Whether you’re traveling or staying home this summer, brush up your Catholic IQ and have some fun, too. Whether with a friend or by yourself, test your knowledge of the Faith and maybe even do some research if you’re stumped.
Click to download the Catholic Trivia Challenge (PDF).
SAINTS
1. Which saint saw a flaming, winged figure in the sky when receiving the stigmata?
A. St. Francis of Assisi
B. St. Rita
C. St. Catherine of Siena
D. St. Pio
2. Of the following female saints, which is not a Doctor of the Church?
A. St. Hildegard of Bingen
B. St. Joan of Arc
C. St. Teresa of Ávila
D. St. Thérèse of Lisieux
3. Which of the following saints was born in France?
A. St. Thomas Aquinas
B. St. Louis Martin
C. St. Damien De Veuster
D. St. Ignatius of Loyola
4. Which saint is celebrated the day after Christmas on the Church’s universal calendar?
A. St. Stephen
B. St. John the Apostle
C. St. John the Baptist
D. St. Thomas Becket
5. Which of the following saints is a patron of bakers?
A. St. Lawrence
B. St. Anthony of Egypt
C. St. Elizabeth of Hungary
D. St. Nicholas of Tolentino
LIFE OF CHRIST
1. How many days after Jesus’ birth was he circumcised?
A. 5
B. 6
C. 7
D. 8
2. Which was Jesus’ first public miracle?
A. Feeding of the 5,000
B. Walking on water
C. Curing the man born blind
D. Changing water into wine
3. How many “signs” in John’s Gospel indicate Jesus is Messiah?
A. 8
B. 7
C. 6
D. 5
4. How many people did Jesus raise from the dead in the Gospels?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
5. How many Gospels speak of Jesus washing the apostles’ feet?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
LITURGY AND SACRAMENTS
1. Which liturgical color would the priest wear most often?
A. Red
B. White
C. Purple
D. Green
2. Of the following, where are recipients of sacramental anointing anointed?
A. Hands
B. Chest
C. Feet
D. Neck
3. On which day do many cultures traditionally serve hot cross buns?
A. Holy Thursday
B. Good Friday
C. Holy Saturday
D. Easter Sunday
4. Which of the following Christians celebrate all seven sacraments?
A. Methodists
B. Lutherans
C. Baptists
D. Orthodox
5. Which receives the fullness of the Sacrament of Holy Orders at his ordination?
A. Monsignor
B. Bishop
C. Cardinal
D. Pope
PRAYER AND DEVOTION
1. According to tradition, the Rosary was revealed to which saint?
A. St. Simon Stock
B. St. Bernadette
C. St. Dominic
D. St. Juan Diego
2. Which is not one of the Mysteries of the Rosary?
A. Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple
B. The Institution of the Eucharist
C. Jesus is Condemned to Death
D. Descent of the Holy Spirit
3. Which is not one of the Stations of the Cross?
A. Veronica Wipes Jesus’ Face
B. Jesus Falls a Fourth Time
C. Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem
D. Jesus is Buried
4. Which month is traditionally associated with prayer for the dead?
A. March
B. July
C. September
D. November
5. The Divine Mercy devotion was revealed to St. Faustina, who lived in which country?
A. Russia
B. Germany
C. Poland
D. France
THE BIBLE
1. How many books are in the Old Testament?
A. 46
B. 47
C. 48
D. 49
2. Who is the third son born of Adam and Eve?
A. Seth
B. Sion
C. Shem
D. Saul
3. Which of the following is not one of the judges in the book of the same name?
A. Samson
B. Deborah
C. Gideon
D. Solomon
4. Which of the following New Testament figures is regarded as “Apostle to the Apostles”?
A. St. Paul
B. St. Mary Magdalene
C. St. Lydia
D. St. Nicodemus
5. Which of these apostles was not present at Jesus’ transfiguration?
A. St. John
B. St. James
C. St. Andrew
D. St. Peter
CHURCHES
1. The largest church in Canada, dedicated to St. Joseph, is located in which city?
A. Québec City
B. Toronto
C. Vancouver
D. Montreal
2. America’s first cathedral in Baltimore is dedicated to which event in the Blessed Mother’s life?
A. Immaculate Conception
B. Annunciation
C. Visitation
D. Assumption
3. The largest Catholic Church in North America is found in which city?
A. Los Angeles
B. New York City
C. Washington, D.C.
D. Chicago
4. In what city is the famous Spanish Basilica of the Sagrada Familia?
A. Barcelona
B. Madrid
C. Santiago de Compostella
D. València
5. The chapel in which the Blessed Mother appeared in 1830 to St. Catherine Labouré is in which French city?
A. Lourdes
B. Paris
C. Le Mans
D. Tours
AMERICAN CATHOLICISM
1. Who was the first saint born in America after it had officially become a country?
A. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
B. St. Kateri Tekakwitha
C. St. Katharine Drexel
D. St. Frances Xavier Cabrini
2. Charles Carroll of Maryland was the only Catholic to sign which document?
A. Magna Carta
B. Declaration of Independence
C. Constitution
D. Bill of Rights
3. Who was the famed Catholic band leader from North Dakota with a hit TV show that bore his name?
A. Guy Lombardo
B. Lawrence Welk
C. Bing Crosby
D. Jackie Gleason
4. Which is the largest American Catholic diocese in terms of population?
A. Chicago
B. Galveston-Houston
C. Los Angeles
D. New York
5. Where was the first Mass in the United States believed to be celebrated?
A. St. Augustine, Florida
B. Charleston, South Carolina
C. Savannah, Georgia
D. Boston, Massachusetts
POPE-POURRI
1. Which recent pope restored the practice of wearing the traditional red papal shoes?
A. Pope John Paul I
B. Pope St. John Paul II
C. Pope Benedict XVI
D. Pope Francis
2. Which pope was the most recent to be from Italy?
A. Pope Bl. Paul VI
B. Pope John Paul I
C. Pope St. John Paul II
D. Pope Benedict XVI
3. Who was the second pope?
A. St. Sixtus
B. St. Clement
C. St. Cletus
D. St. Linus
4. Who was the first pope to broadcast on radio?
A. Pope St. Pius X
B. Pope Benedict XV
C. Pope Pius XI
D. Pope Pius XII
5. How many popes were elected in the 20th century?
A. 6
B. 7
C. 8
D. 9
ANSWER KEY
Saints: 1. A, 2. B, 3. B, 4. A, 5. C
Life of Christ: 1. D, 2. D, 3. B, 4. C, 5. A
Liturgy and Sacraments: 1. D, 2. A, 3. B, 4. D, 5. B
Prayer and Devotion: 1. C, 2. C, 3. B, 4. D, 5. C
The Bible: 1. A, 2. A, 3. D, 4. B, 5. C
Churches: 1. D, 2. D, 3. C, 4. A, 5. B
American Catholicism: 1. C, 2. B, 3. B, 4. C, 5. A
Pope-pourri: 1. C, 2. B, 3. D, 4. C, 5.
SCORECARD
36-40 correct: You should be teaching theology!
31-35: If only you had a lifeline!
26-30: Consider attending a faith-formation class?
21-25: Take courage, some saints even failed theology.
Less than 20: Pray to St. Jude (patron of hopeless causes)!
Michael R. Heinlein is editor of OSV’s The Catholic Answer magazine. Follow him on Twitter @HeinleinMichael.
