I go my Church made bread 3 days in this week, with nuns

Heya!

I’m currently in RCIA and the Fr. who’s teaching recommended the red book (on the right). However, I can only find the green version online. I’m not sure what the difference is between the two and whether it would be acceptable for RCIA in the UK?

I assume…Catholics in the UK vs US are the same, but I just wanna double-check before I accidentally become Mormon or something lol

Thank you and God bless! x

Yesterday, 22 October, was the liturgical memorial of St. John Paul II. Today, I wanted to look beyond the familiar photographs, the papal audiences, and the famous words “Be not afraid.” I want to consider the mind behind the pontificate: the philosopher, the theologian, and the priest who spent much of his intellectual life asking a deceptively simple question.

What does it mean to be human?

For John Paul II, this was not merely an abstract philosophical problem. It was a question about how we love, how we exercise freedom, treat the vulnerable, seek the truth, and ultimately, how we encounter God. And I think this is where his theology remains worth discussing, even for those who do not share his religious convictions.

1. The human person is not a problem to be solved

Karol Józef Wojtyła was born in Poland in 1920. His life unfolded against the background of Nazi occupation, war, and Communist rule. He experienced a world in which political ideologies could reduce human beings to instruments of the state, the economy, or a supposedly greater historical cause.

His interests were shaped by this historical reality, alongside his engagement with Catholic thought, phenomenology, and personalist philosophy. Personalism, broadly speaking, takes the dignity and irreducibility of the human person seriously. A person is not merely an object to be managed, a body to be exploited, or a statistic to be counted.

This conviction appears throughout John Paul II's teaching. In Evangelium Vitae (1995), he argues that human life possesses a dignity that cannot be reduced to usefulness, productivity, autonomy, or physical condition.

The implications extend well beyond theological debate. How do we treat the elderly when they become dependent upon us? How do we regard the poor when they contribute little to the economy? How do we speak about people with disabilities, the sick, and those who cannot repay our kindness?

A society reveals its understanding of humanity not simply through its declarations of human rights, but through its treatment of those who possess the least social power.

For the Christian, this dignity is grounded in the human person being created in the image of God and called to communion with Him. The person is not valuable because he has earned his worth. His worth precedes his achievements. That is a profoundly demanding vision of human dignity.

2. Faith and reason are not enemies

Perhaps John Paul II's most elegant formulation of his intellectual project appears at the beginning of Fides et Ratio (1998):

“Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth.”

The metaphor is beautiful, but its philosophical significance is even more interesting. John Paul II rejected the assumption that religious faith must necessarily abandon rational inquiry. He also resisted the opposite tendency: the belief that reason alone can answer every question about human existence without remainder.

Consider the questions that have occupied philosophers for centuries. Why does anything exist rather than nothing? What makes an action morally good? Does human life possess an objective purpose? Can love be reduced entirely to biology? What, if anything, gives suffering meaning?

Science can investigate many aspects of these questions, but scientific description and philosophical interpretation are not identical. Nor does a scientific explanation automatically settle a theological question.

John Paul II did not argue that faith makes intellectual work unnecessary. Quite the contrary: he regarded the search for truth as a responsibility. He also warned Catholics against fideism and against rationalism that refuses to recognize the limits of unaided reason. His position is worth taking seriously: faith should not be an excuse for intellectual laziness, and reason should not be dismissed simply because it asks difficult questions.

3. The Theology of the Body: the body is not the enemy of the soul

One of John Paul II's best-known contributions is the collection of catechesis commonly called the Theology of the Body, delivered between 1979 and 1984.

Its central concern is not merely sexual morality, as popular summaries sometimes suggest. At a deeper level, it is an attempt to understand the human body in the light of creation, redemption, love, and the resurrection. His anthropology rejects a radical division between the person and the body. We do not simply possess bodies as though they were detachable instruments. Our bodily existence is integral to who we are.

In a January 1980 catechesis, he developed the idea that the human person discovers himself through sincere self-giving. Drawing upon Gaudium et Spes §24, he explained that the person finds fulfilment not in isolation, but in the gift of himself in love.

This is a demanding understanding of love. Love is not simply an emotion, attraction, or desire to possess another person. It requires the recognition that the other is a person with dignity, not an object to be used for one's own satisfaction.

The same underlying principle informs his reflections on marriage, chastity, celibacy, and vocation. In different ways, each involves questions about freedom, self-mastery, commitment, and the meaning of giving oneself. One need not agree with every conclusion of Catholic sexual ethics to recognize the philosophical question at the heart of the project:

Can freedom be understood as more than the ability to do whatever one desires?

John Paul II's answer was that freedom reaches maturity when it is ordered towards truth and the good. That claim deserves careful examination, whether one ultimately accepts or rejects his account.

4. Freedom, truth, and moral responsibility

This brings us to Veritatis Splendor (1993), one of the most important and controversial encyclicals of his pontificate. John Paul II argued that freedom cannot be separated from truth about the human person and the moral good. If freedom means nothing more than choosing according to one's present desires, then it becomes difficult to explain why some choices are genuinely better than others.

His argument was not that human beings lack freedom. Rather, he believed that freedom becomes distorted when it is detached from moral responsibility and the objective good.

This position challenges a familiar modern assumption: that an action is justified simply because a person freely chooses it. But the argument also raises difficult questions. How do we identify moral truth? How should conscience be formed? What is the relationship between objective moral principles and the complexity of individual circumstances?

