Q: Is it within the Western Church’s liturgy to extinguish the flame of the Paschal Candle after the reading of

Q: I have never been in a parish or situation where Catechumens and Candidates are required to pay a fee,

Q: Our parish is inviting parishioners to pray the 9 day novena to the Holy Spirit starting after Ascension. As

Q: I have not followed you for a long time. Some years ago I read your book, The Hallelujah Highway

Q: May a layperson assist with the sprinkling rite at Mass; that is, also sprinkle a part of the assembly

Q: People seem to have lost a sense that death is a time to pray for the deceased, not to

Q: We are in the process of preparing the final Mass at a Catholic church that will be sold (and

Q: Would it be liturgically okay to celebrate the Rite of Crowning an Image of the Blessed Mary at Sunday

Q: Fr. Paul, maybe I am a bit too sensitive about the observance of secular holidays that fall on weekends.

Q: Is the Gloria prayed during weekday masses in Eastertide? I note the Australian Ordo does not suggest so,  but

Q: I was struck by this post from March 5. I’m hoping it was sent by a priest because it made me

Q: I am looking for some direction regarding the acknowledgement of  parishioners’ birthdays and anniversaries.   Over the past 20 years,

Q: In Let Us Pray, you state that “There are three versions of this prayer in the Missal. The last is

Q: I read your response to the statue on the altar (and agree).  Exactly what is permitted and/or required on

Dear subscribers to my blog, thank you all for following me. This month I encountered problems with my web site,

Q: Happy Easter! I hope you are well.  You are always so good about answering my “tough” questions about the

Q: We are celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation on the Third Sunday of Easter so we’ll be using the readings

Q: Fr. Paul, I would be most grateful for clarification regarding incensation of the Blessed Sacrament during benediction. The rubric

Q: In “Ceremonies of the Modern Roman Rite”, Revised Edition, 1995, Bishop Peter Elliott has:  “203. A bow of the

Q: Would appreciate your take on the liturgical aspects of the below story which details a Catholic school Mass attended

Q: Fr. Paul, just a need for some clarification: In Ars Celebrandi, you say that a church may not be

Q: We are a catholic family.  My son however has not been to church for a few years.  He is

Q: Is adoration a liturgy? devotion? both? == A: Adoration may take place inside a liturgy or as an exercise

Q: I was studying our liturgy materials for class and the following lines from Eucharistic Prayer II jumped right off

Q: Why are there two options for the Collect for the 5th Friday in Lent? == A: The alternative collect

Q: How can St. Patrick be a saint if he was never canonized? == A: There were no canonizations at

Q: Do you have any knowledge of celebrating Saint Veronica on July 12th (along the lines of what’s permitted by

Q: Kindly clarify why it is best to refer to the Sacrament of Penance rather than the Sacrament of Reconciliation,

Q: Congratulations on your new book, Ars Celebrandi! I read it last week, and it’s so well written and practical. Now

Q: I would like to know what readings were read in the liturgy of the Eucharist on March 29, 1969

Q: I am pretty sure we are not to have anything on the altar of sacrifice except the Missal, Candles,

Q: Please also confirm the number of penitential ‘acts’ within the Mass. My understanding is that the Sign of Peace

Q: I am sharing the Pope’s visit to Iraq with my students. It’s pretty amazing that he went to Ur,

Q: First of all, thank you for such a helpful and informative blog. By explaining matters so that they make

Q: I’m concelebrating the confirmation Mass in our parish with the bishop. There will be a vested deacon assisting. May

Q: There is another practice by a priest in our community wherein he omits the final blessing for lauds for

Q: My novice master has instructed me to write to you in order to ask about a resource that contains

Q: What is the proper interpretation of rubric 38 for the Thursday of the Lord’s Supper at the Evening Mass

Q: As a result of a member engagement survey, our parish pastoral council is focusing on the following statement: “In

Q: Hi Father. Regardless of the pandemic, I’ve always wondered when is the best moment to distribute palms for the

Q: My question is pretty simple. I have two parishes. The habit seems to have been in the past that

Q: I am sacristan on Good Friday and my instructions say I must ask the communion ministers to consume all

Q: In the books of the Gospels for Holy week, during the reading of the Passion for Palm Sunday and

Q: Can you speak to the change from “rite” to “order”, as in the “Order of Baptism”? Why the change?

