Living heaven focused: Making a ‘five-year plan’

Assistant editor Ava Lalor shares her experience at her parish, where they have been formulating a five year plan for the community. At large parish meetings, they were asked to discuss what they are doing well, what they could improve on, and

What is lacking in Christ’s passion?

In the Pastoral Answers column this week, a reader asks, “I can’t understand the passage where St. Paul says in the book of Colossians, ‘In my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of

Heaven in a basement

“There are places I’ll remember / All my life though some have changed. / Some forever not for better / Some have gone and some remain.” That’s from “In My Life,” an old Beatles song. Though I have to remember that there

Stripped of clothes

Question: At the Crucifixion, was Jesus stripped naked or did he have some clothing on? — Doris Fernandes, Philadelphia Answer: The answer to this is not certain. Early Christian tradition is divided on the subject, and the linguistic details of the New

Closer to heaven

There was a moment during the recent Napa Institute conference where I found myself looking around and thinking the exact opposite of what everyday news headlines suggest: We were not too far away from heaven. The Napa Institute was formed to renew

Do animals go to heaven?

A recent comment by Pope Francis in his weekly audience at St. Peter’s Square set the secular media abuzz. He was reported to have said that animals have immortal souls and will go to heaven — contrary to common, long-established theological opinion.

A journey to heaven, hell, purgatory

Father Jose Maniyangat is a priest in good standing in the Diocese of St. Augustine, Florida. He is an associate pastor at St. Catherine of Siena Church in Orange Park, a suburb of Jacksonville. He is the diocesan spiritual director for the