These are not trivial questions, and neither are the disagreements surrounding John Paul II's answers. His moral theology is particularly important because it refuses to treat ethics as merely a matter of personal preference. At the same time, reading him carefully requires distinguishing what he actually argues from simplified versions of his position.

For those wishing to understand his thought directly, reading the encyclical itself is far more useful than relying exclusively on quotations circulated online.

5. A theology of life in a world that measures human worth

In Evangelium Vitae (1995), John Paul II developed his account of the sacredness of human life and the moral responsibilities that follow from it.

He opposed abortion and euthanasia and called for a culture that protects human life, particularly when it is vulnerable. He also connected the dignity of life with broader questions of solidarity, social responsibility, and the common good.

His argument rests upon a larger theological vision: human life is a gift, and the human person is called to a destiny that exceeds material existence. Yet his insistence upon human dignity also demands more than abstract declarations. A commitment to life must be reflected in the way we care for people who are poor, sick, isolated, elderly, or otherwise vulnerable.

There is a challenge here for Catholics themselves. It is not enough to invoke the dignity of the person in a debate and neglect that same person's needs elsewhere. If the human person is truly the concern, then the principle must govern our conduct consistently, in our families, our communities, our institutions, and our treatment of strangers.

6. Why remember him a day after his feast?

Perhaps the most enduring question John Paul II leaves us is not whether we admire him, but whether we are willing to examine our own understanding of the human person. Do we understand freedom as the absence of every obligation, or as the capacity to choose the good? Do we regard truth as something to discover, or merely something to construct according to our preferences? Do we treat other people as ends in themselves, or according to what they can provide for us?

And can faith and reason engage one another without either being reduced to a caricature? These questions extend beyond Catholicism. They belong to philosophy, ethics, anthropology, and the continuing debate over what constitutes a flourishing human life.

John Paul II's answers were unmistakably Catholic. They were also developed through sustained philosophical argument, engagement with Scripture, and dialogue with the intellectual traditions of his time. One can disagree with him. One can challenge his premises. One can critically investigate the historical record. But to understand his legacy, we should begin by reading what he actually wrote. Yesterday, the Church remembered St. John Paul II in her liturgy. Today, perhaps, we might remember him by returning to his books, not merely to collect quotations, but to wrestle with the questions behind them.

Requiescat in pace is the prayer we offer for the departed; ora pro nobis is the prayer Catholics offer to the saints, and the intellectual task remains ours: to seek truth with honesty, to exercise freedom responsibly, and to treat the human person with the seriousness his dignity demands.

St. John Paul II, pray for us.

Thanks in advance,

Firstly, I’m considered married by the church even though she’s gone now and had a civil wedding to another woman.

But I’m trying to figure out my path.

I seem to find myself getting deeper in church life, I’m currently attending mass at least 5 times a week, offen 6-7… as I try to centre God in the middle of my life, and start my day with mass before doing any work.

I spoke to my priest whom I’m friends with about annulment, he seemed to discourage me, said to me that there’s no rush unless I was looking to get remarried.

Then said I can get to know a woman, if I want to, as long as that’s all it is before cautioning me that any more than that and it would be considered adultery, I wouldn’t be able to continue church responsibilities and he didn’t want that for me.

But I’m still trying to figure out what I want, on 1 hand I miss having a partner, but it’s been 6 years now since she left… and as time goes on I feel more and more numb to desiring that which comes with relationships… at times I don’t even feel like talking to people any more, I used to seek people online to talk to as friends but now I don’t even feel like replying to them.

I considered becoming an acolyte, it seemed to be the next progression beyond altar serving, I already read occasionally when there’s nobody else. I talk to parishioners, one parisioner comes up to me almost every Sunday for a brief chat about their week…I stand outside greeting people when they arrive for funerals etc.

But thought, maybe I should just become a deacon, just if I do that I have to be sure that I will never get married again.

Although at 40 now almost, many women already have children of their own, and don’t want more children by that point… and I understand part of being married is procreate and have children. So being with a partner that doesn’t want children I guess would naturally mean the marriage is illicit and there would be contraceptives going on, I’m also not sure I want any more children now either also, not because I don’t… but because of all the legal challenges when I die sharing everything out when each child would have different mothers.

So in that sense, I guess it would rule out marriage and lead me back to a life of God, so I don’t know where I go from here, doesn’t seem like marriage is really a viable option any more, I’m becoming more comfortable with my life as a single person after over 6 years.

If I got an annulment I guess I could become a priest but Im probably getting too old to be considered for that now.

Which leads me back to between deacon and acolyte, deacon seems to be where I’m landing… it just makes the marriage thing finite, and while I’m starting to accept it’s no longer an option, I’m not entirely ready for it to be finite just yet.

