Must I make my confession at the altar, as my pastor asks?Jenna Marie Cooper
Q: Our parish priest has decided to forego the confessional and now stands at the foot of the altar and makes us go to confession to him right out in the open, where anyone can see or walk by. I feel ...
Are our intentions actually remembered at the shrines we donate to? Jenna Marie Cooper
Q: "If I send a donation to some group that says they'll remember my intentions at Mass, how does that work? They can't possibly remember every intention of every donor!" (Garden City, NY) A: ...
On repairing statuesJenna Marie Cooper
Q: We recently sold our house thanks to St. Joseph's intercession. We buried a statue in the front yard and unearthed it once the house was sold. While moving, the head of the statue broke off. Is ...
Is a crucifix necessary at Mass? Jenna Cooper
Q: Our priest has recently stopped using the processional cross, and now we have no crucifix on the altar during Mass or at any other time. I've always thought that there is supposed to be a crucifix ...
Do Catholics pray for the souls of the dead to save them from hell?Jenna Marie Cooper
Q: Why do Catholics pray for the souls in purgatory to lessen their sufferings? Is it possible that the souls already in purgatory would even go to hell, so our prayers for them would save them from going ...
Reconciling Adam and Eve and evolutionary science Jenna Marie Cooper
Q: How do we reconcile the story of Adam and Eve and original sin with evolution? (Schuylerville, N.Y.) A: Thanks for the question! We can say the creation story in the Book of Genesis -- while being ...
Does a prenuptial agreement invalidate a marriage?Jenna Marie Cooper
Q: A friend is in a relationship where his fiancee won't sign a prenuptial agreement because she thinks it would make the marriage invalid. It could be grounds for annulment. "For richer and for poorer" ...
Jesus raised the dead. Where were their souls? Jenna Marie Cooper
Q: Regarding the people Jesus raised from the dead, where were their souls while they were dead? (Location withheld) A: Among the many miracles Jesus performed as part of his public ministry, some ...
