Catholic FAQs

The Holy Mass is the highest form of worship and the source and summit of the Christian life. The Mass makes us present to Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross in order to apply the fruit of His sacrifice to our lives. The purpose is go glorify God and to sanctify us and the Church. In the Mass, we can join our joys, works, sufferings, and prayers to Christ’s so he can use them to redeem, sanctify, and bless our lives through his perfect offering of love. The priest leads us in this as he participates in the heavenly offering of Jesus Christ to the Father. It is not entertainment but a true and mystical encounter with God.

Only baptized Catholics who are in a state of grace may receive Communion at Mass. A Catholic can receive if they have fasted one hour beforehand and do not have any unforgiven mortal sins (i.e. you have gone to Confession if you committed mortal sin).

If one or both the bride and groom is a baptized Catholic, yes, the Marriage needs to be witnessed by a Catholic priest or deacon in a sacred place such as within a Catholic Church to validly make it a sacramental marriage. An exception can be made if given special permission by the bishop of the diocese, provided there are serious reasons for doing so. Couples that were married outside the Church are considered civilly married. They can be sacramentally married through a Convalidation. Please contact our parish for more info on how to get a Convalidation.