Catholic quiz time! How much do you know about your faith?

Maybe you’re a daily Mass-goer or a saint nerd. Maybe you love how Catholicism is so prevalent in shaping history and science. Or maybe you just want to see how much you know about your faith. If so, this is the quiz for you.

School might be out for the summer, but it’s the perfect time to sit down by yourself or with family or friends to test your knowledge. Don’t forget a pen or pencil to mark your answers. Once you’re done, use the answer key at the end to see how well you did. Good luck!

The Mass

1. Which liturgical item sits on top of the altar cloth and underneath the chalice and paten?

A. Stole

B. Corporal

C. Purificator

D. Pall

2. Which name is given to the liturgical fixture where the Word of God is read and proclaimed?

A. Ambo

B. Ambry

C. Altar

D. Tabernacle

3. What is the minimum number of candles to be placed on or near the altar for Holy Mass?

A. 1

B. 2

C. 4

D. 6

4. Ordinarily, what is the most number of Masses a priest is allowed to celebrate or concelebrate on Sunday in special circumstances?

A. 1

B. 2

C. 3

D. 10

5. On which two of the following days are Catholics in the United States not obliged to attend Mass?

A. Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

B. Ash Wednesday

C. Solemnity of the Assumption

D. Solemnity of St. Joseph

Saints of summer

1. Which saint, commemorated on July 22, was the first witness of the resurrection?

A. St. Martha

B. St. Jude

C. St. Thomas

D. St. Mary Magdalene

2. Which saintly couple is commemorated on July 12, their wedding anniversary?

A. Sts. Louis and Zélie

B. Sts. Zechariah and Elizabeth

C. Sts. Joachim and Anne

D. Blesseds Luigi and Maria Quattrocchi

3. To which country was bishop and martyr Blessed Vasyl Velychkovsky, commemorated on June 27, exiled from his home in Ukraine?

