Catholic Q and A

Have you had a question that you have always wanted to ask but were not sure who to ask or if to ask it?  Well here is your opportunity! We will now take questions about the Catholic Church, St. Mary's, the Diocese of Raleigh and many more subjects. We will then pick one question a month and have someone in that field answer it.  We will post the selected question and answer right here each month. Click on the button below to submit a question.  Please keep all questions brief and respectful.

What is your question: With all my love and respect for our Blessed  Mother, I would like to ask why the statue of our Blessed Mother is in the center of the Alter rather than a Crucifix of that size or similar size.  I was told that the original crucifix was broken and that Mary was supposed to be on a side Alter, but when that happened the Blessed Mother was put in the center instead. The answer for his question: Thanks for the question!  Unfortunately, I don't know the reason why we have the statue of Mary where we do.  With the angels on either side of the statue bowing towards her, it looks to many as though Mary is being adored. That would be, of course, gravely wrong.  We only worship (adore) God; we honor saints. Legend has it that originally the big statue of Mary above the altar was supposed to be moved outdoors and be put in the niche in the upper front portion of the church's front.  The legend says the church ran out of money to construct a beautiful crucifix, so the statue of St. Mary simply stayed where a crucifix should be.  Through time, nobody ever got around to putting the statue outdoors.

What is your question: Has St. Mary Catholic Church ever considered having events for single Catholics? The answer for this question: Yes, indeed.  Last year a couple of English-speaking young women tried to start such a group but without much success.  Their socials, of which there were only a few, consisted of about 4 or 5 women and one or two men.  They gave up the project when they discovered that most of the young English-speaking young adult crowd at St. Mary's was composed of young married or engaged folks.   The Spanish-speaking young adults, on the other hand, have an incredibly vibrant and active group.  They meet every Monday evening for prayer, fellowship, sharing, service, and other activities.  The first Monday of each month, they gather at church for singing and Mass, and then they come to the rectory for pizza and fellowship.  This group is quite famous throughout the Diocese of Raleigh and is known as one of the most spectacular Hispanic groups in the whole diocese.  Members of this group can be found on our campus just about every day of the week, and they hold all roles (except for priest) at the two Masses in Spanish the 2nd Sunday of each month.  There are 50 members of the St. Mary Hispanic Young Adult Group.   Everyone is invited to the music and special Mass the first Monday evening of each month beginning at 7 p.m.

What is your question: Why do people share the same cup at communion rather than drinking from their own glass? It would be more sanitary. The answer for this question: Thanks for the question!  We drink from a common cup in our branch (Roman) of the Catholic Church to signify the unity of the Eucharist.  Some other branches of the Catholic Church do not do this.  And yes, using methods other than drinking from a common cup--such as "intinction" in which the person simply dips the Sacred Host into the Precious Blood--would probably reduce risk of infection. Some Protestant Christians simply have little plastic medicine cups with grape juice.  For them, the grape juice is symbolic of Jesus, not the Precious Blood of Jesus.  Thus, the little cups can be thrown in the trash when done.  But what would we do with the individual medicine cups after Communion?  Would the priest then be required to individually clean hundreds of cups after Mass as he is required to clean the chalices?  How would the cups then be disposed?  You can imagine the practical dilemnas that would occur!

What is your question: I read in your 'Stewardship of Treasure' about Children's Envelopes received and Offertory.  Is this a Diocesan endeavor? How does it work at St Mary?  The answer for this question: Thanks for the question!  I'm glad you wrote because this item is listed in the bulletin but we don't do children's envelopes anymore.  Because of your question, we're deleting this item from the bulletin.

What is your question: Is your church a Catholic Shrine? I thought so but not sure. Thanks. Julia The answer for this question:  Yes, St. Mary Catholic Church became a diocesan shrine on December 8, 2005.  A shrine is a site that Catholic Christians consider sacred and to which they may make religious pilgrimages.  St. Mary’s has completed paperwork to become a Basilica.  We hope to be named a minor basilica by the time we celebrate our 100th anniversary in April of 2012.

What is your question: How can I go about getting my whole family husband and 2 sons in to baptized with St Mary's Church. The answer for this question: Set up an appointment with Fr. Bob to discuss this situation.  To do this, simply call: 762-5491 Ext. 11.  The person at the desk will be happy to make an appointment with you.

What is your question: I have noticed that during Mass many people in church hold and raise their hands with others while reciting the Lord’s Prayer. I was never taught to do that and I do not see any mention of it in the review of new diocesan norms -part VI given to us earlier this year. Why is it done and are we suppose to do it????? The answer for this question: The short answer can be found in Norm #79 of the Diocese of Raleigh’s Liturgical Norms which states: 79. While it may be a custom in some places to hold hands as the Our Father is prayed, this gesture is not encouraged as the reception of Holy Communion is the sign and bond of unity of the Church at prayer. However, there are two other principles to consider when deciding what to do in this situation. First, an important principle of Catholic Christian liturgy is to do what others are doing. The first thing a young man is told when studying to be a monk is: “Do what your brothers are doing.” This is part of the “unity of the Body of Christ.” In other words, don’t make a spectacle of yourself. When you deliberately do actions that nobody else is doing, you are giving two messages: “I’m superior in holiness to others,” and you are putting the spotlight on you instead of the Lord. Second, charity or love is the primary principle that is to guide us in all our actions. Therefore, if someone were to hold out their hand to you to pray the Lord’s Prayer, and you firmly rejected them, you would have violated Jesus’ triple love commandment of loving God, our neighbor, as yourself. Further, you would be indicating your lack of understanding of Christ being really present in the assembly. So, what should you do? I’d go with love and common sense.

What is your question?: Is it okay to leave mass during the last hymn (the recessional)? I suspect it is because so many people do exit at that time, but it has always seemed wrong to me... like leaving before the end. Thank you! The answer for this question: When I was growing up, the Sisters and priests always told us to wait until the recessional hymn was finished before we walked out of church. Today this "rule" seems much laxer. Many people need to leave to get children who are in faith formation classes or nursery, get home as soon as possible as their sick loved ones need care, they have a hard time walking and need extra time exiting the church, or a host of other reasons. I'm just happy they came to church to worship the Lord in community. So, I don't care if people leave before the last hymn is sung. - Fr. Bob

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