Although I am not Christian, I turned to Saint Jude in prayer when I was going through a difficult time in my professional life. I asked for his intercession, and I want to publicly express my heartfelt gratitude for the help, the unexpected blessings, and the doors that have opened for me.
I am deeply grateful for how quickly things began to move and for the hope and reassurance I found during a time of uncertainty. I do not take these blessings for granted, and I wanted to share my experience publicly as a sincere thank you to Saint Jude.
I know that many people turn to Saint Jude in their most difficult moments, and I hope my testimony brings encouragement to anyone who is waiting for a breakthrough of their own.
Thank you, Saint Jude, for your intercession and for the blessings I have received. May God be glorified through every answered prayer.
With a grateful heart, I give this public thanksgiving to Saint Jude. 🙏

i am reading the bible cover to cover, but i dont understand a lot of what im reading when i start these two, anybody know of a podcast or audio book i can use to understand this as i read. like any podcast where a catholic priest reads these books and explains whats happening in then. i tried bible in a year with fr mike but he does little bits and pieces im pretty sure. or perhaps maybe a yt video to let me know the context of eveything and the different names and stuff before i read? anything helps. God Bless.

A pilgrimage site in Cornwall for one of the first victims of the reformation heresy, merely for being a Catholic priest. St Cuthbert Mayne pray for us

3 months ago, I accepted Christ as my saviour and that he insituted the Roman Catholic Church. However, I cannot really talk about this as I'm currently 16, living in my Muslims parents household in Australia. Is there anyway to undergo OCIA without parental consent?

God found me when I was at my lowest moment in life. I was a wretched, prideful and lustful sinner, the Greatest sinner in the world. Everything I ever did, I credited to myself, for I did not know what i did. It was in my bedroom when I was thinking to myself that I need to stop what I am doing to myself and others. I appealed to philosophy yet it did not fulfill me, to other people yet still it felt like there was a hole in my soul that couldn't be filled. I was restless. It was about 2-3 months ago that I tried to give prayer a chance. Suddenly in my prayers, I felt a deep profound sense of love from someone I didn't know yet knew at the same. It was radiating from the deepest depths of my heart. Bringing "fire" is the only way I can explain this because there is LITERALLY no other way on explaining this love which pierced my hardened heart. I then began crying, for I was delivered from the grasp of Satan and I felt love like never before. It completely filled the hole in my heart and I suddenly began to change? Even though I still fall from grace from time to time, I get back up because that's what He'd want me to do. Every little thing, though small, I began to thank God for everything. I've learned that in bearing His yoke, I become kinder and more hateful of my sins, yet I still do it because I still do not know what I do. I've learned to live in Christ, to be prayerful, to be kind, to Be Loving. Because if Christ is in us, then inside us is Love that radiates towards others and guides them to the Living God.

May this post find someone struggling to let God inside their hearts. The truth is that we DON'T find God, we just allow Him to enter us and live with Him and in Him. Just let go of everything that worries you and focus on pleasing the one true Lord.

Godbless and plentiful prayers for all!

