Paul Turner’s Blog

Q:  So much appreciate your blogs. This week’s reading from Acts (6:1-7) speaks to those of us who serve as […]

Q:  At a past parish, we invited the HS Seniors to join together for a Parish Mass and Reception. The

Q:  I have a question from our Vicar General that I am not confident in the answer. One of our

Q:  I received a call this morning from a gentleman who said he and his wife had been told their

Q:  What are your thoughts about Eucharistic Ministers using hand sanitizer after the Sign of Peace and before distribution? When

Q:  Father, how many copies are there for the book “Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults” ? I am trying

Q:  Could I get a clarification on a confirmation name. Does the person the candidate picks have to be a Saint

Q:  I read somewhere that during the Easter Season everyone stands during the singing of the litany of saints at

Q:  Is there any update on Masses with Children?  Is the Directory for Masses with Children still accepted although I

Q:  One of my students claims that the priest does not join with the people in the memorial acclamation. The

Q:  With Pentecost coming up in a few weeks, I am aware according to the rubrics that the sequence is

Q:  Regarding the cincture: a deacon friend insists that only transitional deacons wear their cinctures with the dovetail hitch on

Q:  If Deacons serve in three or more Masses on a Sunday, are they permitted to receive Holy Communion at

Q:  Quick Question on the revised marriage ceremony: during the Easter Season we are using the reading from Revelation 19

Q:  I am taking a course.  The instructor made the following comment at the end of last week’s class that

Q:  1. Why do we bless the water again during the Easter season during the Penitential Rite when the water

Q:  My congregation has the custom of having everyone extend hands in blessing over someone who is being blessed. But

Q:   Our choir members did much deliberation over the understanding of various parts of Mass, particularly in relation to

Q:  In your question and answer posts, would you ever consider giving some guidelines or best practices concerning the Divine

Q:  On Easter Sunday morning neither the Presider nor Deacon included the ALLELUIA for the Final Blessing, nor did the

Q:  Where can we find the rubric that the blessing and sprinkling may take the place of the Penitential Rite?

Q:  We have enjoyed many of your liturgical publications and I was wonder if you might have any suggestions for

Q:  In the New Rite of Matrimony, is the Gloria only proscribed for Nuptial Masses? If it is a wedding

Q:  Why is the Gloria said/sung at all wedding Masses even at Lent, when previously it was omitted during Lent

Q:  I wish to ask some questions with regards to the rite of sprinkling and blessing with Holy Water on Easter

Q:  I had in my personal notes that a collection for the Holy Land is supposed to be taken sometime

Q:  Should a large fixed crucifix behind the altar be covered on Good Friday (it was not covered on the

Q:  For the dismissal on Easter Vigil and Sunday, before the sung “alleluia” dismissal, would the priest still begin with

Q:  Is it allowed to have a Funeral Mass on Good Friday?  Someone told me they do it in in another

Q:  For the Liturgy of the Word at the Easter Vigil, do the readings end with “The Word of the

Q:  It was my understanding that a crucufix must be shown for Mass. Our church has everything covered in purple(already)

Q:  My question relates to #42 of the Missal. I understand this to mean that no baptisms means no litany.

Q:  We have a Blessed Sacrament chapel with 24-hour adoration. What do we do during the Triduum? A:  The USCCB

Q:  We have a person in RCIA who was baptized a Catholic but confirmed in the Lutheran Church. Do we

Q:  My daughter recently got married. I wanted the priest to process in just like a Sunday mass. The wedding

Q:  I am currently completing RCIA at my parish but will be out of the country over Easter. Is there

Q: I’m not sure if this has been asked but I was wondering for the Passion Gospels on Palm Sunday and

Q:  A couple getting married in another State are hoping to have a “renewal of their promises” in here later

Q:  I have a woman who just moved here with her son from Mexico. As you know, in Mexico they

Q:  On the evening of Good Friday, my parish performs a “Live Stations of the Cross.” However, instead of ending

Q:  Have a very quick and presumably easy question, if the Presentation of the Lord’s Prayer is outside of Mass,

Q:  The Vatican’s Circular Letter on Holy Week states that the monstrance cannot be used for reposition after the mass

Q:  Why does the lectionary offer shorter and longer versions of the Sunday readings? This question especially has come up

Q:  Is the time given in the diocesan bulletin for the beginning of the Easter Vigil correct:  8pm?  Sunset is

Q:  I was thinking about the sprinkling and how our sacristans have helped with the sprinkling. I know you said

Q:  A couple questions regarding weddings… Creed or no Creed? Rubrics are confusing. Lazo… goes after the Lord’s prayer and

Q:  Does the priest say “the Lord be with you” before the Gospel on Palm Sunday? Normally, we have lay

Q:  As far as sprinkling—I tried finding what you mentioned (about the sprinkling taking place before the procession) in the

Q:  A question keeps coming up as to where the Creed fits in when doing the Scrutinies.  The Rite starts

Q:  I know that you have talked  about the new Rite of Marriage and I am wondering when the other

