Apologize if this type of post is not appropriate for this forum.

I watched The Flowers of St. Francis and found it to be very lovely and moving. Thank you all for the work you do and I hope you are well. : )

Basically just a wacky question that came to my mind & thought it'd be interesting to check if any of y'all have story to tell involving saints.

How much leeway do priests/pastors have in the structure of the Mass (outside of the readings and Eucharist)?

For example, sometimes we could have a 10-minute homily or a 30-minute homily. Then some of the priests use Latin for songs and prayers. Some are going back to more traditional aspects.

Are those decisions made by the Pastor or the Diocese?

Any information is helpful.

We’re a Syro Malabar community living abroad and a practice has settled in over time that I can’t get comfortable with. Right after Communion, while the priest purifies the vessels, the Teshbohta (the hymn of praise) that the Taksa (our liturgical book) gives for that moment isn’t said. In its place the congregation recites a world peace prayer written locally.

Praying for world peace is good, and I’m not doubting anyone’s intentions. But can the people who coordinate our Qurbana swap the Church’s own thanksgiving prayer for one of their own? As far as I can tell it overrides the rubrics. Is this allowed anywhere, in Eastern law or the Syro Malabar rubrics, or is my concern justified?

It's clear as day the existential impulse in the brain is a feature very present in the human vs the animals.

But why some have this impulse so much stronger than others I can't say.

All I can say is I noticed those who have this impulse very strong also have access to a type of joy that isn't very much accessed to those with a weaker existential impulse.

After noticing this it threw me back.

Priests really are enjoying something that many people don't have access to. I want to know more about the steps to get there.

An by there I really mean -all the way there-

Does the Church acknowledge that a Catholic can be oppressed or have their homes “infested”?

I’ve heard general evangelicals state that it can’t happen because demons hate being around Christians… but I’m getting a different answer from Catholics.

Thanks for any input!

I’m Catholic and the house is bought all done and talking with a neighbor she believes they were devil worshippers and would do rituals in the back yard

I found out my bf is planning to propose, so naturally I’ve started looking at wedding venues
I’ve always wanted to get married in a Catholic church because the architecture is absolutely gorgeous, but neither of us is particularly religious. He’s nominally Christian, and I’m not religious at all, so the only reason we’d get married in a church would honestly be because I love how beautiful they are but I don’t want to disrespect something sacred for my own fantasy

Hi, priests!

A Deacon who I really respect is coming out to the place where I keep my horse to do an animal blessing for my horse and a BUNCH of other horses, goats, cows… it’s a big job and I’m so thankful he’s agreed to do it because it’s a bit of a haul.

I wanted to gift him with a stole (maybe one with St Francis on it?) but didn’t know if that would be too much, not enough? And if it’s a fitting gift, where do I buy one? I feel like this isn’t something I should just grab off of some strange website.

Any suggestions, or any other cool ideas to fit the service he’s providing? (I will also be writing a check to the church for a couple hundred bucks, but something for him would be nice too.)

I go to a big church ran by friars in the city center. I go there for confession and sometimes to just pray. There is almost always a mass going on (there are 7 masses on weekdays).

If I am in the church, but not for mass (I am standing in line for confession for eg.) should I still say the words and kneel? I am not participating in the mass, just there, but it feels weird and disrespectfull not to kneel during consecration.

My other question is let's say I got there before mass started, I do my Examination of Conscience, stand in line for confession, confess and pray my penance. Can/should I participate in the Eucharist? I was there the whole mass, just wasn't paying attention for most of it.

Thank you for your answers!

I am starting with zero altar server cassocks so I have the opportunity to start with any style. We will be using black cassocks and white surplices but should I go with snaps or buttons? Any recommendations on supplier? Thank you.

Is this something that’s taught in seminary or is it learned and case dependent on where you are posted? My priest is building a chapel in his home country and is utilizing it to have cooperative efforts with the local Anglicans

Canon law permits a wedding with witnesses alone in the event of danger of death or lack of access to a priest for more than a month, but what is necessary for this union to be valid: How many witnesses, and what do the vows have to say? If a man and a woman were stranded in the wilderness alone together, knowing that they are free to marry, can they marry each other even though there are no witnesses outside the couple?

