Q: I hope you are doing well!  Here I am with another question. We are preparing two Christians from the Orthodox tradition for full communion. I understand that the reception should be as simple as possible: When Other Christians Become Catholic says that the priest simply places his hand on their head and says the Act of Reception: “The Lord receives you into the Catholic Church…”  Do Orthodox candidates also need to pray the Nicene Creed and the profession “I believe and profess” that follows at OCIA 491?  I would love to know what you have done in these circumstances. Thanks a …

Q: Are there any restrictions (calendar-wise) on a parish celebrating Morning or Evening Prayer from the Office for the Dead? For example, a parish is interested in celebrating evening prayer every Friday or Sunday in November from that Office.== A: I can’t think of rules that directly address this, so to be safe I’d apply the general rules of the calendar. Not on Sundays unless there’s a funeral Mass that day, but OK on Fridays if they are days when a Mass For the Dead may be said.

Q: Greetings once again from Canada, In your recent post https://paulturner.org/readings-on-all-souls-day/ , you note that in the Proper of Saints, the use of the Gloria is indicated “when applicable”. This is also true of the Creed. For example, for the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica on November 9, “When this Feast falls on a Sunday, the Creed is said.” Likewise for the Presentation of the Lord and the Transfiguration. No similar rubric appears for All Souls. The 2008 Missale Romanum does the same thing: “Quando hoc festum incidit in dominicam, dicitur Credo.” appears on February 2, August 6, and November 9, but …

Q: Good Morning Father Turner,I have an off the wall question because I’m trying to figure something out.Was the holy day of obligation for the Ascension this year (May 29th) moved to Sunday? Thanks! == A: It depends on where you live. Ascension is one of the days that the Vatican wants every Catholic to celebrate every year. It lets conferences of bishops decide if they want to make Thursday a holyday of obligation. If they don’t, it automatically moves to Sunday. However, in the United States, our conferences left it to regions. So in some parts of the US, …

Q: Question regarding OCIA. For candidates being received into full communion at any point (not danger of death), since the bishop is the expected minister to receive the candidates to full communion, if it is done by a priest, would the priest need to get permission according to the order? For catechumens receiving the sacraments of initiation outside of the Easter Vigil, since priests have faculties by law to confer the sacraments of initiation to catechumens, does the OCIA order expect a permission request if done anytime outside of the vigil? (no danger of death)== A: See canons 883 §2 …

Q: The 2021 book “Guide for Servers, Second Edition” is by you with Corinna Laughlin and D. Todd Williamson. Pages 35 and 36 describe some entrance processions as having candle bearers on each side of the person carrying the Book of the Gospels in the entrance procession. Page 52 has: “At the beginning of Mass, you carry candles with the Book of the Gospels”. But the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, n. 120 and Ceremonial of Bishops, n. 128 do not describe this in the entrance procession. Only the cross bearer has candle bearers on either side. The Dicastery …

Q: Sorry to double up ..I think you addressed this matter in a recent post. Please clarify this question from my music director: “Next Sundays readings complicated because of All Souls Day.  Wide range of readings suggested which makes hymn choice difficult    Any ideas Re which readings you will use?  “Also. Lots of controversy, it seems,  re Gloria and Creed.   Some say both should be omitted. Seems that most likely best way to go is omit Gloria but keep Creed.   Again, your thoughts?”  == A: Regarding the readings, you may choose any you wish — just as for any funeral Mass. …

Q: I’m looking at the RCL for Advent III, which gives an option for the Psalm as the ‘Magnificat’ verses in Luke.   Can you bestow your knowledge upon me about why that would be given as an option? == A: The annotated edition of the Revised Common Lectionary gives this explanation: “The option of the Magnificat (Song of Mary) as a response to the first reading is introduced in RCL, as found in Advent 3B of earlier Lutheran and Episcopal lectionaries.”

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 Communion?  Does she need OCIA classes?  Can she just have first communion only and confirmation later?  Thanks.== A: God bless you for helping her.  OCIA #400 considers her case among the candidates. She may receive preparation with the group and receive those two sacraments together. …

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 celebration, even though Optional Memorials (perhaps with a different color) might be chosen instead.” (https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year-and-calendar/understanding-the-liturgical-colors). If the memorial is for a saint to whom I might wish to call more attention I might chose the color appropriate to that saint. Otherwise, I might choose the …