How do I register for the parish?

Stop by the rectory office during business hours and we’ll sign you up as a new parishioner.  If it’s not possible to stop by, please give us a call and we’ll make other arrangements.

 

We’re moving out of town.  Is there a protocol required to leave the parish?

Notify the rectory office that you’re leaving, and register in a Catholic parish when you arrive in your new neighborhood.

                           

What process would a person have to go through to come back to the Church?

Canon law requires only confession and a return to Mass and Communion.  It’s a good idea to talk to a priest.   Your next step will be to join a parish and get involved!

 

What process would I have to follow to have my children brought into the church?

If your children are under age seven, you will have to take the baptismal classes in the parish.  If your children are over age seven, they will go through a process called Rite of Christian Initiation for Children that prepares them for reception into the Church.

 

Can a Protestant, who married a Catholic and attended Mass throughout his life, have a Catholic funeral?

Yes. Canon Law states:  “In the prudent judgment of the local ordinary, ecclesiastical funeral rites can be granted to baptized members of some non-Catholic church or ecclesial community unless it is evidently contrary to their will and provided their own minister is unavailable.”

 

I heard that I was excommunicated once my divorce was final.  Is that true? 

No.  A divorced person is NOT excommunicated.

 

What is excommunication?

Excommunication is a severe penalty that the Church can impose in extreme situations.  It’s a kind of tough love for people who willfully act against the Church. An excommunicated person cannot receive the Sacraments or take part in church ministries.  Grounds for excommunication include:  the desecration of consecrated bread or wine, physical force against the Pope, a priest who breaks the seal of the confessional, a bishop who consecrates another bishop without papal approval, and various acts of homicide. It’s not easy to get excommunicated. Your action must stem from malice, you must have full understanding of what you are doing, and you must not act out of fear, self-defense, outside pressure, or force.  No one under age 16 can be excommunicated.

 

Can someone who committed suicide have a Catholic funeral?

Yes.

 

Can a non-Catholic husband be buried next to his wife in a Catholic cemetery?

Yes.

 

Can someone who is divorced have a Catholic funeral?

Yes.

 

I was denied a church annulment 25 years ago. Can I try again?

Yes.  Canon Law changed in 1983 and new grounds for annulments were added. 

 

The Catholic Church considers my second marriage invalid, but we still want to raise our children Catholic.  Is it true that a priest will not baptize our children unless we obtain an annulment?

No. It’s not true. You may register in the parish and raise your children in the Catholic faith.  While you’re registering, ask about the annulment process. There are many myths and misconceptions about annulments.  You might be eligible for an annulment.

 

Are children considered illegitimate if you get an annulment?

No.  The Church considers the children to be legitimate.

 

Is it possible to get an annulment if your “ex” refuses to cooperate?

Yes.  It is possible.

 

If someone had an abortion, what process would she have to go through to ask God’s forgiveness?

A person can receive God’s healing forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Why do Catholics confess their sins to a priest?

Catholics believe that Jesus gave his disciples the power to forgive sins (Mt. 18:18; 16:19, Jn 20:23), and that authority to forgive sins has been handed on to bishops and priests throughout the centuries.  Catholics can confess their sins directly to God.  But in cases of serious sin, the priest, who represents the entire Body of Christ, offers prayers of absolution that give the person the assurance of God’s healing love and mercy.

 

What happens if I deliberately leave something out in confession?

You might want to ask yourself why you would bother going to confession and deliberately leave something out?  Were you afraid to mention it?  Or ashamed?  Was it something that you were really not sorry for?  You might want to explore this further with a priest.

 

Why am I afraid of Confession?

There are lots of reasons people are afraid of confession. Some had bad experiences as children. Some were afraid of going into a dark confessional.  Some recall harsh treatment by priests.  Some feel so ashamed of something that they don’t want to admit it.  The problem is when we bury something it stays inside us and festers. Confession gives us the chance to open old wounds and let the poison drain out.  It is a healing process that can be very warm and wonderful.

Are Catholics saved?

Catholics believe that salvation comes through Jesus Christ and that individuals can freely accept or reject this salvation.  But a person’s initial conversion and commitment to Christ is not a once-in-a lifetime event.  Catholics recognize that as human beings we can fall from grace, repent, and recommit ourselves to Christ.  In this sense, Catholics see conversion and commitment to Christ as an on-going process.  Catholics believe they will ultimately be saved if they remain faithful to their belief in God and if they keep the Commandments (1 Jn 2:3).

  

What happens if you don’t go to confession before you die?

No one can answer that question.  Whether we go to confession regularly or not, we all have to trust in God’s infinite love and mercy.   If you’re struggling with this question in regard to yourself or a loved one, talk to a priest so that you can put your mind at ease.

 

As a child I was taught about confession, but I would like to know what the Sacrament of Reconciliation is. I don’t know what to say or do!

After the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), the Church introduced a few changes in the Sacrament of Penance.  Today, it’s often called Reconciliation, although many people still call it Penance or Confession.  One of the big changes is the opportunity for face-to-face confessions, which some people find more personal and better suited for spiritual healing.  Other people still opt for the privacy of the confessional screen, and that’s okay.

