Q: I have a situation where a Confirmation Candidate has not received 1st Holy Communion.  What would you suggest as the best course of action? == A: Communion is not a requirement before confirmation. Baptism, of course, is.  That said, if you can prepare the person for first communion, they could receive it before confirmation or during the confirmation Mass.

Q: We are going have the Scrutinies soon.  We have only 1 unbaptized elect and about 10 candidates. A gentleman who has been helping me feels they should only apply to the unbaptized elect. I wonder if it should/could include the candidates? He feels it imparts solemnity to the rite if it is only for our 1 elect.  I also see having the whole group participate and benefit from it.  What is your experience? I thank you in advance. == A: Only the elect are the subjects of the scrutinies. The baptized candidates attend and pray for the elect along …

Q: Regarding Ash Wednesday Mass w/distribution of ashes, I only know of the 2 rites for distribution – 1) In the Mass where the Penitential Act is omitted and the ashes are blessed and distributed following the homily.   2) Distribution of ashes w/in Liturgy of Word service.   Are there any other forms?   We celebrated with a Mass.  We had a celebrant who said a penitential rite at the “usual” time and also only blessed the ashes after the homily.  Distribution was after the dismissal.  It felt quite awkward and we weren’t prepared for a Kyrie, etc.  == …

Q: Do you have any news on when the new Office books will be out? == A: Last I’ve heard they’re hoping for Advent of 2026, but bracing themselves for early 2027.

Q: A Priest is going to the ambo to proclaim the Gospel in a Roman Rite Mass. There is no Book of the Gospels. May he be preceded by thurible and candles in a procession? == A: Nothing forbids it, but the GIRM envisions that if servers are carrying thurible and candles, it’s because the deacon or priest is carrying the Book of the Gospels — not that he is simply walking toward the ambo.  In some churches, the presider’s chair is on the same side as the ambo, so there isn’t much procession if he doesn’t need to go …

Q: At my parish, the Pastor and parochial vicar have recently had an acolyte turning pages of the Roman Missal during Mass.  I’ve never seen this before.  A new rubric? == A: There’s no new rubric, but the GIRM has always said that an acolyte assists the priest in any way required, and he assists at the chair and at the altar (187). The missal doesn’t assign page-turning to anyone, but it would tolerate this practice if it helps the priest locate the right page or keep his hands extended while he prays.

Q: Say the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales wanted a lectionary as recommended in the 1981 Introduction to the Lectionary for Mass, n. 113: “The ancient custom is recommended of having separate books, one for the Gospels and the other for the readings of the Old and New Testament.” There would then be a Book of the Gospels for every day of the year, able to be placed on the altar, which is described as praiseworthy in GIRM 122 and 173. Would Vatican approval be required for this? Would the approval for the published 2024 Lectionary, which combined …

Q: I noted with interest the question regarding the anointing of chalices with chrism when blessing them, especially how the direction to anoint them is no longer present in the rite. It is interesting to note that in the 1974 draft of the Dedication of a Church & Altar, the direction to anoint the chalice and paten, and the corresponding terminology to consecrate, is still present, but when the rite was published in 1977 it was dropped and the terminology referred to blessing. == A: Thanks for sharing this. I did not refer to that draft for my book New Church, …

Q: Hello Fr. Paul – I was searching the Book of Blessings for a blessing of a Public Park. I looked at Athletic Fields and Fields and Flocks, and even in the Various Circumstances, but nothing really seemed that appropriate for a place where people enjoy created beauty and recreate together. Unfortunately public parks are also places where illicit activity can happen such as drugs, etc.Thank you. == A: Right, the Book of Blessings doesn’t cover every circumstance. The ones you found are probably where I’d look first. Chapter 71 has an Order for a Blessing to be Used in …

Q: At what point are OCIA candidates able to go to confession and make their first confession? We had an OCIA retreat recently, and I heard some first confessions, but I really was doing it based on the assumption that they knew and were catechized when they can go. But, since I don’t have much experience as a priest with OCIA/RCIA, I don’t actually know when they can go. It does seem strange that they go before officially being Catholic. == A: OCIA candidates are eligible for confession whenever they comply with the Directory for the Application of Principles and …