The teaching authority of the Catholic Church is called the magisterium. It resides in the Pope and in the bishops as successors to the apostles, united among themselves and under the Pope. Different…
Holy Communion, also referred to as the Eucharist, is an integral part of the Roman Catholic faith because they believe in transubstantiation, meaning they consider the wine and bread taken during…
Faith can be developed and nurtured in creative ways, particularly with young people who often receive creative and fun exercises with more willingness. Creating personal liturgical calendars, trivia…
The Lenten season is an annual period of 40 days when Christians reflect on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (46 days before Easter Sunday; Sundays are not part…
In the Christian faith as a whole, sin is viewed as the great barrier preventing humans from truly communing with God on a spiritual level. In the Catholic Christian tradition in particular, the…
Ireland was and still is a home of many successful people, including actors, singers, politicians, athletes and poets. Although it is a country of four million people, Ireland has a rich history and…
One must be very careful when attempting to explain the Catholic Doctrine of the Trinity, for it is very specific, and dozens of men and women over the centuries have been censured by the Catholic…
Catholics and Pentecostals are both part of the Christian community, along with other Christian denominations like Anglicans, Methodists, Orthodox and Brethren, to name a few. Catholics have a single…
Catholic journey retreats are located in settings removed from urban centers, on sites that provide peaceful surroundings conducive to the participants' reconnection with their spirituality.…
Confirmation is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic religion. When the Catholic is confirmed, he is blessed with the gift of the Holy Spirit and he becomes a full member of the Catholic…
Roman Catholicism or the Roman Church is the name given to the branch of Christianity that emerged out of Rome. It is the largest branch of Christianity in the world. A myriad of celebrations and…
According to the Code of Canon Law, all Catholics are obliged to carry out acts of penance as a sign of faith. Abstaining from meat on Fridays is one of several acts of penance that bind Catholics…
Sir Francis Drake was the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe during his famous voyage between 1577 and 1580. Spain was the world's super power at the time, and Drake's prime objective was to…
The Catholic red plate tradition involves setting a red plate at the dinner table to honor a certain individual. Often this person is someone having a hard time or someone who has recently…
Lutheran evangelicals broke away from the Catholic Church in 1517. Despite many attempts to heal the theological divide between Catholicism and Lutheranism, there are a number of fundamental…
Catholic singles' cruises, like other affiliate group tours, are opportunities for people with similar interests and background to socialize and share travel experiences. In addition to normal…
Welcome parishioners to your next church event, celebrate a holiday or let your party guests know they're in the right place for a Feast Day with an easy-to-notice banner. You can make Catholic…
Trinidad and Tobago host Carnival, a festival described by author Barbara Ehrenreich as “a centuries-old blowout so wild and intense that it makes Mardi Gras look like a Veterans Day…
It's your godson's confirmation day and you're in a receiving line to meet the bishop. You have been Catholic all your life, but still the last time you met a bishop was your own confirmation day and…
Catholics preparing for Lent, the 40 weekdays between Ash Wednesday and Easter, should approach the season as a 40-day spiritual journey, complete with a road map, itinerary and supplies needed to…
Since the Protestant Reformation in the 1600s, Catholics and Protestants have been at odds about fundamental issues that define their beliefs. At first glance, many aesthetic differences are…
Catholic ministries provide specific needs within a community, such as outreach pregnancy support, food pantries, mission work, youth and adult ministries and other opportunities. Although they may…
Receiving holy Communion or holy Eucharist is a sacrament practiced in the Catholic faith. When one eats bread and drinks wine that is properly consecrated by a priest, according to Catholics, Christ…
The Catholic Holy Days of Obligation are days in which "the faithful are obliged to participate in Mass" as laid out in the 1247 Code of Canon Law. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops…
Communion is one of the most precious sacraments in Catholicism. The preparation involves both the family and the child who will be taking it for the first time. The child and adult convert learn to…
Novenas are prayers designed to ask for a special request. Most Novenas are appeals to a specific saint for intervention on the behalf of the person saying the prayer. There are many novenas…
The Catholic faith has been canonizing people as saints since A.D. 100 for their exceptional holiness, charity, suffering, piety or even miraculous works. The ranks now include well over 10,000…
In the Catholic Church, the word "relic" refers to the physical remains or the personal effects of a saint. Relics are classified as first-class (parts of a saint's body, usually very small),…
In our pluralistic society, it's possible to find yourself visiting places, including religious places, that you might never have anticipated. If you visit a Catholic monastery, there are ways to…
A missal is a book containing the instructions, prayers and scripture readings used at a Catholic mass. While it's a useful book to have, it's also notoriously difficult to navigate. Some missals…
Someone wanting a doctorate in Catholic liturgy might consider a distance learning program. Many Catholic universities now offer classes via the Internet, with occasional trips to main campus or an…
Patron saints in Catholic tradition give protection and guidance from heaven according to The Catholic Encyclopedia. Patron saints exist for trades and professions as well as for countries and…
Anointing oil, called chrism in the Catholic church, is a fragrant oil blended with olives and balsam and has received appropriate blessings. Anointing oil is poured in the course of some sacramental…
While in-vitro fertilization (IVF) is an increasingly popular method for helping infertile couples become pregnant, many Americans are unaware that the Catholic Church considers IVF immoral and evil.
