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I generally like one question at a time, but this was so… bizzare that it needs more attention.From a reader: This weekend, Father was having a series of talks during his Masses which spanned about fifteen minutes, and so he was late for one at another Church.The parish sister started the Mass with the full (including greeting) introductory rites and Liturgy of the Word.Father arrived at the offertory and then Mass continued as normal.This is a common, though not weekly, practice. [?!?]1) Is it still Mass?2) Does it satisfy the obligation of the faithful (and myself) to attend Sunday Mass?3) Is...

When my husband and I went to Mass last evening, unfortunately our parish priest was ill, so a guest priest said Mass. When he read the Gospel, he changed He to she. Later the substitute priest said we really don't know if the Holy Spirit is a he or a she. Later he said, wouldn't the altar girl make a good priest some day, even though the Vatican said women priests is a closed issue. It won't happen. There were a few other things, but those were the things that bothered me the most. Here is the gospel, where he...

VATICAN CITY -- Pope John Paul II expressed concern Friday over the decline in priestly vocations in the United States, telling visiting American bishops that the drop presents a "stark challenge" that cannot be ignored. He also suggested, in an apparent reference to the clergy sex abuse scandal, that seminary training needs to be tightened to instill a commitment to "holiness and spiritual wisdom." The pope has raised the sex abuse scandal and other problems facing the U.S. church as American bishops have been making a periodic visit to the Vatican throughout the year. In Friday's address to bishops from...

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope John Paul on Friday called for a national day of prayer to boost priestly vocations in the United States, where sexual abuse scandals have hit already shrinking numbers of priesthood volunteers. "No one can deny that the decline in priestly vocations represents a stark challenge for the Church in the United States, and one that cannot be ignored or put off," the pope said in a speech to American bishops visiting the Vatican (news - web sites). "I would propose for your consideration that the Catholic community in your country annually set aside a national...

A vision of the future -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lacking a pastor, Holy Name turned to its pews By Denise Smith Amos At Mount Auburn's Holy Name Church, Sister Mary Gallagher performs many duties that traditionally fall to a priest. Holy Name is one of 43 local parishes without a resident pastor. To stay vibrant, it relies on nuns and lay people. Here, Sister Mary (center) holds hands with Nikela Owens of Fort Thomas (right) and James Hall, 12, of Mt. Auburn during a service. (Craig Ruttle photo) MOUNT AUBURN - Holy Name Church is 100 years old - a milestone it almost...

The Futures Project: Facing the Facts The Archdiocese is faced with a future with fewer priests. We have known about this for several years, and have studied the likely effects. Over a decade ago we established two archdiocesan-wide planning projects, For the Harvest (circa 1985) and Ministry 2000 (circa 1991), to analyze this situation. Both succeeded in making some adjustments in our ministry to meet the problem for a short time. However, further action is needed. In the Jubilee Year of 2000, Archbishop Pilarczyk established the Futures Committee. The mission of this committee is to advise and help the Archbishop...