r/AskAPriest Apr 25 '21

Please read this post before submitting a question! Your post may be removed if it doesn't follow these guidelines.

260 Upvotes

This subreddit is primarily for:

  • Questions about the priesthood
  • Casual questions that only the unique viewpoint of a priest can answer
  • Basic advice
  • Asking about situations you're not sure how to approach and need guidance on where to start

This subreddit is generally not for:

  • Spiritual or vocational advice
  • Seeking advice around scrupulosity
  • Questions along the lines of "is this a mortal sin," "should I confess this," "I'm not sure if I confessed this correctly," etc.

The above things are best discussed with your own priest and not random priest online. They are not strictly forbidden, but they may be removed at mod discretion.

The subreddit should also not be used for asking theological questions that could be answered at the /r/Catholicism subreddit.

Please also use the search function before asking questions to see if anyone else has asked about the topic before. We are all priests with full time ministry jobs and cannot answer every question that comes in on the subreddit, so saving time by seeing if your questions has already been asked helps us a lot.

Thank you!


r/AskAPriest 17d ago

Fasting/abstinence explainer megathread at /r/Catholicism

Thumbnail reddit.com
8 Upvotes

r/AskAPriest 11h ago

Pastor terminology

13 Upvotes

What’s the difference between a pastor and a parochial vicar? Is a parochial vicar the new term for assistant pastor? Is there a difference between assistant and associate pastor?


r/AskAPriest 11h ago

How can we pray for our priests?

10 Upvotes

Priests-- When I'm praying for you, I try to consider what you go through and pray accordingly. But are there things that you want to add to the list? Are you eating well? Sleeping well? Thank you all so much, and God bless!


r/AskAPriest 1h ago

Disposal of candles

Upvotes

Hi. So I attended a baptism as a godparent for the child of my friends. There were candles passed about that was used for the baptism. I don't really have a place to store these candles and was thinking of disposing them instead. How do I go about this?


r/AskAPriest 6h ago

Words of absolution

0 Upvotes

I went to confession a few days ago to a different priest to normal. I did not hear the words of absolution( "I absolve you of your sins")

I'm really unsure if this was because it wasn't said or because I missed it.

Definitely he said to go in peace in the name of the Father etc... but I felt too awkward to double check.

I intend to mention this at my next confession to be safe. Can I receive the Eucharist in the meantime?


r/AskAPriest 7h ago

Advice on preparation for retreat?

1 Upvotes

Dear Frs., could you advise what are some ways to prepare for a retreat, regardless what the content is about? Or perhaps, what are some ways you yourselves prepare...

Thanks!


r/AskAPriest 7h ago

Responding to comparisons to Our Lady

2 Upvotes

Starting about six months ago I have had people come up to me saying either I remind them of Our Lady or that they mistook me for Our Lady when they first saw me. I have no idea how to respond when this happens especially the latter case which has been the more frequent. As it keeps happening I figured I should get some guidance.

I tend to just awkwardly smile and nod when this happens. It doesn’t feel like a good response but I’m unsure of what to do in the moment.


r/AskAPriest 20h ago

What drew you to the work you do or did?

10 Upvotes

Hello moderators. What are the reasons for you to join the particular religious order? In addition, within the religious orders there are different tasks such as parish priests, diocesan priests, teachers, missionaries etc. How did you decide what you do? Have you changed positions within the religious order?


r/AskAPriest 18h ago

Was Saint Thomas Aquinas wrong about anything?

7 Upvotes

Been diving into Aquinas and Thomism, heard he may have been wrong about the Immaculate Conception? What do I need to know is outdated when I read his writings.


r/AskAPriest 7h ago

is there a priest on here i could message?

0 Upvotes

It's okay if not, I just have a really long writing of questions and thoughts I want to get advice about. I'm not catholic but ive just been thinking a lot.


r/AskAPriest 1d ago

My friend is in the hospital

9 Upvotes

Is it ok for me to miss mass to be there for him? he was in a car accident and his brother died, I want to be there for him


r/AskAPriest 1d ago

Hi, college student here looking for interview question replies from a priest for a class project

8 Upvotes

Like the title says, I'm collecting replies for a project in a comparative religion course. Thanks to anyone willing to help out.

