shoulder, growing his relationship with Christ and others along the way. He knows that there is only one way, that’s Christ’s Way, with others!