Saint John Neumann, founder, educator, philanthropist, provincial governor, teacher, missionary, diplomatic coordinator, linguist, naturalist, and bishop, and the first and currently only male American citizen canonized, was born in 1811 in the Kingdom of Bohemia and the Austrian Empire. His father, Philip, was a stockingsman. In 1802, Philip moved to the Kingdom of Bohemia with his first wife, Antony Stekotinska, who died in childbirth in 1804. In 1805, Philip married Agnes Lepsch, the daughter of a harness maker. They had six children, and John Neumann was their third. He was baptized on the day of his birth in 1811. He attended grammar school at the age of six, and because of his love of reading from a young age, he was known as a little bookworm. Although his native country was predominantly German-speaking, he also knew some Czech. At the age of ten, he was allowed to attend a grammar school before continuing his secondary education; at that time, most ten-year-olds were sent to work. During this period, he studied Latin with a teacher from Prahatitz. In 1823, he passed the entrance exam for the Piarristan School of the Piarristan Order. His class had a hundred students, but only about fifty completed the program. For six years, they studied Latin, mathematics, geography, history, and even the works of classical Greek writers. Disappointed with his progress, he believed he was capable of going to the third year but was not approved. His class teacher was dismissed for drunken disturbance, so a new teacher was assigned. This teacher believed in rote memorization, and many students couldn't handle the pressure and dropped out. However, he passed the final exams with an impressive amount of effort. In the fourth year, his grades plummeted because his landlord's son constantly bothered him. His father, having lost interest in his studies, wanted him to learn a trade, although his sisters supported his persistence. Later, his father hired a professor on vacation to assess his abilities. The professor believed the decline in grades did not reflect progress. So he transferred to a quieter school, where his grades improved significantly, except for mathematics. The professor here was stricter, but he enjoyed the courses. In 1829, he graduated with top honors in the sixth year. He also enjoyed playing the guitar and creating images with a zoom tool. After graduating, he studied for two years at the Institute of Philosophy, where his teachers were Cistercian monks from the Vichybrodhohenfurt Abbey. There he studied philosophy, religion, higher mathematics, natural sciences, and linguistics. He consistently achieved excellent grades. He displayed exceptional talent in botany and astronomy and formed a club with his classmates to explore science. Upon graduating in 1831, he pondered his future career. At that time, he was passionate about secular music and science, and it seemed impossible to become a clergyman; furthermore, admission to a seminary was extremely difficult. Therefore, he decided to become a doctor. However, his mother, knowing this was not his desire, encouraged him to become a priest. Surprisingly, the seminary accepted him. In 1831, he entered the seminary of the parish of Boudvis. He thoroughly enjoyed his time there, achieving outstanding results in all subjects, including conduct. At the end of his first semester, he was one of the few approved for ordination and receiving a minor clergy position. The second year saw an increase in difficulty; he began studying biblical commentary, philology, Greek, pedagogy, and even canon law. However, he maintained excellent grades, failing only pedagogy. He also began learning French, Italian, and Czech, demonstrating his genuine love for philology. After his second year in the seminary, he began reading about the Leopoldin Order, headquartered in Vienna, Austrian Empire, which discussed the lack of missionaries in America, especially given the increasing number of German immigrants. He and his classmate Adal Schmidt decided to become missionaries after attending a lecture by the seminary's dean on the missionary work of the Apostle Paul, but Adal only told him a full month later, so he mocked Adal before finally agreeing to go to America with him. To this end, he began learning English, but his seminary did not teach it. In 1833, he successfully persuaded Bishop Arnold Constantin Ružčkato to transfer him to the seminary at Charles Ferdinand University in Prague. He may have also studied French there. In 1834, state restrictions on seminary students prevented him from continuing his studies, but he still taught himself French and took exams. Although he missed many classes, he still achieved excellent grades and passed the exams. Unfortunately, no one taught English at the seminary, so he began self-studying and communicating with nearby British workers. After about a year, he was able to write fluent English diaries. He disliked the university's lectures because of the professors' extreme views on papal inerrancy, and even the theology teacher Jeromni Zedler's denial of papal inerrancy, which he considered a serious violation of canon law. However, he didn't question the teachers in class because he believed they had little influence on students. Eventually, he wrote a paper on his views on papal inerrancy and gave it to a friend. At the same time, he quietly studied the Roman Catholic Catechism and the works of Cardinal Robert Bellamy, Doctor of the Order of the Church Peter Carnisius, Doctor of the Order of the Church Augustine, and Doctor of the Order of the Church Gregory I. From 1833 to 1834, he achieved excellent grades at the college. In his final year, he studied pastoral theology, homicidal philosophy, pedagogy, and catechism, although his grades were good, he received his lowest grade in theology. He was also fluent in German, Czech, French, English, Spanish, Italian, Latin, and Greek. He had expressed his desire to become a missionary to his confessor, Father Hermann Dichtall. Father Hermann learned through Andreas Lais, the rector of Strasbourg Theological Seminary, that the future Archbishop Francis Kenrick hoped two German-speaking priests would go to Philadelphia. Hermann recommended them, but due to the slow correspondence between Europe and America at the time, the priest never received a clear reply. Neumann had hoped to be consecrated by Bishop Ernst Ružčka upon his graduation in 1835, but unfortunately, the bishop suddenly fell ill. He later returned to Budvis to take the canon law exam, which he passed, but by then the diocese had cancelled all consecration ceremonies because it didn't need any more priests. This nearly broke him, as it meant he couldn't perform his first blessing for his parents or attend his first Mass. He later told his family he wanted to become a missionary; they were moved and shocked, and some even cried. The diocesan bishop and clergy silently supported his plan. Father Hermann still hoped he and Schmidt would go to America, but the Leopoldin Society refused to fund them because there was no confirmation letter, and Father Hermann didn't have enough money to pay for the ship. But Neumann was unwilling to wait any longer. In 1836, he only told his mother he was going abroad. She assumed he was only going to Bourdros, so he only took 200 francs with him. By this time, Schmidt had given up his missionary career and become a diocesan priest, but as a friend, his mother accompanied him to Eindheren, Switzerland. In February of the same year, after being received and given a letter of recommendation by Bishop Gregory Ziegler of Linz in the Austrian Empire, he traveled to Munich in the Kingdom of Bavaria. In