Q: This morning, a father approached me regarding his son’s girlfriend who has Mexican citizenship but lives and works here. She is baptized Catholic, 24 years old but not yet confirmed and has not received first communion yet. What is the way for me to help this woman to get the Sacrament of Confirmation and First […]
Q: When choosing the optional memorial for the celebration of Mass, do I have the option of choosing either the vestment color appropriate for the season or the color appropriate to the optional memorial? The USCCB website seems to say so: “In the liturgical calendar, the color for each day corresponds to that day’s main liturgical […]
Q: With a funeral on Saturday, Nov. 1 (holyday with no obligation), do I have this correct? As always, thanks for your invaluable assistance. == A: On a solemnity that is not a holyday of obligation, the funeral mass may be celebrated in its entirety. You treat it the same way as if the funeral […]
Q: At our 9am Sunday Mass, our assigned Priest was out of town and the priest who was supposed to fill in, never showed up. As a deacon, I instead led a communion service and fortunately we had enough Hosts reserved in the tabernacle. After my initial blessing and Kyrie, the musicians motioned that they […]
Q: Last May 9, I asked the question about the memento of the Eucharistic Prayers, where we have to mention the pope or the bishop. I wanted to know if we have to mention also the title and rank. Your answer was that the custom is to say the first names of the pope and […]
Q: I hope you are well, and thanks, as always, for your invaluable help. Gleaning from your many writings (some of which are below), could you let me know if the following would be correct: Confirmation, on a Sunday in Advent, at 2pm, not a regularly scheduled Sunday Mass: == A: Yes, that is how I […]
Q: A question without notice on receiving someone from another Christian denomination. I seem to remember reading that where a convert has demonstrated a deep commitment to their Christian faith, they need not receive the sacrament of Confirmation. Do you have any insight on this? == A: You have received incorrect information. Another Christian who becomes Catholic […]
Q: I think there is an error in your blog post of 1 October at https://paulturner.org/color-of-vestment/ . You wrote “White or violet is permitted.” But for a weekday in Ordinary Time the color is green, GIRM 346 c. == A: Correct. If the Mass takes place during Ordinary Time, then green is the alternative to violet.
Q: I’m following up on a question about mixing liturgy and pious exercises. in our diocese the bishop has instructed all parishes to end Mass with a prayer to Michael the Archangel. This prayer, it seems to me, does not flow from the liturgy and is an add-on that reflects the personal piety and concerns […]
Q: A special group has invited me to preside at a Sunday in OT. They asked if I would be open to wearing red vestments because they want to commemorate a group of martyrs. I haven’t deviated from a green vestment on a Sunday in OT in my short priestly life. So I looked at […]