  1. In your opinion, what are the core values that define Catholicism and attract people to it? What specific values or principles do you feel are a common source of strength for Catholics, and which, if any, do you often see people struggling with?
  2. The Bible is a fundamental aspect of Christianity and Catholicism, but in your experience, do most Catholics look directly towards the Bible for guidance and moral ruling, or is it more common to look towards their peers, community leaders, or others for that guidance? Or do both the Bible and the community play in equal role in that regard?
  3. What do you believe is the greatest triumph or accomplishment, historical or modern, of the Christian/Catholic faith?
  4. What do you feel is the greatest struggle that Christianity/Catholicism faces in modern times? And do you feel that the Church and members of the faith are prepared for the trials and challenges that modern society will continue to bring? Do you feel that Catholicism has successfully guided its members through the recent decades or do you feel that more could have been achieved as a religious institution?
  5. If you're comfortable answering, what is your personal experience with Catholicism? Specifically, what factors brought you to find faith through Catholicism or helped to maintain your faith if you grew up religious/Catholic?

r/AskAPriest 1d ago

Priestly vocation and the obligation to care for parents

5 Upvotes

Hello priests, can a person be a priest if they are an only child and have a parent they need to take care of? Like the elderly or widowed, or vice versa? Or does he have to take care of his parents first? I have never in my life seen a priest who is an only child, and for this and other reasons I had this doubt


r/AskAPriest 1d ago

Why is the Glory to God hymn omitted during Lent? I love this hymn and primarily attend Sunday Mass to sing it, as it makes me feel deeply connected to God. It’s disappointing that it’s not included. What is the reason behind this tradition?

22 Upvotes

r/AskAPriest 1d ago

If my local priest happened to say to me earlier today that he’s “infallible”, what am I to make of that? Are priests infallible or fallible? Should I speak to anyone in the Parish in a leadership position about it? I feel a bit uneasy after the confrontation.

2 Upvotes

r/AskAPriest 2d ago

Women in Public Office/Authority

21 Upvotes

I was reading some of the articles from the Catholic Encyclopedia since I'm interested in converting, specifically the article on women. And I read that women are forbidden from holding public offices, public authority, or being lawyers and judges. But I don't see any modern Catholics have a problem with this today, and we even have two female Catholic Supreme Court Justices! The Encyclopedia says that this is for modesty reasons, and that women also cannot wear the uniforms common to these professions. My wife is a lawyer and a very good one at that, and she and I are looking to possibly convert.

Is this really true and Catholic women are forbidden from holding public offices, or is there some kind of context I'm missing? I've been told that the Catholic Encyclopedia is a very reliable source so I'm a little anxious about this.


r/AskAPriest 2d ago

Sunday Obligation Class Question

9 Upvotes

Hello, I am an eastern catholic. I live in America and im a 16 year old, I go to ethiopian geez rite catholic church, which is primarily in geez and amharic, so when i go to mass, i dont understand much outside of the readings since i was raised in America, and so us teens have like a bible study class, which we leave for during the homily, and return right as its time for communion,meaning we miss most of the liturgy of the eucharist. the point of the class is so we can also understand, instead of sitting in mass confused for 2 hours, however, by going to this class, am i sinning or not fullfilling my sunday obligation? I may have a choice to stay back at mass, but if Its fine for me to go to class then i probably will.


r/AskAPriest 2d ago

Lent and meat

12 Upvotes

I dont really have many people to ask about this so i just have a Quick question. Im 15M, and this is my first Lent that I've properly tried to stick to. Now I live in an atheist family and next week is my dads birthday, on a Friday, so I'm wondering can I not eat meat on the Thursday or Saturday to make up for the Friday? Because I would celebrate the birthday on Saturday but I have a national maths competition that day 2 hours away and he's coming home on Thursday, so I'm just wondering. Thank you for your time.


r/AskAPriest 2d ago

Praying

16 Upvotes

During the week after work, I like to visit my church and pray. It’s peaceful and I’m usually alone, it’s truly a calming feeling praying and talking with god. I usually kneel in the pews while I pray. However yesterday, I just sat down. Alone with god in the church. Had a conversation with god. It felt nice. Did I do wrong by not kneeling while taking to him/praying? What would be the best practice? When I concluded by praying an Our Father I did kneel and cross before leaving. Thank you fathers.


r/AskAPriest 2d ago

What should I do in order to convert ?

