Q: I am making my final arrangements and have been trying you decide between traditional burial and cremation. I have some concerns about cremation from a religious point of view, although it is the best financial option. Does the Church have a preference between burial and cremation? A: The Church …

Q: I have been told that heaven will be a place of complete joy with no pain, anxiety or sense of loss. Knowing that all of my family and friends might not attain heaven, how will I (presuming I am in heaven) not feel a sense of loss knowing that …

By Father David Endres Q: I received the Eucharist under both forms – the host and from the chalice – for the first time recently and I felt Christ in my heart as never before. I thought it was because I was receiving the Precious Blood and not just the …

Q: One of the most difficult things to explain to my non-Catholic friends is why we decorate our churches with statues. They say they are graven image, and some even reject statue art in museums and engravings on coins. They are especially critical of the crucifix. How can I respond? …

By Father David Endres Q: In Genesis 3, it is recorded that Adam and Eve ate from the tree of which God forbid them to eat from, but Eve ate first, inviting Adam to do the same. What if Eve was the only one to eat the fruit – the …

My son has two children, ages two and four. He does not seem interested in having them baptized. Can I baptize them myself? As the number of Americans who no longer identify with any religion increases, frequently the children of baptized Catholics go without the sacrament of baptism. Many dioceses …

Q: I have heard that the number of seminarians is increasing locally and more of them are recent college graduates. Why do you think there are fewer second-career vocations and more young men applying to seminary? A: Yes, there has been an increase in seminary enrollments locally and nationally and …

My mother is in her mid-80s and would like to know if viewing Mass on television fulfills her obligation to attend weekend Mass. Getting to church is not easy for her, but she drives herself to the grocery and to get her hair done. She also has children that would …

Q: Are parish priests evaluated? If so, by whom, how often, and in what areas? Catholics rightly hold their priests to a high standard. When I was a seminarian, I remember reading a survey of what parishioners wanted of their priests. The report determined that among the qualities of the …

By Father David Endres Q: Has Jesus always existed or was He created at His human birth? If He always existed, is there any mention of Him in the Old Testament? Mention of His birth is clear in the Scriptures, but what about prior to His birth? A: This question …