The reason for the change was to help people move away from the old list of sins that they would rattle off weekly.  The church wanted to encourage people to use the sacrament for deeper spiritual healing and an on-going conversion that shapes our lives more closely to the life and teaching of Jesus.

The Church now emphasizes that sin is not a private matter.  Each individual sin has consequences for the whole community.  During Advent and Lent, our parish has communal penance services with prayers and Scripture readings, followed by the opportunity for individual confession.  In this way, people in the parish restore their relationship with God and with the community.

Do Catholics accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior?

Catholics not only accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, they believe that Jesus Christ is personally present to them. Catholics live their commitment to Jesus Christ through prayer, reading Scripture, service to others, and membership in the Catholic Church.

Why do Catholics believe communion wafers are the Body and Blood of Christ?

Catholics believe that when Jesus instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper, he did not suggest that it was a symbolic interpretation (Mt. 26:26-28; Mk 14:22-24; Lk 22:19-20).  The early Christians believed in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and St. Paul warned that anyone who takes Communion “in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. (1Cor. 11:27).  In the Gospel of St. John, Jesus promises that anyone “who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.” (John 6:54).  Catholics believe that Jesus was speaking literally.  The Eucharist is not a symbol.  When Catholics receive communion, they say, “Amen,” which signifies that they believe that they are receiving the heart, mind, body, soul and divinity of Christ.  

 

Why do Catholics believe in Purgatory?

Catholics believe heaven is a state of supreme joy that exists when we are in total union with God.  Hell is a state of permanent exclusion from God that results when people freely choose to reject God. Catholics also believe in an intermediate state of purification for souls who are not condemned to hell but are not ready to see God face to face.  From the time of the early Christians, prayers were offered for the dead so that they might attain the beatific vision of God.  The concept of purgatory was upheld by the Church beginning with the Council of Carthage in 394 A.D.

  

Why do Catholics believe in the Pope?

Catholics believe that Jesus commissioned St. Peter as the first leader of the Church (Mt. 16:18-19) and accounts in the New Testament clearly show that Peter was the leader of the disciples.  Catholics also believe that the Holy Spirit protects the church from error (Jn 14:15), and that papal teachings on matters of faith are infallible.

 

Why don't the Catholics believe in the Bible?

The Catholic faith is based on Scripture.  During the first part of the Mass, we hear readings from the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament.  All Catholic beliefs can be found in some form in the Bible.  However, Catholics do not rely solely on Scripture. The early Christians also passed along sacred traditions.  In St. Paul’s Second Letter to the Thessolonians, he writes, “Stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter.”  The Catholic faith is grounded in both Scripture and Tradition.

 

Why do Catholics call priests "Father?"

Catholics call priests “Father” because St. Paul told the early Christians, “I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (1 Cor 4:15).  In the same sense, Catholics see priests as “spiritual fathers in Christ.”  Catholics believe that Jesus was not speaking literally when he said “…call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven,” because he used the term “father” in several other Scripture passages (Mt. 15:4-5;  21:31; 19:5, 19, 29;. Jn 8:56.)  In one of Jesus’ parables, the beggar Lazarus says “father Abraham.” Catholics believe that Jesus’ warning about the use of the word father was his way of emphasizing God is the source of all authority.  If he were speaking literally, it would eliminate not just Catholic priests from being called “father,” but also our biological fathers and the founding fathers of our country.

 

Does a Catholic priest re-crucify Christ at every mass?

No.  Jesus died only once on Calvary.  In the Mass the sacrifice of Calvary is “re-presented.”  Jesus is not dying again.  Instead, we enter into the same sacrifice that Jesus offered to the Father on Calvary, but in a sacramental way.  It is an opportunity for us to unite ourselves to Christ and share in his saving act.

 

Why do Catholics worship Mary?

Catholics don’t worship Mary.  We honor her because she is the mother of our Lord, Jesus Christ. In our prayers, we ask Mary to pray for us and to intercede for us with her Son.

 

Why do Catholics pray to statues?

Catholics don’t pray to statues.  Catholics use statues as a visual reminder of the great heros of our faith in the same way that we honor political figures with monuments.  When Catholics pray to saints they are not worshipping them.  Instead, they are asking the saints to pray for them and present their petitions to God.

 

Why do Catholics pray for the dead?

Catholics believe that there is a spiritual union between the souls on earth, souls in purgatory and saints in heaven.  We call it the Communion of Saints.  We believe this spiritual union allows us to maintain bonds of love with those who have died.  We can pray for one another.  We can intercede for one another.  On his death bed, St. Dominic said, “Do not weep for I shall be more useful to you after my death and I shall help you then more effectively than during my life.”

 

Why don't Catholics talk about their faith in Jesus?

Many Catholics do talk about their faith.  Some of the great saints in the church converted whole countries to belief in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  For a long time, however, Catholics believed that it was the responsibility of priests and nuns to spread the Good News.  Today, that is changing as increasing numbers of Catholics begin to learn about their faith and share their beliefs, their faith experiences, and their love of God with others.