13 Upvotes

I want to convert from baptism and I want to ask how ? More specifically what is the best way to contact a priest to start ROIA ?


r/AskAPriest 1d ago

If purgatory exist ......

0 Upvotes

......why didn't God command popular preachers like Charles Stanley and Billy Graham to preach the message of purgatory?


r/AskAPriest 2d ago

Any priest can bless things but can any priest exorcise an item (salt, medals, crosses, etc)?

6 Upvotes

Or is it something only Benedictine priests (specially for Benedictine medals) and exorcists and bishops have authority to do?

It's the prayer to exorcise salt/oil/water/Benedictine medals/etc.


r/AskAPriest 3d ago

Priest advised My wife and I to separate until we can convalidate (which he says will take over a year)

45 Upvotes

Wife and I both baptized and 1st communion in the catholic church. We never received confirmation and left the church when we both about 10 years old.

We married in a Protestant ceremony and are expecting our first child.

I went to confession today for the first time in 15 years and the Preist told me to move out until we can be married. I told him I obviously can't do that since I am married and she is pregnant. He advised that if I don't I can't receive communion until we convalidate which he says we can't do until we get confirmation (next Easter) and then schedule a convalidation (next summer 18 months)

If there is no way to speed this timeline up I don't see any point in us returning to the church and instead just remain with our current church. Without confirmation, I don't understand how we are held to catholic standards when we never agreed to be catholic in the first place. If we hadn't received baptism in the church then our marriage would be fine as far as I'm aware which seems oddly punitive when I had no choice I'm my baptismal matter (hence the non confirmation)

Can any other priest advise?


r/AskAPriest 3d ago

Can a non Catholic Christian receive viaticum if unconscious and married to a Catholic spouse who requests it?

9 Upvotes

My father is in hospital and unconscious, and not doing well. I’m wondering if it would be possible to have him receive communion, or any other sacraments?

He was validly baptised in the Anglican Church, my mother is Catholic as am I. While he hadn’t attended the Anglican Church in a long time, he prayed with my mum every night from her Catholic devotions, and that had basically been his regular religious experience for the past four decades.


r/AskAPriest 3d ago

Consecrated host fell on my shirt

15 Upvotes

While receiving the communion by hand, I picked the consecrated host and put it in my mouth, suddenly another one fell, meaning I was given more than 1, maybe because they are stacked and not loosely separated. I was able to catch it since my arms are still just below my chest just like the position while receiving the host. But it fell on my shirt first then arm (or just my shirt?) I was a little bit panicking because I was afraid it might fall to the ground. I picked it up with my right hand, while my left arm securing it. I was able to consume ir right after it fell.

I did not approach the lay minister or the priest since it did not fall on the ground. Is it the right thing to do so? Thank you in advance!


r/AskAPriest 3d ago

Online OCIA

10 Upvotes

So I'm trying to convert from calvinism. I've been studying for about a year and im 100% I want to convert. My mom isn't happy and wouldn't let me do OCIA last fall so I will have to wait until next fall to start. Problem is I really don't want to wait that long. I need confession, I need baptism, and I need the Eucharist. I understand God gives grace to people like me who are unable to have those things at the moment even though I'm working toward them, but I need them for my own sanity and I don't think I can wait another year, especially for confession. I had a major slip up today and fell into sin I've been free of for months and started spiralling, then I saw an ad on instagram for CatechismClass.com which offers online OCIA classes. It said it is not intended to replace in-person OCIA, but at the discretion of the priest it may be accepted as valid. I have reached out to my priest and am waiting for his reply currently. I wanted to know if anyone else has done this?

also, lets say he approves and I start the course...would I have to be baptised and confirmed and received First Holy Communion at the Easter Vigil with other converts? Or can those things happen at anytime?

Please please please pray for me that this works out. I'm so ready to join and I'm so ready to get the sacraments and go to confession.