Category Archives: “How To…” – Practical Notes

QUAERITUR: Can a deaf priest say Mass in the Extraordinary Form?

From a reader: I recently came across this article about a deaf priest recently ordained for  ___.  I’m curious – could a deaf priest ever say an EF Mass?  It seems to me that the rubrics would either (1) require … Read More

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23 Comments

WDTPRS POLL: Should the US Bishops have Catholics return to meatless Fridays for the whole year?

In another entry, I offered and reacted to Archbishop Dolan’s (Archd. NY) comments about our Catholic identity, external markers seen by others and ourselves which reinforce that identity and communicate it to others and the former practice of meatless Fridays … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Brick by Brick, Just Too Cool, New Evangelization, Our Catholic Identity, POLLS | Tagged , , ,
93 Comments

Archbp. Dolan on meatless Fridays and external signs of our Catholic identity

His Excellency Most Rev. Timothy Dolan of New York City has an interesting post on his blog The Gospel in the Digital Age.  I would like to support something important he raised. Keep in mind that Archbishop Dolan has a … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Brick by Brick, Fr. Z KUDOS, I'm just askin'..., Just Too Cool, Mail from priests, New Evangelization, Our Catholic Identity, The Drill, The future and our choices | Tagged , , ,
18 Comments

QUAERITUR: Why don’t liberals just leave the Church?

From a reader: Why do these liberals and people like in the LCWR stay in the Church?  Wouldn’t it make sense for them to go to the Anglicans?  They could be wymynpriests there and do all the crazy stuff they … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, New Evangelization, Our Catholic Identity, The Drill, The future and our choices | Tagged , , ,
35 Comments

QUAERITUR: Doing the Roman salute/blessing gesture

From a reader: The recent post about the LCWR has got me wondering. Is there ever a time in the liturgy (in the rubrics, anyway) when the laity are encouraged to raise their hands in blessing? I am under the … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000 | Tagged , ,
48 Comments

Remember: Father isn’t talking to you.

I was once accosted in St. Peter’s Basilica after my daily Mass by an angry modernist visiting American pants-suit, hair-do and lapel-pin sister … I guess angry was redundant, wasn’t it… who griped at me that she couldn’t hear the … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, New Evangelization, Our Catholic Identity, The Drill, The future and our choices | Tagged , , ,
31 Comments

How to treat sinners

A quote via Good Jesuit Bad Jesuit from St. Ignatius of Loyola which reminds me of how imperfect I am in charity. “Treat sinners as a good mother treats her child when sick; she bestows on him many more caresses … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, New Evangelization, Non Nobis and Te Deum, Our Catholic Identity, The Drill | Tagged , , , ,
13 Comments

A priest friend… EXPERIMENTING with Mass … oh… oh… oh….!

From Fr. Martin Fox of Bonfire of the Vanities: My Experimental ‘Spirit of Vatican II’ Liturgy Tonight, I did an experiment with the liturgy, in the (true) spirit of Vatican II. For the Solemnity of the Assumption, we had the … Read More

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13 Comments

QUAERITUR: older men and priesthood

From a reader: Father, I was in the seminary 14 years ago and completed first theology. I so badly want to return to the priesthood. I wrote my bishop and vocation director 10 times and NEVER received an answer. What does … Read More

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11 Comments

QUAERITUR: Sunday rest from servile work for the children

From a reader: My question is, I think, pretty straightforward. One of the precepts of the Church is that we attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days, and rest from servile labor. From what I’ve read, family obligations are exempted … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Our Catholic Identity, The Drill | Tagged , , ,
5 Comments