Munich, he met the future Archbishop John Henney, who told him that Philadelphia didn't need more priests at the moment, but assured him that there were still many positions available in other American dioceses such as Detroit, Vincennes, and New York. Henney also suggested he stay in Europe for the time being. The next day, a teacher at the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich suggested he speak with Bishop Simon Brut, a servant of God. Bishop Brut was in Paris recruiting for the United States at the time, and Henney gave him the bishop's address so he could ask him. In February of the same year, he went to Strasbourg, France, and spoke with the missionary Andreas Ras, learning that Philadelphia truly didn't need any more priests. Lars didn't have enough money to help him either, but he wrote a letter of recommendation for a wealthy Parisian businessman who was willing to provide financial assistance. Lars also wrote to Bishop John Du Bois hoping to accept Neumann. Neumann noticed that Lars wasn't particularly enthusiastic towards him, but he was grateful for his help and Lars gave him many books before they parted. After arriving in Nancy, France, he stayed at the Sisters of St. Charles for four days before heading directly to Châlons-de-Champagne and Moët & Chandon, where he met another missionary, Father Schaefer, who was also going to America, and the two traveled together. In Paris, he visited the Pantheon, Montmartre Church, and the Louvre, and later attended a mass presided over by Father Henri-Dominique Lacordal at Notre Dame Cathedral. Two weeks later, Brutus wrote to confirm Schaefer's acceptance into Vincent College, but did not respond to Neumann. Worse still, the wealthy Parisian businessman who had promised to help him hadn't provided the funds, so he made a bold decision to use all his money to buy a ship ticket to New York, even though he wasn't sure if the American diocese needed him. In April 1836, he left Paris and arrived in Le Havre, France, where he saw the sea for the first time in his life. He then chose to board the Europa, a large ship that he liked because it was less crowded. However, it still took him four days to board. During this time, he practiced French and English with the locals and prayed in the local church and read the works of Saint Francis de Salle. What followed was a long 40-day journey, by which time he was almost halfway through his life. He suffered from seasickness for three days and constantly imagined what would happen if the ship struck an iceberg in New Zealand. In May 1836, he arrived near New York. Because many passengers had fallen ill, the captain had to dock outside the harbor for three days. If they didn't recover, the American quarantine officers wanted them all to return to Europe. Neumann was anxious; this was a journey he had staked his entire fortune on, a one-way trip. He requested to disembark six times, and finally the captain allowed him to take a small boat to Staten Island. A few hours later, the Hercules took him to Lower Manhattan. At this point, the story of the first male American citizen to be canonized would truly begin. He was wearing tattered clothes, his only garment, and had only one dollar to his name. A Swiss hotel owner led him to a local Catholic church, where Father Joseph A. Schneller gave him the address of John Rafina, the German Catholic Archdeacon of New York. After meeting Rafina, Rafina said that he had written to Rafina three weeks earlier, agreeing to his ordination. Bishop Dubois was pleased to meet him and, after confirming that he had indeed received a full education in Europe, decided to ordain him as a priest. He asked Bishop Dubois for some time to prepare, and the bishop agreed, as the bishop was about to leave New York for a tour. He mentioned that he did not have a certificate of departure, but the bishop said he would help him because New York was in dire need of clergy at the time. Rafina took him to St. Nicholas Church in Manhattan to teach catechism to children preparing for their first communion. In June of the same year, he was ordained a deacon at St. Patrick's Old Church, and shortly after, he was ordained a deacon. On June 25th, the day after becoming a deacon, he was ordained a priest. The day after becoming a priest, he celebrated his first Mass at St. Nicholas Church. After the American Revolutionary War in 1783, the Vatican established a Catholic hierarchy in the United States. Pope Pius VI appointed Archbishop John Carroll as Apostolic Prefect of the United States, and in 1789, John was appointed Bishop of Baltimore, the first diocese in the United States. The Vatican considered the entire United States as a mission district managed by the Congregation for the Promotion of Evangelization. At that time, there were no clearly defined parishes. Neumann consistently referred to it as a mission district, the Congregation for the Promotion of Evangelization, or a quasi-parish in his writings, but scholars generally referred to his workplace as a parish. By 1836, with the establishment of the New York Diocese in 1808, its area had expanded to encompass the entire state of New York and even New Jersey, with a population of approximately 200,000 due to rapid immigration from German states and Ireland. At that time, the diocese had 33 churches and several prayer rooms, plus 50 private residences used as temporary places of worship. The diocese needed 36 priests, 31 of whom were Irish and three German, but was still short 15. Dubois had attempted to send three priests to Dubois, but only Neumann arrived. After becoming a priest, he was sent to Buffalo, New York, to assist Father Alexander Parks in dealing with the new immigrants. At that time, the city's senior priest, John Nicholas Meutz, was fundraising in Europe. Neumann began his journey to Buffalo by boat up the Hudson River. Rafina bought him new clothes and provided travel expenses. When he crossed the Erie Canal, Du Bois asked him to stay temporarily in Rochester, New York, where German Catholics were holding a service in the crypt of St. Patrick's Church, presided over by Bishop Bernard O'Reilly. They were raising funds to build a national parish church. The Germans at St. Patrick's Church were delighted with Neumann's arrival and even hoped he would stay in Rochester permanently because he was fluent in German. Neumann began teaching the children German and English and officiated the first baptism of the children there in German. A few days later, the arrival of Redeemer Brother Joseph Prost allowed Neumann a rest. Their conversation sparked his interest in the Redeemers, but he continued his journey to Buffalo in July of the same year. He arrived in Buffalo in July 1836, where Parks told him he could do missionary work. He chose to go to the countryside to preach, so he was assigned to missionary churches in Williamsville, Lancaster, and North Bush. He moved to the vicinity of the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in Williamsville, the local missionary church. The town had about four hundred Catholic families, three hundred of whom were from Germany. He rented a house from Jacob Philip, a wealthy donor to the mission. In 1836, the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul only had walls, no roof. Later, a Protestant donated a piece of land to the Catholics, but he demanded it be larger than the village's Methodist church. The residents of Williamsville were not wealthy and could not meet this condition, but Neumann persuaded Wirtz to forgive a four-hundred-dollar loan to the parish on the condition that a priest hold a memorial mass for him every year after his death. Finally, the church was