Q: My son, who is 19, has suffered from anxiety and depression since puberty, although it’s only recently that we have recognized it for what it is. He began using marijuana in his early teens, dropped out of school, struggled to hold a job and was very unstable. His girlfriend recently gave birth to their […]
Father Kenneth Doyle: Rosary while driving: bad idea?
Q: Recently, at a parish discussion group, several people suggested that a good time to pray the rosary is while you are driving your car. I, though, have two questions: a) Is that a good prayer practice? And, b) Is it prudent and safe? (Albany, New York) A: Different people will give you different answers […]
Father Kenneth Doyle | Confirmation at a high school?
Q: Recently, at a Catholic boys’ high school, the priest who is the campus minister gave first holy Communion and also (during the same ceremony) the sacrament of confirmation to six young men. I’m certain that the priest received permission from our bishop to do this, but I have two questions. First, isn’t the local […]
Father Kenneth Doyle | Question Corner: I’m divorced. Can I be a Catholic?
Q: I am a 68-year-old woman and am seriously considering converting to Catholicism. But I have been married more than once, have now been divorced for 11 years and, prior to the divorce, was separated for 10 years. I was exposed to Catholicism at an early age (when the service was in Latin), and I […]
Father Kenneth Doyle: When should I make a prayer request?
Q: I read recently that, during the consecration at Mass, the blessed Savior is most present to us — and that if we have a special prayer request, that would be the best time to make it. Can you tell me if that is correct, or is there a more appropriate time? (Columbia, Missouri) A: […]
Father Kenneth Doyle: Why so much focus on the Passion?
Q: I have always wondered why we read the Passion during Palm Sunday services. Palm Sunday is a day of rejoicing and jubilation, as we remember Jesus riding into Jerusalem amid throngs of cheering people. But then we read the passion of Christ, which we also read again on Holy Thursday and, for a third […]
Father Kenneth Doyle: Is general absolution permitted here?
Q: Our priest now has three parishes to take care of, so he is kept very busy. Can he be given permission to have a rite three penance service with absolution, perhaps once or twice a year? This would free up some time for him, and I also feel that it would help to bring […]
Father Kenneth Doyle | QUESTION CORNER: Was the crucifixion necessary?
Q: I have been a Catholic all my life, but I have never really understood why Jesus had to die for our sins. Couldn’t God have just forgiven us? (Eagan, Minnesota) A: Your question is one that has occupied theologians over the entire history of Christianity. I side with your position: God is God, and […]
Father Kenneth Doyle: Can a felon enter holy orders?
Q: I am currently incarcerated in federal prison. My question may seem strange, but I am wondering whether it would ever be possible for an ex-convict, a felon, to be accepted into holy orders. When I was a child, I was never baptized or brought up in any particular religion, but I had a strong […]
Father Kenneth Doyle: Who believes in the real presence?
Q: Recent polls indicate that some 70 percent of Catholics in the United States (and 66 percent in Ireland) do not believe in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, but rather a symbolic presence. I happen to be one of them. I am Jesuit-educated, and I have written to my pastor with my […]