I’m curious how does priest do confessions with dementia patients? Especially when their mind is no longer sane, how do you take their confessions when they’re in hospital?

As the title. For example, if a priest were to say "I once had a penitent admit to adultery because they felt their spouse was being inattentive" or some other specific detail of a confession, without attaching that information to a specific person, would that break the seal?

So a few times I’ve been taking my kids to Catholic Churches that we are not members of. Not that I am changing my parish, I just think it is good to see how others do it and to see other architecture. Our church looks like someone modeled the church after a gymnasium, so I thought it would be nice to take my family to the cathedral in Newark NJ so they could appreciate that beautiful architecture. Then at another time, I found out that there was a church the also does the TLM (not SSPX) so I took them to one of those masses. I recently learned there is a Coptic Catholic Church not too far away. I was thinking of taking the family to a mass there sooner or later, just to experience how they do it. My wife is telling me that it’s really not a good thing to be a church tourist like this. But I think it might be a good thing to see all the different ways Catholic mass is celebrated. I’m not looking to transfer out of my parish, but once in a while I think experiencing a different way of doing it might be healthy. Does the church have an official position on this practice? Do priests personally have an opinion on this?

Good Morning Fathers,

I am a minister of care at my local parish - we bring the eucharist to nursing homes, people’s homes, etc where the bedbound cannot make it to Mass to receive our lord.

Two part question -

1. A few weeks back while at the nursing home, I encountered an Eastern Orthodox woman who asked if she could receive. I didn’t throw any objection, because from what I understand, Eastern Orthodox are allowed to receive our Eucharist. Was I correct here?

2. I had a Lutheran today, who also requested to receive our Lord. It seemed as though her faith was lacking and I evangelized to her a little. I gave her the eucharist as well. Was i correct here?

Are either of these situations a sin for me to have given them the Eucharist?

Do many parishioners ask you to bless glass jars of table salt often?

I like having a blessed jar of table salt for cooking. I feel overly self conscious asking, like I’m being superstitious, wandering what you say.

Any of you met John-Paul II, Benedict, Francis or Leo? What was the occasion?

Do you get genuine questions? Find yourself being met with rudeness?

Yes this is very real and true story I 33F found out that my whole life in the church is a lie. I take communion every service go to mass 3 times a week always considered myself a cradle catholic. Only for my mom to confess to me today she never baptized me at birth like I was told NOR, did I ever fully finish receiving first communion in second grade she pulled me the day of the ceremony. She gaslit me into thinking I did. However, I have been fully convinced and told I was. Until today when she decided to come clean. 2 days before my own child’s baptism! He is a month old
So now, you mean to tell me I have been receiving the Eucharist on a lie this whole time and I need to now make an appointment with my priest who I have known for quite sometime and just be like hey actually my whole life is a lie! Any advice on how to navigate this and cancel my son’s baptism? I literally feel like a sham

Tonight I saw a beautiful sacrament that I've never witnessed before where four priests gave their confessions to one another in pairs. They knelt afterward to receive forgiveness.

How do priests normally receive penance, especially if they are the only priest in a parish?

I keep hearing this is a freak accident that can’t be prepared for

When the top mount of a crucifix fails, there is only one possible direction it can fall. Physics already tells us where the crucifix travels, at what force, and where it will land.

In short, the priest was standing on the only spot on the sanctuary that was a guaranteed fatality. Not only was he within the fall radius of the object, his head was where the greatest force impact would happen upon contact. if he were 2 feet behind where he was, he would have been hit in the head with less force and survived; if he were 5 inches over to the left or right, he would’ve had a broken shoulder but survived. It’s a game of inches and inches would’ve saved his life.

I don’t want priests to die by what is completely preventable. It’s very simple. The sanctuary is huge. However rare this situation is, it‘s 100% preventable if you avoid your head from being in the radius fall path of the crucifix. Isn’t that reasonable?