Q. What is the origin of the popular “Jesse Tree” custom for Advent? A. The Jesse Tree custom typically involves placing ornaments, throughout the days of Advent, on a tree or the figure of a tree, each of which points to a biblical ancestor of Our Lord Jesus. It is based on the age-old artistic depiction called “The Tree of Jesse,” which itself derives from a prophecy of Isaiah: “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his root

Q. What makes the “King James Bible” so special to some of my Protestant friends? A. The Church does not deny the Eucharist to all who are divorced, but rather to those who have attempted to remarry without first obtaining an annulment — that is, the Church’s authoritative judgment and public recognition that the first attempt at marriage was in fact invalid. The text is a revision of the earlier “Bishops’ Bible” (1568), rather than an original translation. But other previou

Dear Friends, Please continue to pray for the success of Aquinas Preparatory High School! We know how important it is to bring a great Catholic high school to Kennesaw, and we are determined to see this come to fruition for the families in our community, with God's help. Here you will find a link to the Information Session presentation we made at the end of October. Please feel free to forward it to any interested individuals or families. Below you will also find links to a c

Q. Can divorced Catholics receive Communion? A. The Church does not deny the Eucharist to all who are divorced, but rather to those who have attempted to remarry without first obtaining an annulment — that is, the Church’s authoritative judgment and public recognition that the first attempt at marriage was in fact invalid. Why does remarriage without an annulment present a barrier to receiving Communion? Because the Church must affirm, at Jesus’ instruction, that a true marr

Q. This weekend (November 9) we celebrate the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica. Where is this basilica and why is it important enough to appear on the Church’s liturgical calendar? A. The full name of the church is the Archbasilica of the Most Holy Savior and of Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist in the Lateran. It is the oldest public church in the city of Rome, and the oldest basilica in the Western world. Most importantly, it serves as the Cathe