Q: I am a chaplain at a Catholic hospital.  Usually, one of the Catholic chaplains would attend the Chrism Mass

Q: Am I understanding this right? The GIRM says two candles are sufficient  for Mass but for Eucharistic Adoration 4-6

Q: Many thanks for your guidance and direction in all liturgical matters.  During the Lenten season the Paschal Candle has

Q: On Good Friday, the priest is instructed to have the humeral veil on as he brings out the blessed

Q: Does the current paschal candle get brought upfront near or on the altar on Palm Sunday? == A: No,

Q: If we were to limit the Old Testament readings to three, one of which would be the Exodus passage,

Q: Thank you for your blessed blog and wonderful insights. We’re shortening up our Easter Vigil this year for pandemic

Q: Some decades ago, at parishes, in religious communities and on retreats,  etc some  people used re-enact (?) a Sedar/Passover

Q: The paschal candle is incensed during the Easter Vigil. It has become customary in some places to incense it

Q: At the conclusion of the Good Friday Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion the deacon, or if there is no

Q: We have a 14 year old that was Baptized last year in another parish, but never received Confirmation or

Q: Can we “commemorate” during Lent (using the collect, as described in GIRM 355a) saints who are not on the

Q: If crosses are veiled on the Fifth Sunday of Lent, is the altar cross incensed during the entrance procession

Q: March sees 2 Solemnities, but not of precept. I understand that an anticipatory (or proper vigil) Mass is celebrated

Q: Since the Mandatum is suspended this year, should we reinsert the creed into Mass on Holy Thursday? == A:

Q: I hope you are well. I have another question.  I don’t know why I never noticed this before, but

Q: I am exploring ways to engage a permanent married deacon in the liturgical and pastoral life of the parish

Q: We are hoping to hold a prayer service to remember St. Oscar Romero on the anniversary of his death. 

Q: I have a question.  I think it was last fall around the time of the Season of Creation that

Q: Good morning, and thank you for all you do to make our Liturgies more prayerful and understandable to the

Q: On your March 11 post, you said that the church does not require the presence of a body for

Q: A question was presented to me about the deacon and posture during the Eucharistic Prayer. The GIRM, no 179,

Q: I watched your Sacred Oil video and had a question. We were told to provide Clorox wipes for the

Q: Is there any guidance from the church on how the humeral veil should be placed on the priest? Can

Q: The Solemnity of the Annunciation falls on a Thursday this year. This parish (which happens to be named “Annunciation”)

Q: In the unusual circumstance when a Catholic parish hosts a funeral for a non-Catholic, may the priest mention the

Q: This is a Question about a young girl and first penance. We have a grade 2 girl who chooses

Q: The 1973 liturgical book “Holy Communion and the Worship of the Eucharist Outside of Mass” has a minister end

Q: When the Holy Holy Holy is spoken (at daily Mass, for example), where do you think it’s best to

Q: My (sad and angry) question comes from the experience day after day of reading collects and other presidential prayers

Q: I have been a deacon for a few years now and have attended many Masses in different parishes in

Q: I’m searching for the basic fault in the way I have understood the basic source a deacon uses when

Q: Will you settle a discussion in our Lenten small group. Are Sundays part of Lent? One member wrote this:

Q: Thank you so much for your insights and responses on liturgical questions. The question I have is on a

Q: We are using the Confiteor for all the Sundays of Lent. It always seemed strange to me that we

Q: The anniversary of the dedication of our parish church is March 21, which falls on the Fifth Sunday of

Q: Through unusual circumstances, we have a wedding coming up that will be on a Sunday. What readings can you

Q: I have question about baptism during Lent: Outside of emergency situations, Can a baptism be done during Lent?  The

Q: We have presbyteral ordinations scheduled this coming April and May.  How can we conduct the laying on of hands

Q: I read your pod frequently and share them with the priests and deacons at the parish. During Covid 19,

Q: Two questions related to the translation of the Agnus Dei.  1. The Latin has “peccata mundi” – which is plural;

Q: I noticed that in the Book of Blessings liturgy for distribution of ashes there is no dismissal. Is that

Q: I have been trying to help my volunteers understand the history of the Church.  I am amazed at how

Q: What do you think of the practice of the Prayers of the Faithful being read from the pews, from

Q: Are the inserts for the Eucharistic Prayer used ONLY when the Ritual Mass is celebrated… or whenever the sacrament

Q: Thanks for your guidance in matters liturgical. I’m familiar with the directive in GIRM 313 that, with the exceptions

Q: Do we have to change the translation of the end of the “Glory to God in the Highest,” which

Q: I want to thank you for being an invaluable liturgical resource, Your advice is very appreciated. My question is,

Q: I’m a deacon and I have two questions about baptism: One of my parishioners wants me to baptize her

Q: I have a wedding this weekend and the couple wants the Nuptial Blessing sung. Is a cantor allowed to

Q: A priest in our diocese asked me the following question: “What should concelebrants do with their arms during the

Q: Thank you for continuing to write on all things liturgical. I get your blog posts when the questions are

Q: As you know, the doxology at the end of the collects in the Missal was originally to have been

Q: The Covid pandemic has resulted in restrictions on Masses and other celebrations. Masses online have been ongoing. My question

Q: I am sorry to bother you. We are working on a funeral for a founding member of our parish.

Q: Do you know of anything that would prohibit a church dedicated to the name of St. Paul to celebrate