Churches Named for ‘St. Mary’

August 17, 2025

Question: As a follow-up to the June 7 question about a solemnity linked to a parish patron, what day of the liturgical calendar should be celebrated as a church’s solemnity if the church has the generic title "St. Mary’s"? Can the parish priest or diocesan bishop simply select one of the Marian feast days to celebrate it as a solemnity (if it is not such already)? — F.D., Wagga Wagga, Australia

Who Can and Cannot Give Homilies

August 2, 2025

Question: I am concerned by a practice in which a priest defers to a visiting non-cleric (religious sister or brother) or permits a lay person to offer a reflection. The reflection usually follows a one- or two-minute comment from the presider who claims it was the homily. I have been taught that canon law is clear as to whom the homily at Mass is reserved, as well as the exceptions permitted by the bishop for a layperson to preach. However, this is not the case about which I am speaking. — T.O., Gloucester, New Jersey

Celebrating at a Second Mass

July 27, 2025

Question: The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) in No. 203 recommends priests to concelebrate whenever they gather together with their bishop. The GIRM in No. 204, however, only indicates that a priest has a faculty to celebrate or concelebrate more than once in a day, for the benefit of the faithful, in certain prescribed circumstances. If a pastor were to concelebrate a funeral Mass with his diocesan bishop, would he be able to celebrate again for the people of his parish on that same day? Ostensibly, it would seem that a funeral celebration is not really a "gathering of priests," even if there are many priests at it, and so the permission given in No. 204.e arguably does not apply. If so, does this mean that a priest, if he wanted to offer Mass for his parishioners on the same day as a funeral that he was attending, could only attend such a funeral "in choir," and not concelebrate? — F.D., Wagga Wagga, Australia

Miter and Crozier at Civil-Military Ceremony

July 13, 2025

Question: At the end of our national memorial Mass for military service personnel, after the blessing yet before the closing hymn, there is a ceremony in which a wreath is being presented by one of the generals present. We play the Last Post and the national anthem. Since the bishop has already given his blessing, at this point he is wearing the miter and holding the pastoral staff. Should he remove the miter/staff for this ceremony or can keep them? I couldn’t find anything in the ceremonial about this eventuality. A second question regards the difference between holding the crozier with the crook outward or inward. I told the bishop that I am only familiar with holding the crook outward/forward, and then the good man went on to make a distinction between whether you are in your diocese or not, or which part the celebration it is (I think he mentioned something about the Gospel/homily) and so on. I told him that generally a bishop can only use the crozier in his own diocese and that I suspect the distinctions must be from pre-Vatican II days. — S.B., military chaplaincy and episcopal master of ceremonies.

Kneeling at the Consecration

July 6, 2025

Question: My professor of liturgy at the major seminary is strongly against the attitude of kneeling at the time of consecration during Mass. Other seminarians from other seminaries, however, say that it is rather the ideal time for contemplation, adoration and great respect for Christ who offers himself for us during Mass. So, when I meet a member of the faithful who asks me what exactly to do, I am always in doubt. What to do? — A.M., Burundi

Change of Presider During a Mass

June 29, 2025

Question: I was attending the Mass at my home parish during my summer break which coincided with the transfer of the parish from the old pastor to the new pastor. The Mass began with the previous pastor presiding, and after the homily the new pastor began to preside the Mass. I know that if for unavoidable reasons a priest is not able to finish the Mass, then another priest can step in and finish it. But it was not the case here. Can you give me a little clarity about this? I would love to get in touch with the diocesan bishop to discuss further about this, but I want to be precise with him. -- F.C., Rome

St. Michael Prayer, Long and Short

June 22, 2025

Question: Can the laity pray the long version of the St. Michael Prayer? Some say yes, others say no. Could you please clarify? — D.K.

Parameters for Deacons

June 15, 2025

Question: My question is a follow-up from this 2007 article on deacons. You mention that in the presence of the priest, the deacon should not bless or give the Benediction blessing after adoration. Where can we read more on this topic? Because I have seen a norm where the deacon will take care of Eucharistic adoration, preside over vespers or morning prayer, and then immediately give the blessing as he is an ordinary minister of these offices. A priest may or may not be present, and because there is some uncertainty to his presence and to give the deacons more opportunity to preside over the liturgy and give the priest a kind of rest, why would the priest necessarily need to preside? Does this mean that if a bishop was present at adoration, he ought to give the blessing instead of the priest? What if the priest was older? What about when people are asking for blessings for their families and religious articles and cars after Mass? Should all be directed to the priest, who is already extremely busy on Sunday with Masses and confessions, or is it all right for the deacon to take care of these? I'm trying to understand the principles for this issue. — P.T., Washington, D.C.

When a Solemnity Is Linked to a Parish Patron

June 7, 2025

Question: Are religious communities within a parish bound to say the Mass and office for the solemnity of the anniversary of the dedication of the parish church, or is the Mass and Office of Dedication only celebrated inside the parish church edifice? — J.A.D., Quezon City, Philippines

Use of Holy Oils

June 1, 2025

Question: Recently, a parishioner approached me for a blessing with the oil of the sick as he was traveling abroad. I had to catechize him that this oil is reserved only for the gravely ill, the elderly, those facing serious medical surgery or those who are on their death bed. The parishioner kept on harping on the fact that some old priests in the parish used to bless with oil those people who were going for a long journey. Could you throw some light on the matter? — S.T., Mumbai, India