Q&A: What are the rules for godparents?

Dear Father: I have a question regarding godparents. It seems mandatory that a godparent be a Catholic. I could have a Catholic be a godparent and move three years after the baptism to another state. The child would only rarely see them, possibly only on holidays. I could ask a non-catholic …
Keeping the meaning in a child’s first Communion

Editors Note: Here’s an article about First Communion that’s both timely and informative from 2009 ARCHDIOCESE — With first Communion season upon us, children will be soon be donning their finery for the joyous event as parents plan festive family gatherings to celebrate. But there is more to the occasion …
Cardinal Dolan, Bishop Barron to serve on Trump’s new religious liberty commission

By Tyler Arnold Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 1, 2025 / 16:53 pm Two members of the Catholic hierarchy in the United States — Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Bishop Robert Barron — have been tapped to serve on a new presidential commission on religious liberty created by President Donald Trump on Thursday, …
Baltimore Archdiocese to launch missionary ‘lab’ program to draw young people

By Madalaine Elhabbal Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 2, 2025 / 06:00 am The Archdiocese of Baltimore is launching a new initiative this summer to address the crisis of disaffiliation among young people in the Church through a proactive missionary “lab” program. “The impetus behind it is really giving tools to young …
Pew: Catholics who attend Mass weekly more likely to oppose changes to the Church

By Tessa Gervasini Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 1, 2025 / 13:30 pm The more often Catholics in the United States attend Mass, the more likely they are to oppose proposed changes to the Church, such as blessing same-sex marriages and allowing women to become priests, a new Pew Research Center study reveals. Pew …
Americans’ religious preferences remain mostly unchanged over the last 5 years, poll shows

By Tessa Gervasini Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 30, 2025 / 15:07 pm Recent polling data has found that Americans’ religious affiliations have not greatly changed since 2020, appearing to stabilize following decades of substantial shifts. Data collected by the polling firm Gallup surveyed 12,000 adults in the U.S. and found that from …
The Purpose of Work is Not to Work

The object of work is similar to the object of playing golf. Who is happier at the end of a round of golf: the person who hit the ball 100 times or the one who only hit it 85 times? We all know the answer. The object of golf is …
Into your Hands May 2025

A friend of mine began discerning priesthood soon after his First Communion. From the age of eight, he dreamed of the day when he could be a priest and celebrate Mass. This was not me. I did not consider a vocation to the priesthood until the end of my junior …
Groundbreaking archive in Ohio aims to preserve the history of U.S. women religious

By Daniel Payne CNA Staff, May 1, 2025 / 06:00 am A group of religious sisters in Cleveland is launching a multimillion-dollar archive center that will help collect, preserve, and share the stories of women religious in the United States. Sister Susan Durkin, OSU, told CNA that the Women Religious Archives Collaborative …
Gameday Mass Times

GameDay Mass Times Welcome Cincinnati Reds and Washington National Fans !!! This weekend The Reds host the Washington Nationals on Saturday, May 3 and Sunday, May 4. First pitch on Saturday is 6:40 p.m. and Sunday at 1:40 p.m. Below are Mass times downtown to enhance your Third Sunday of Easter …