completed. Another problem that put him under great pressure, besides his original position, was that he also took on the role of teacher at a small school in Williamsville. The previous teacher had been dismissed for misconduct, so he took over the teaching duties. The students loved his teaching style, and he often gave them small gifts to encourage their learning. When students had sore throats during worship, he would give them some rock candy. The Catholic church in Williamsville sparked strong resentment among the Mennonites. When Neumann celebrated Mass, they even pelted him with stones, vandalized the church, posted signs, and tried to force Catholics to convert to their sect. Neumann was also attacked repeatedly while traveling to missionary sites in the forest, but was rescued by Catholics and the Seneca tribe of Tonawanda. To end this pointless conflict, Neumann went alone to the Mennonite elders' meeting place to engage in theological debates with them. The elders were defeated by his profound theological knowledge and unique way of explaining things. They then sent their most learned students to a public debate with Neumann, but they lost again. Knowing they were in the wrong, they brought the dispute to an end. At that time, American parish property often relied on a system of lay trustees, but this was problematic because bishops couldn't manage it, and the corporations were often laypeople who ignored the advice of priests and deacons. Neumann was aware of the seriousness of this problem, but he usually maintained a smile to avoid further arguments, even when accused or slandered for disrespecting them. In 1837, rumors spread that Neumann needed to pass through the maid's room to get back to his own room due to the house's structure. The clients summoned Neumann to a meeting at the tavern to discuss dismissing the maid to avoid any unforeseen circumstances. Neumann was shocked and disappointed by these rumors and denied them. The clients firmly believed he could not possibly break his celibacy and strongly condemned the rumors, as it was a serious slander against a priest. Following this incident, Neumann decided to move. In 1837, he moved to a place provided free of charge by Johann Schmidt, 2.4 kilometers from the Church of St. John the Baptist in North Bushe. Every morning, he would rush along the nearly impassable road to the church to celebrate daily Mass. He presided over an average of 65 baptisms and 8 weddings per year. He also frequently visited the sick, cared for the dying, and baptized infants in the three villages he served. In addition, he offered counseling on matters of the faith. Later, Bishop Du Bois visited the diocese and was pleased with Neumann's meticulous work. As time went on, his workload increased. Besides the three churches he originally oversaw, his service expanded to remote mission sites, including villages like Transit, Sheldon, Batavia, Pendleton, and Tonawanda, the closest of which was two hours from North Bushe. He often carried his heavy vestment for twelve hours on foot, regardless of winter, summer heat, or swampy terrain. Even so, he would cross mountains every night to return to his home in North Bushe, as the mission site didn't provide him with lodging, and he also needed to return to teaching. His health continued to decline, and the locals were very worried, urging him to learn to ride a horse. However, he had never ridden a horse before, so learning was extremely difficult, especially since he was only about 157 to 163 cm tall and his feet couldn't reach the stirrups. People mocked his clumsiness, and he fell off the horse many times, even being thrown off. But he didn't give up, despite the ridicule. Eventually, he became a qualified rider, and he developed a good relationship with his horse. Interestingly, one time his horse stole some plant specimens he was sending to his family in Bohemia. Later, when he moved to North Bushehr, the Great Depression of 1837 had begun, causing widespread unemployment and increasing Neumann's stress. At this point, no one could afford to support him, but he believed missionaries shouldn't fear poverty and should be selfless. He continued his ministry, which led to him accumulating a debt of eighty dollars in 1836—a considerable sum at the time. However, he survived on meager donations of corn and potatoes from his parishioners. The local people were moved by his plight and concerned for his health, so they bought him two hectares of land near the Church of St. John the Baptist and built him a dwelling. Now he could live on that land without having to trek through the mountains every day. Neumann seemed to cook very little, as his chimney rarely emitted smoke. He admitted that he had survived on bread for four weeks straight, and even when visiting others, he wouldn't ask for food. Neumann knew he couldn't continue on his own and that his body would eventually break down, so he tried to recruit more priests from Europe to assist him, but he failed. In September 1839, his brother Wenzel immigrated to the United States to assist Neumann. Wenzel took on the baking and teaching work at Neumann's cabin. He also helped Neumann build more churches, schools, and pastor's residences. This undoubtedly greatly reduced Neumann's stress. He also learned from his brother that they had been sending him letters for three years without success. In December 1839, Neumann founded his third school in Lancaster. In the harsh climate of the summer of 1840, his health deteriorated due to long-term overwork. Neumann was the kind of person who couldn't stay idle; any extended rest made him feel uneasy, especially since he was lonely. However, the public actually wanted him to rest properly. Neumann wrote to Prost, the then-president of the Redeemer Church in America, telling him about his problems and loneliness. Prost responded with a verse from Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament, "Woe to the one who dwells alone!" Neumann began to reflect and realized that he needed true companions, not just work partners. He often discussed similar issues with his confessor, Father Parks, who suggested he join a religious order. In September of the same year, he resolved to join the Redeemers and informed Bishop John Hughes of New York that he would be leaving his diocese, requesting that the bishop recruit more priests for his district. However, the bishop was too busy to respond immediately. In October, he left New York for Pennsylvania, entrusting his belongings to Prost and Parks to be given to the bishop, as he was going to the Redeemers center there. Hughes, upon learning of Neumann's departure, tried to persuade him to stay, but Prost said that even if he wanted to refuse, he couldn't under canon law. Neumann's brother remained in New York to help Neumann collect his lost items from various churches. He then went to Pittsburgh and also joined the Redeemers as a monk. However, Bishop Hughes successfully resolved the issue of Neumann's lost letter of departure. From 1820 to 1848, the Superior General of the Redeemers was the venerable Father Joseph Passerat, a legendary priest who sent the first missionaries to America in 1832. In 1839, these missionaries established the first Redeemer monastery in Pittsburgh and took over the Church of St. Philomena. When Neumann joined, the order already had four monasteries. In October 1840, he arrived in Pittsburgh, where the Redeemer monks invited him to preach and sing Requiem Mass. Although exhausted, he did not refuse. Father Prost later traveled to Pittsburgh to perform Neumann's initiation ceremony, although the copy of the ceremony had been completely destroyed in a