Category: July 2020

Question: As a convert, I have never really understood purgatory and why we are to pray for those who are there. (submitted on Facebook) Answer: This is an excellent question and a common one: because other Christians—Protestants, specifically—do not believe in purgatory, they often have questions about the Church’s teaching, which can persist even if they become Catholic. So, thanks for asking it. Let me try to explain what the Church believes about purgatory and praying for those who are there. In short, purgatory is the word the Church uses to describe a state of spiritual “cleansing” which occurs after we die. We are told in Scripture that nothing impure will enter into heaven (Rev. 21:27), but we are also told there are sins which we commit which are not…

By Father Dana Christensen [caption id="attachment_5141" align="alignright" width="243"] Father Dana Christensen, parochial vicar, St. Mary of Mercy, Alexandria[/caption] The evening of February 27, 2000, I had the immense privilege of meeting a saint. I was on pilgrimage to Rome with a group of seminarians, and we were invited to an audience with St. John Paul II. While it was exhilarating to meet a personal hero, it was also sad to see him struggling with Parkinson’s disease. He shuffled along instead of walking with a confident gait as he did when young and healthy. His speech was slurred instead of sonorous and crisp. His secretary wiped his lips because he had spittle seeping from the corner of his lips. All this was hard to see. To many he was a weak…

By Renae Kranz Women have a special vocation in the world and in the Church. Saint John Paul II understood it and called it the “feminine genius” in his exhortation “On the Dignity and Vocation of Women.” But modern feminism would have us believe women should only focus on achieving equality with men, which in essence means becoming like men. Why put women in such a narrow box, reducing their role to a competition with men? It’s time for women to understand what makes them authentically female and wholly daughters of God with a role only they can fill. John Paul II described the four aspects of the feminine genius as the key way women can affect the world around them and in turn the Church. Those four aspects—receptivity, sensitivity,…

[caption id="attachment_5125" align="alignright" width="227"] Bishop Donald DeGrood flashes an enthusiastic thumbs up.[/caption] The 24th Annual Bishop’s Charity Fishing Tournament moved its tracking online this year to keep the fun alive and well in the midst of a pandemic. The total individuals who participated reached 194. It was a good showing for a virtual endeavor, but more work remains to be done to reach the goal to fully fund two seminarians for the coming year. Since many pieces of the event had to be cancelled, donations are still being accepted to hit the goal for this year. [caption id="attachment_5127" align="alignright" width="300"] Pete, Tony and Joe DeGrood don paper bishop’s miters and win the Fan Favorite Photo award.[/caption] If you’d like to help fund seminarian education, please send a check to CCFESD,…