Q. We celebrate the Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels on October 2. What does the Church teach about these angels? A. The Catholic Church teaches, of course, that the good angels exist and are sent to help us, but she has never formally defined the doctrine that each individual human person is assigned a particular angel as a guardian and intercessor throughout his or her earthly life. Nevertheless, the belief is rooted in Scripture and has been amply affirmed since ancien

Q. Why is the Society of St. Vincent de Paul named for that particular saint? A. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul was established in Paris in 1833 as a Catholic lay organization for helping the poor and sick. The founder was Blessed Frédéric Ozanam (1813–1853), who with his associates was mentored by Blessed Sister Rosalie Rendu, a Daughter of Charity. The Society was first established in the United States in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1845, and now serves in 140 countries. La

Q. Why is Mary sometimes portrayed with a crown of twelve stars? A. The crown she was given as Queen of Heaven is sometimes depicted with twelve stars because the book of Revelation speaks of how “a great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars” (Revelation 12:1). Since the woman is identified as giving birth to “a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron” (v. 6), Sc

Q. Are we limited to one saint name at Confirmation? A. You are not limited to only one, just as John Paul I was not limited to one name when he became pope. But if you were to choose more than one, in the Rite of Confirmation the Bishop would probably address you using only one of the names, and any official church records would probably list only one of them as well.

Our St. Catherine's Parish School of Religion classes begin Sunday, September 8th. We also offer online registration forms, which are available on our website here. Please reach out to our Director of Religious Education, Joan Hennes, with any questions.