Author

Msgr. Stuart Swetland, STD
Msgr. Stuart Swetland, STD, is the president of Donnelly College in Kansas City, Kansas. A 1981 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and a Rhodes scholar, he also serves as professor of Christian ethics and leadership at Donnelly College.
BY MSGR. STUART SWETLAND Dear Father: When someone dies, I often hear expressions such as “heaven gained another angel” or “Grandma received her wings.” When people die, do they become angels? What happens to our souls and bodies? —…
Why are there no feast days about the Old Testament?
by Msgr. Stuart Swetland Q Dear Father: I have a question about the saints. The Church’s liturgical calendar is understandably full of feasts days for Jesus, Mary, and numerous saints. Why are there no feast days for Old Testament figures…
Is using witchcraft a sin?
BY MSGR STUART SWETLAND, STD Dear Father: Years ago I was in love with a folk singer. After we parted, I felt sad that we couldn’t have done so in friendlier circumstances. I visited a white witch who gave me a friendship spell. I later ran…
Can I receive Eucharist at non-Catholic churches?
by Msgr. Stuart Swetland, STD Q Dear Father: I will be attending my niece’s wedding at a Polish National Catholic Church. Would it be acceptable as a practicing Roman Catholic to receive the Eucharist during the wedding at this church? More…
When should parents have ‘the talk’ with their children?
Dear Father: I grew up in a family where my parents never talked about sex or other sensitive topics. I was left to figure things out on my own and learned about sex from kids at school. It was not the best moral education! I am now married…
Do I need to confess the abuse I endured?
DEAR FATHER: Father, I have a question for you. A few years ago, my sister went to my 85-year-old mother and revealed a period of incestuous molestation that one of my brothers perpetuated against her, myself, and another sister. I have…
Why Does God Permit Innocent Children to Suffer?
DEAR FATHER: My 4-year-old niece was just diagnosed with cancer, and I am devastated by this news. I find it hard to pray. I feel angry, and I don’t understand why God would allow this to happen. People say God has a plan and he is looking…
Praying as ‘One Flesh’
Dear Father, I know praying together as a couple is important to do, but my husband feels awkward about it, and honestly, I do too. How can we overcome our hesitation, and how should we start? — Anonymous, Missouri First, thank you for…
Prayer to the Saints
Q: Dear Father, I am a “cradle Catholic” who is dating an evangelical Christian from a “mega church” background (although I believe his extended family includes both Baptists and Methodists). He attends Mass with me often and seems…