Questions about Faith? Email the parish or write and drop them at the Presbytery. Each week a question will be answered in the newsletter.
Why have some of the holydays of obligation been moved to Sundays?
Since Advent 2006 there has been a change to the holydays of obligation in England and Wales. Like Scotland, Ireland, Italy and most of the US, the celebrations of the Epiphany, Ascension and Corpus Christi have all been moved to the nearest Sunday. The bishops were concerned by diminishing observance of these days and wanted…
Why is Mary called ‘Ever-Virgin’?
Of course Christ was conceived in Mary’s womb solely by the Holy Spirit. But it is also an article of faith that Mary remained a virgin throughout the rest of her life. The earliest written reference is from 125AD, in living memory, and many of the Church Fathers from the 3rd and 4th centuries affirm…
If I have no Catholic relatives, how can I ensure I have a Catholic funeral?
If you have no relatives, or if your relatives are not Catholics, or do not practice their faith, it can be a worry that there will be no one to arrange a proper Catholic funeral after the Lord has called you. The best course of action is to write in your will that you want…
Why does the Lord Jesus call himself ‘Son of Man’?
Jesus refers to himself as ‘Son of Man’ 88 times in the New Testament. 1. ‘Son of Man’ was a prophetic title for the Messiah in the prophecy of Daniel: ‘there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven’ (Dan 7:13-14). Jesus identifies himself with that prophecy. Likewise…
What does ‘consubstantial’ mean?
There were many serious theological controversies in the early centuries of the Church. At times the Church had to gather in council to decide formally what was genuine Christian faith. One such case was the Arian heresy. The Arians said that Jesus was not truly God, but the first and noblest creature that the Father…