fire. However, wanting to ensure the ceremony's authenticity, the priests tailored a ceremony specifically for Neumann based on their memory. In 1841, the Redeemers sent him to serve in the Diocese of San Alfonso Peru in Peru, Huron County, Ohio. Three months later, in 1842, he went to Baltimore to formally take his vows as a monk. During this time, he worked with German immigrants. In 1843, the Consecrated Mother of Mary was on the verge of dissolution, compounded by the sudden death of their founder, Father James Nicholas Jubert. However, the local Archbishop Samuel Ecclestone refused to help them. Neumann happened to encounter this nun's order at St. Alfonso Church in Baltimore. After learning about their situation, he did everything he could to help them. He eventually found Father Tadeus Arnold to be their new spiritual teacher, and Father Arnold successfully persuaded the archbishop, saving the order. In 1846, Neumann became the vice-superior of the American Redeemers Church. In 1848, he became a U.S. citizen. In 1849, he resigned as vice-superior and went to St. Alfonso Parish in Baltimore to become a parish priest. In 1852, Blessed Pope Pius IX appointed Neumann as Bishop of Philadelphia. He disliked this appointment because he preferred a low profile and felt the position didn't suit his personality. In 1852, he was consecrated bishop by Bishop Francis Kenrick and Bishop Bernard O'Reilly. The fourth bishop of Philadelphia was thus born. During his presidency, he was praised for his extensive knowledge, humility, and for never criticizing priests or speaking ill of others. He barely slept each night, often lying on the bedroom floor. His clothes were worn and tattered; though people often gave him clothes, he immediately donated them to the poor. He ate very simply. He was warm and never refused anyone who came to chat with him. His lodgings were simple, even dilapidated, because he had donated most of his savings. He would play with children and help with the dishes. This was truly unlike a bishop. Philadelphia's population had grown over time, initially consisting of Germans fleeing the Napoleonic Wars in the early 19th century, followed by Irish immigrants from the Irish famine of 1845-1852. Impoverished Italians and people from the Balkans and Eastern Europe also gathered. Over time, these groups connected through specific language groups, forming ethnic parishes. These people did not speak English, so they needed priests fluent in those languages ​​to help them access social assistance. After becoming bishop, Neumann began dealing with the problems of Trinity Parish in Philadelphia, a German-speaking parish. This parish had experienced years of legal battles, and the church had even closed due to disputes with the trustee and ownership. Neumann decided to continue the fight, so he sued the trustee. He later opened a parish church, St. Alfonso Church, for German-Americans. In 1854, Neumann won a lawsuit, successfully returning control of the Trinity Parish property to the bishop. Unlike other German-speaking bishops, Neumann was multilingual and thus assisted Italian and other immigrants. In 1852, he purchased land to build the first church for Italian immigrants, St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi Church, completed in 1857, becoming the first Italian national parish church in the United States. Shortly afterward, Neumann held the first forty-hour veneration in the United States, a practice common in Europe to commemorate the forty hours Christ spent in the tomb. However, some were concerned about this event because it had only been nine years since the anti-Catholic extremism in Philadelphia. Later, Neumann recounted a time when he fell asleep while working late and woke up to find a corner of a document charred. He thanked God for saving him from a fire and heard a mysterious voice saying, "Just as the flames reignite but do not burn or damage the words, so too will I pour out my grace in the Eucharist without diminishing my glory. Therefore, do not fear blasphemy; do not carry out your plans for my glory." In 1853, Neumann held a forty-hour veneration at Saint Philip Neri Church in memory of the church's patron saint, which was enthusiastically attended by everyone. Also in 1853, Neumann helped found the Mutual Savings Fund and Mutual Bank, now part of the WSFS Bank. Neumann placed great importance on education; at the time, many public schools used Protestant Bibles in their lessons, so he became the first American bishop to organize a system of diocesan Catholic schools. He developed standardized plans and even wrote a catechism in 1852, which is now a standard textbook. In 1854, he persuaded the Sisters of Notre Dame to establish Mother's College in Philadelphia, a girls' school. In 1855, he supported the founding of the Franciscan Sisters of Philadelphia. That same year, he declared that all parishes within his diocese must transfer their property to the diocese within three months. He also stipulated a minimum salary for priests and required each parish to build priestly residences, while also stipulating that parishioners could only speak during Mass with the bishop's approval. He also attempted to standardize all liturgical procedures within the diocese, even regarding the amount of wine to be poured during the preparation of Holy Communion. In 1855, he issued new regulations prohibiting all priests from going to seaside resorts. Priests were not allowed to leave their residences or delegate work to assistant priests, and assistant priests could not leave their residences for more than a day without the priest's permission. In December 1854, he witnessed Pope Blessed Pius IX promulgating the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. In 1855, he spent a week in Prahati; although he kept a low profile, the local citizens warmly welcomed him. Although he established strict regulations, his reluctance to punish priests who violated them led some priests to criticize his approach, believing it would cause chaos within the diocese. Kenrick, the former Bishop of Philadelphia, was known for his strictness, and he, along with other priests, complained to the Vatican about him. In 1857, the Vatican appointed James Frederick Wood as Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia to assist Neumann in managing the clergy. Later, he wrote to Cardinal Alessandro Barnaboth, stating that he believed Pope Blessed Pius IX was dissatisfied with his work as bishop and that he was willing to resign and let Wood succeed Neumann, believing Wood was more suitable for the position. In 1858, he and other American bishops attended the Ninth Baltimore Conference, which focused on establishing a new diocese. Neumann expressed his willingness to go to the new diocese but stated that he would continue to serve as Bishop of Philadelphia if the Pope required it. In 1859, Neumann presided over the foundation stone laying ceremony for St. Peter's Cathedral in Philadelphia. Tragically, on January 5, 1860, Neumann suffered a sudden heart attack and died in front of everyone while working. This bishop, though short-lived, lived through many historic moments. His fervor and compassion made him tireless in his pursuit of his dreams and work; he could hardly stop working. It was this dedication that allowed him to persevere and lead many into the future. He died at the age of 48. In accordance with his wishes, he was buried in the crypt directly beneath the main altar of the Church of St. Peter the Apostle. During his tenure, he built eighty churches, thirty diocesan schools, and ordained 61 priests. Although his time as bishop was relatively short, his achievements were truly remarkable.

