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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…
Does the New Testament Cancel the Old Testament?
Q: Does the New Testament “cancel out” – or outweigh – the Old Testament? Is one of these parts of the Bible more important than the other? – Newbie Bible student A: Dear Newbie Bible student: Thanks for your question. I suppose one way of…
Why do we pay for Masses for the dead?
by Fr. Hugh Vincent Dyer, OP Dear Father: I paid $20 for two Masses to be said for the repose of the souls of my husband and my daughter. Am I buying the Masses? Would it be just as efficacious if I offered the two Masses without paying for…
Is the “common good” another name for the Golden Rule?
Is the “common good” another name for the Golden Rule? What should the common good mean for Catholics? — J. B. Dear J.B.: When put into practice, the Golden Rule — “do unto others what you would have them do unto you” — contributes to the…
Coping with the lack of a funeral Mass during COVID-19
QUESTION: During the COVID-19 pandemic, many Catholic families are coping with the lack of a funeral Mass for a deceased loved one. I don’t think a future memorial Mass carries the same weight as a proper funeral Mass. What can I do? I not…
Ask Father: I’m feeling a “tug” to return to confession — can you answer some…
Question: I haven’t been to confession in many years. But I feel something is tugging at me to go. Do I have to confess every sin since my last confession? What about ones I no longer remember? Are priests really bound not to tell anyone…
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…
Why can’t I have financial success?
Dear Father: My husband and I have been married for 14 years and have three children together. We both work (him full time and me part time), but for as long as I can remember we have struggled financially. We never seem to really get…
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…
