If you have a general question that you would like answered or feel others would benefit from the answer, please submit it at the bottom of this page and we will review the question and post answers on this page on a regular basis.

If you have a more personal question, we would love the opportunity to discuss these with you. Please provide contact information along with your question.

Question: Can Father George's homily of Easter Sunday be put on the Internet? It has such a different tone for a holiday sermon but so intouch with the mood of the people.  I would like to share this with my family and under the delicate circumstances wouldn't want to misrepresent the true meaning of this wonderful homily. 

Answer:  Each of the Sunday homilies are recorded, transcribed and uploaded to the St. Noel website.  Recent homilies are available on the homepage; older homilies are archived for easy access. Click here for older homlies.

Question: Why is Easter in the Roman Church being celebrated approximately a month before Passover and Orthodox Easter? Shouldn't they be relatively close together based on the calendar?

Answer: The answer is somewhat complicated as some of the Orthodox Church follows the Julian Calendar, the Roman Church follows the Gregorian Calendar and the Jewish religion has followed a lunar calendar for centuries.

Sometimes the dates are near each other, but this is not always the case. A search on "Easter Dating Methods" will yield a good amount of information.

Thanks for your question.

Question: Can a divorced male Catholic participate in the spiritual, social and service acts of the Church? 

Answer: Divorce is never an obstacle to participating in the sacramental, social or service life of the Church. In instances when someone is divorced and has remarried outside the Church, that person is asked to refrain from receiving the sacraments (communion, reconciliation, anointing) until his or her previous marriage is annulled and the present marriage validated in the Church.  But even in this situation, people are always encouraged to attend Mass and be involved in the life of the community by participating in the social and service aspects of the Church. If you remain unclear about any of this, perhaps it would be helpful to talk in person with a priest, deacon or pastoral minister.

Question: I attended a class at St. Clarence of North Olmsted which had to do with the three religions that trace back to Abraham. My understanding from the class is that based on Vatican II, that those of the Jewish or Muslim faith can have a different way of relating to God other than the Christian belief in Jesus as God's son. Is it considered acceptable for these other two religions to have a different approach? My bible class at another church has members who think that it is our responsibility to convert all to Christianity. Please help me to under stand this dilemma. Thank you.

Answer:
     
The Roman Catholic Church recognizes that truth and holiness exist in other religions.  The Second Vatican Council, in the "Declaration on the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian Religions," states quite clearly that Catholics should "prudently and lovingly, through dialogue and collaboration with the followers of other religions, and in the witness of Christian faith and life, acknowledge, preserve, and promote the spiritual and moral goods found among these [men], as well as the values in their society and culture" (#2).

The Church respects the attempts of diverse people and diverse cultures to answer the fundamental questions of life and to develop various teachings and expressions to guide those searching for meaning.

At the same time, all Catholics are called to live their faith in such a way that those we meet encounter the loving presence of Jesus Christ.  Through our actions and words, we are called to spread the Good News to all we meet.
Therefore, respectful dialogue and mutual understanding are essential components as Catholics endeavor to share their faith with others.

Pope John Paul II wrote passionately about the relationship between Christianity and Judaism and much continues to be written.  I would encourage further reading and further study.

I would also encourage you to understand the similarities & differences between the Catholic Christian approach and the approach of other Christian denominations in relating to religions such as Judaism and Islam. The Catholic Church believes that all humanity is part of a single community and that we all come from the same, loving God.  We also believe that ultimately, the same God who created all will save all through Christ.

God's saving action through Christ is offered to all.  Catholics have a responsibility to share this message, but the Second Vatican Council, as well as subsequent writings, have emphasized the role of example over conversion and even discouraged conversion with regards to those of Jewish faith.  Being called to share one's faith and being called to convert all people to Christianity are not the same thing. 

Thanks for your question