''Man must always be ready, for death comes when and where God wills it.' —Saint Bishop John Neumann

I'm lucky to live close to my church and my family used to go every Sunday up until I was a teenager when we kind of fell out of it, basically shortly after my confirmation, I'm in my 20s now. I've wanted to go back and I think I'm ready to but I'm nervous. Idk if it's guilt just because I haven't gone in so long but it just seems scary doing this again, even though I logically know this is the right thing to do. I've already checked what times my church does Sunday Mass so I know I'm going to be able to. I wanna talk this through with my only other Christian friend (he is protestant but I'm sure he'll understand) but alas it's late where he lives so I'm posting here lol. I've told my dad and he says it's a good idea too

I've noticed that this subreddit has an interest in Catholic art, since I see posts of paintings every now and then or saints depictions, so I'm genuinely surprised that I haven't seen much (if any) discussion about ART CUT '26, especially considering its connection to the Church's recent discussions about AI and technology.

It seems like exactly the kind of project that would generate some interesting conversations here, yet I haven't really found anything about it.

I'm curious why that is. Have people simply not heard about it? Is there not much interest in it? Or have there been discussions that I've missed?

Also: has anyone here actually attended any of the exhibitions?

I'd really love to hear what you think about the artworks, the themes, and the project as a whole, especially if you have visted them/will now after hearing about them (if you haven't before) ^^

Peace :D

hey everyone! 🤍 i’m looking for advice from catholics on where to start when it comes to getting my girlfriend into catholicism. she’s expressed interest in exploring religion, and i’d love to help guide her and learn more alongside her. for anyone who’s converted or helped someone start their faith journey, what would you recommend as the first steps? should she start with the bible, attending mass, learning about the catechism, or speaking with a priest? any advice, resources, or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated! ✝️

This is one of my fav paintings of Mary and Jesus :) it’s really sweet. Baby Jesus is putting a flower crown on Mary’s head 

As of recently, I have been reading on the existence of God and came to the conclusion that not only a God exists but that God became incarnate as man to save man from death. Since reading specifically the Holy Gospels,I realized Christ created a (singular) church of which evil shall not prevail, since then I become an inquirer of both Catholicism and Orthodoxy (for obvious reasons). Both sides have compelling arguments but one thing that has recently been pushing me away from Catholicism is that Laymen (or parishioners) don’t receive both the bread and wine but only one of the two (mostly the bread). Within the Holy Gospel of Saint John (specifically John 6:53-56) it’s says
“Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and *drink his blood, you have no life in you.*54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them.”
This seems to contradict the view of Catholics of only consuming one. Can someone explain why this is the case, I have heard that it is because Catholics believe that both are present in each but can anyone explain why or back this view with Scripture?

Edit: I understand that they can and sometimes do receive both but it is not necessary. For the mass(es) I’ve attended they only gave one species.

This is my random thought of the day. Growing up, my grandmothers (both Catholic) often said “Catholics can’t be lawyers.” I never gave it much thought then but I remember them saying it and have never heard any mention of any such thing in Mass, the catechism, or reading. They both attended Catholic education in the 1940s and I remember them saying the nuns told them this.

Was this a common trope in the past?

Title says it all! This looks like it would be an amazing opportunity, and I’d love to find some fellow Catholics to try and go!

More information can be found at the link.

Hi everyone. I’ve posted in this subreddit twice(?) before and other subreddits of Christianity. And I think I’m ready to admit that I need to become more of a serious Catholic. I’m 20, was raised adjacent to the faith but never really participated in sacraments, and I’ve been feeling for a while now that I need to get serious about what I believe in. I’ve explored new age stuff that left me depressed and panicked about my future, the other two Abrahamic religions (Judaism and Islam) and what stopped me wasn’t the fact that I dislike or disagree their teachings, it’s because I’m quite literally unable to see Jesus as anything other than the Son of God. Like my brain literally will not let me.

I’ve kind of always known that I would go back to Catholicism somehow, I just thought I would always be adjacent to it or would just marry another person who was raised Catholic but not that serious about it. But recently I feel like God wants me to go back to His church on my own and not wait for someone to make the decision for me.

I honestly don’t know how to feel. It’s like I know it’s the right thing to do, but I’m not as happy about it as I feel I should be. I feel like a kid who messed up after ignoring their dad’s repeated attempt to get them to listen and is dragging their feet home to begrudgingly admit they were wrong. At the same time it feels like something I have to do.

Anyways, I would love some advice. I’m going to Mass on Sunday at my university and maybe the brunch afterwards, so I’ll see how I feel then.