A. Canada

B. United States

C. Mexico

D. England

pray

4. Which saint, commemorated on Aug. 23, became the first canonized person born in the Americas?

A. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

B. St. Martin De Porres

C. St. Rose of Lima

D. St. John Neumann

5. Blessed Solanus Casey, commemorated on July 30, is most closely associated with which U.S. city?

A. Albuquerque

B. Boston

C. Cleveland

D. Detroit

Catholic scientists

1. The pea plant experiments of which Catholic scientist led to established scientific rules of heredity?

A. Jérôme Lejeune

B. Gregor Mendel

C. Louis Pasteur

D. Alois Alzheimer

2. Which Catholic scientist discovered the cause of Down syndrome?

A. Jérôme Lejeune

B. Gregor Mendel

C. Louis Pasteur

D. Alois Alzheimer

3. Which Catholic scientist identified the first published case of early-onset dementia?

A. Jérôme Lejeune

B. Gregor Mendel

C. Louis Pasteur

D. Alois Alzheimer

4. Which Catholic scientist might come to mind when you pour a glass of milk?

A. Jérôme Lejeune

B. Gregor Mendel

C. Louis Pasteur

D. Alois Alzheimer

5. Which Catholic scientist was forced to recant his theory of heliocentrism?

A. Galileo Galilei

B. Nicolaus Copernicus

C. Nicholas of Cusa

D. Leonardo da Vinci

Black Catholic history

1. Father Augustus Tolton, the first admittedly Black Catholic priest from the U.S., died in which major city?

A. Atlanta

B. Los Angeles

C. Detroit

D. Chicago

2. The first religious congregation for Black Catholic women was founded in Baltimore by whom?

A. Archbishop John Carroll

B. Servant of God Mary Lange

C. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

D. Venerable Henriette Delille

3. Which of these candidates for sainthood was not formerly an enslaved free person?

A. Venerable Augustus Tolton

B. Venerable Pierre Toussaint

C. Venerable Henriette Delille

D. Servant of God Julia Greeley

4. Which religious congregation for men was founded specifically for ministry devoted to African-Americans?

A. Viatorians

B. Josephites

C. Barnabites

D. Edmundites

5. How many African-Americans are currently under formal consideration for canonization in the Catholic Church?

A. 2

B. 4

C. 6

D. 8

The Gospels

1. In most English translations, which Gospel verse is the shortest?

A. Mt 2:1

B. Jn 3:16

C. Jn 11:35

D. Mk 16:15

2. In total, there are how many chapters in the four canonical Gospels?

A. 64

B. 76

C. 89

D. 95

3. Which Gospel is the longest of the four canonical Gospels?

A. Matthew

B. Mark

C. Luke

D. John

4. Roughly how many original words are attributed to Jesus in the four canonical Gospels?

A. About 10,000

B. About 30,000

C. About 75,000

D. About 100,000

5. Of which apostle was St. Mark a disciple?

A. St. Peter

B. St. John

C. St. Thomas

D. St. Matthew

St. Joseph

1. Of the following titles of St. Joseph, which is not a recent addition to his litany by Pope Francis?

A. Guardian of the Redeemer

B. Minister of Salvation

C. Guide in times of trouble

D. Hope of the Sick

2. The largest church in the world dedicated to St. Joseph is in which Canadian city?

A. Vancouver

B. Montreal

C. Toronto

D. Ottawa

3. Which of the four canonical Gospels gives us the least information about St. Joseph?

A. Matthew

B. Mark

C. Luke

D. John

4. On which date is Mary and Joseph’s betrothal traditionally celebrated?

A. January 23

B. March 25

C. May 31

D. June 24

5. St. Joseph was named patron of the universal Church by which pope?

A. Pius IX

B. Pius X

C. Pius XI

D. Pius XII

Marian apparitions

1. Which of the following saints was not a visionary at a Marian apparition?

A. St. Jacinta

B. St. Bernadette

C. St. Catherine of Siena

D. St. Catherine Laboure

2. Of the Holy See’s approved Marian apparitions, how many were in Belgium?

A. 0

B. 1

C. 2

D. 3

3. Which was the most recently Holy See-approved Marian apparition?

A. Guadalupe

B. Fátima

C. Lourdes

D. Knock

4. Which future pope was ordained a bishop on May 13, 1917, the same day as Mary’s first apparition at Fátima?

A. Pius XII

B. John XXIII

C. Paul VI

D. John Paul I

5. In which century were most of the formally approved Marian apparitions?

A. 16th

B. 17th

C. 18th

D. 19th

American dioceses

1. In 2004, which American see became the newest given the status as an archdiocese?

A. New Orleans

B. Galveston-Houston

C. Atlanta

D. Oklahoma City

2. Which see city is not directly adjacent to another see city?

A. Washington, D.C.

B. Kansas City

C. Dallas

D. Chicago

3. Which of the following state capital cities is not a see city?

A. Springfield, Illinois

B. Boise, Idaho

C. Salem, Oregon

D. Madison, Wisconsin

4. Which of the following states has more than one diocese?

A. Montana

B. Wyoming

C. Delaware

D. South Carolina

5. Which American city was the first American see city?

A. New York

B. Baltimore

C. Washington, D.C.

D. Boston

Key:

The Mass

B
A
B
C
B & D

Saints of summer

Catholic scientists

Black Catholic history

The Gospels

St. Joseph

Marian apparitions

American dioceses

Michael R. Heinlein is editor of OSV’s Simply Catholic. He writes from Indiana.

Stretch your knowledge
Do you want to learn more about your faith? Check out some of the new releases from the OSV bookstore about topics such as Black saints, Catholic America and St. Joseph. Here are a few to get you started:“Black Catholics on the Road to Sainthood” ($9.95) Meet the six Black Catholics from the United States whose causes are under formal consideration by the Catholic Church for canonization. Including biographies and personal reflections from diverse contributors, this book shows how these six men and women provide a model of holiness for all Catholics and people of good will. “Monuments, Marvels, and Miracles: A Traveler’s Guide to Catholic America” ($27.95) America’s got faith! You’ll find it in every state — in grand cathedrals and tiny chapels, in miracle shrines and underwater statues, and even in blessed dirt. This book takes you to more than 500 of the country’s most intriguing holy sites, each with a riveting story to tell. “A Man Named Joseph: Guardian for Our Times” ($14.95) What is it that St. Joseph has to offer each of us today? This book answers that question, cutting through a lot of our misconceptions to see what the Bible and the earliest Christians really say about Joseph as a model husband, father and saint.

Stretch your knowledge

Do you want to learn more about your faith? Check out some of the new releases from the OSV bookstore about topics such as Black saints, Catholic America and St. Joseph. Here are a few to get you started:“Black Catholics on the Road to Sainthood” ($9.95)

Meet the six Black Catholics from the United States whose causes are under formal consideration by the Catholic Church for canonization. Including biographies and personal reflections from diverse contributors, this book shows how these six men and women provide a model of holiness for all Catholics and people of good will.

“Monuments, Marvels, and Miracles: A Traveler’s Guide to Catholic America” ($27.95)

America’s got faith! You’ll find it in every state — in grand cathedrals and tiny chapels, in miracle shrines and underwater statues, and even in blessed dirt. This book takes you to more than 500 of the country’s most intriguing holy sites, each with a riveting story to tell.

“A Man Named Joseph: Guardian for Our Times” ($14.95)

What is it that St. Joseph has to offer each of us today? This book answers that question, cutting through a lot of our misconceptions to see what the Bible and the earliest Christians really say about Joseph as a model husband, father and saint.