The cross is the symbol of Christianity. It's a visible reminder of the death of Jesus Christ, the event Christians believe brought about the salvation of the human race. While the cross in Protestant…
Catholic family planning, also referred to as natural family planning or NFP, is the only acceptable form of family planning for faith-abiding Catholics. According to the Catholic Church, both…
The Catholic religion, more commonly referred to as Catholicism, is a religion with a vast history and a strong core of beliefs. Those new to the Catholic Mass or Catholicism in general may be…
The Holy Bible, referred to as the canon, is the central religious text of Catholicism, and its only sacred book. The canon is divided into two main sections: the Old Testament and the New Testament.…
Most people think of Mardi Gras as a big party in New Orleans, but its roots predate the white man's arrival in the New World by many centuries. It actually stems from Christian…
Catholic is a term that, by definition, means "universal." In regards to religion, the term catholic is generally used to refer to members of the Roman Catholic Church, which is headed by the Bishop…
The Season of Lent in the Catholic church begins on Ash Wednesday and concludes on Holy Saturday (the Saturday prior to Easter). This is a 40-day period as the Sundays are not considered part of the…
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, or RCIA, is a process completed by adults that allows them to become Catholic. Depending on which Catholic church you attend, there may not be a RCIA…
Many people associate Catholic birth control with the rhythm method, which is outdated. Today, Natural Family Planning has many options and choices that can be used to space children and plan the…
When most people think of Catholicism, they think of the Roman Catholic Church. This article will deal with some of the beliefs that set the Catholic Church apart from other branches of Christianity.
Finding the right radio station to listen to while at home or work can be difficult. There may not be any stations in your area that you are interested in. You also may be searching for a religious…
In the Catholic Church, babies are baptized shortly after birth. The only requirement is that their parents belong to the church. Adults choose to become Catholic because they feel a calling to the…
A Catholic movie festival is an effective way to the teach truths of the Christian faith and provide family-friendly entertainment for parishioners. By joining people together of all ages, this event…
The catholic religion has a world-wide following. Although most people know of the pope and of priests, there is much more to the catholic faith. Like every religion, the catholic religion has unique…
The goal for many followers of the Catholic religion is to get into heaven. Nine out of every ten people in the United States say that they believe in heaven, defined as a place of eternal life where…
If you're a community-minded Catholic male with a mind for charity, you might consider joining the Knights of Columbus. Formed in 1882 to offer financial aid to needy members, the Knights of Columbus…
Many years ago catholic clergy were easy to spot because nuns wore habits and others wore cassocks, the long black robe. Today priests may still wear their collar but some do not, and nuns are not…
A wedding is a one-time event, followed by a lifetime of commitment in marriage. For centuries, people have taken their marriage vows in front of family, friends, church members and God in a local…
R.C.I.A. is the process and rite through which many adults join the Catholic Church.
Medals are popular ways for Catholics to identify with, bolster and give witness to their faith.
Catholic Lenten traditions have been observed by Catholics throughout the world for 2,000 years. As you observe Lent as a Catholic, offer up your sufferings and draw closer to God. Grow spiritually as…
Easter is the greatest holy day in the Church's calendar. The Catholic Easter feast is a joyful occasion, celebrating Christ's resurrection from the dead. Catholic Easter traditions and customs…
People of the Catholic faith believe that the physical body will be resurrected at Judgment Day and prefer burial to cremation so that their remains stay intact. Catholic funerals often follow the…
Confirmation in the Catholic Church is 1 of the 7 Sacraments. During it, the person (usually a child) receives the Holy Spirit again (they already got it once during baptism) to help them follow in…
A baptism welcomes a child into the Catholic faith. It celebrates new life and innocence with rituals, symbols and community and should be approached seriously. The christening represents the parents'…
Catholic Relief Services (CRS), founded in 1943 by the United States bishops, is the international relief agency of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. Primary uses of CRS funds in recent…
Catholicism is one of the oldest religious institutions in the history of the world. If you decide that you want to become Catholic, you will be joining a large faith community with a prominent…
The job description calls for chastity, poverty and obedience, and apparently that's not everyone's cup of tea. In the past 30 years, the number of Catholic nuns in the United States has fallen by…