Q:  Are there any rubrics for altar servers to bow to the priest, for example at the washing of hands

Q:  When the sprinkling rite is used during a Mass, we have had a sacristan help the presider sprinkle the

Q:  Is it permitted to celebrate the Anointing of the Sick during a Sunday Mass in Lent, if the readings

Q:  Is it required that Catechumens – Adult or child – sign the Book of the Elect within a Liturgical

Q:  I recently had a conversation with someone about communion in the hand versus communion on the tongue. The person

Q:  Can we celebrate a funeral on a Sunday in Lent? A:  Yes, but not a funeral mass. A funeral

Q:  Our diocese just celebrated the right of election and many people complained that the bishop did not sign the

A:  May an altar server incense the priest and the people when a deacon is assisting at mass? Or is

Q:  If we have confirmation during Lent, do we omit the Gloria? A:  It depends on what day it is.

Q:  My Rites class has enjoyed your Let Us Pray immensely. Thank you.  A question came up about infant baptism today. Are

Q:  At the end of the funeral Mass, does the presider (bishop or priest) return to the altar to venerate

Q:  We have a situation here in which we were told about a person who is of another Christian tradition

Q:  Preaching is another concern. There are two schools of thought: 1) Deacons should preach regularly and often. 2) The

Q:  I have questions concerning Viaticum. Can a deacon or extraordinary minister of Holy Communion give Viaticum? If so, can

Q:  Do baptized Catholics come to the “Call to Continuing Conversion”?  We do the combined Rite of Election/Call to Continuing

Q:  Just another question on purifying sacred vessels. When I was in diaconate formation, we were told that when we

Q:  I have a couple marrying on June 23 – a Friday and the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Q:  Just wondering if there needs to be a “sponsor” or “witness for the reception of a minor child?  I

Q:  At evening prayer, if the altar is to be incensed, is only a priest allowed to do it? A:

Q:  If we are celebrating Vigils from the Liturgy of the Hours, and if a priest or deacon is present,

Q:  I have been wanting to make our Lenten Universal Prayer at Mass a little more “focused” during Lent.  I

Q:  What is the difference between a sponsor and a godparent in the RCIA. I know the Latin translates to

Q:  I am trying to make sense of Rubrics 49 – 53 in the Easter Vigil.  The rubrics use the

Q:  Quick question re Confirmation:  Is there any canonical or liturgical prohibition on candidates taking a Confirmation name of the opposite

Q:  If you could be so kind, I would like to know what the difference is between two of your

Q:  I have a question regarding the use of several children splitting up the reading at mass.  Somewhere I thought

Q:  I have been researching different rites of the church during the liturgy as described in the GIRM. I am

Q:  Can an unbaptized person have a Catholic funeral? A:  If that person is a catechumen, then yes. Otherwise, there’s

Q:  We create worship aids for funerals, and on the front we have put “Mass of Christian Burial.” Was that

Q:  I saw a comment on PBS Newshour this evening stating “in 1903 Pope Pius X banned the saxophone from

Q:  I have a question regarding blessing children and non-Catholics during Communion. Is this allowed? It has been a practice

Q:  Where could we find the story of St. Anne and Joachim? A:  Joachim and Ann are in the Protoevangelium

Q:  I need to begin soon once a week a weekday Communion Service with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. Where can

Q:  My Niece asked me to Baptize her newborn son. But due to their relatives coming in town with short

Q:  In the recent editions of the GIA Hymnbooks, the psalms are the new Grail translations. Are these translations permitted

Q:  What sacrament celebrations can / cannot / should not take place during Advent and Lent.  Couldn’t find the exact

Q:  Please describe the difference between the Liturgical and Proper calendars available from USCCB site. A:  The proper calendar indicates

Q:  May the Dedication of a Church take place on the patronal feast day of that same community? A:  The

Q:  After a person has been received into the Catholic Church, can they receive communion or do they have to

Q:  If a person has been received into the Catholic Church, do they continue to be dismissed with catechumens? A:

Q:  Can a person in an invalid marriage receive communion after going to confession if they are waiting on their

Q:  Can a validly baptized non-Catholic receive communion at the Catholic mass if she sings in the parish choir every

Q:  What can you tell me about the origins of the hispanic/filipino marriage customs of the arras and lazo, now

Q:  Have you heard of any theological objections to the song Sing A New Church? A:  None that I consider

Q:  Our church space is rather “small”. Placement of an Advent wreath is challenging. Our Narthex is almost non-existent, not

May the”Common of the Dedication of a Church on the Anniversary of the Dedication” be prayed at parish Masses if

Q:  Is it permissible for the Paschal Candle to be lit on the Commemoration of all the Faithfully Departed, with

Q:  Which Greek is used in the original bible scrolls, and where can I learn it? Also, I know there

Q:  What is “Catholic apologetics”? A:  That is generally understood to be a defense of Catholic teaching against those who

Q:  We have a new pastor who prefers purifying the vessels after communion at the altar.  While I understand that