After a 20 million restoration project, I was dumbfounded by how beautiful Salford Cathedral was after my last visit yesterday compared to my last visit which was 5 years ago. It took three years of restoration to restore the gothic/victorian character and feels so different and an amazing space for prayer and contemplation.

As a gay man entering Catholicism, priestly celibacy has made Catholic sexual teaching more credible to me, not less
I am a gay man coming from Protestantism and currently exploring Catholicism. One unexpected difference has increasingly occupied my thoughts: priestly celibacy.
I am not claiming that celibacy proves Catholic sexual ethics are correct. It obviously doesn’t. But it has changed how I experience those teachings when they are addressed to gay Christians.
In my Protestant experience, a married pastor could tell a gay congregant that Christian obedience may require lifelong celibacy.
Then he goes home to his wife.
He has a legitimate Christian avenue for sexual intimacy, romantic companionship, marriage and family life. The gay Christian accepting traditional sexual ethics does not.
That asymmetry became increasingly difficult for me.
The pastor may sincerely believe what he teaches. He may be compassionate. He may make genuine sacrifices within marriage. None of that changes the fundamental difference between saying, “God requires you to relinquish sexual and marital intimacy,” and actually living without those things oneself.
Catholicism startled me because the priest standing before me has also relinquished marriage and sexual intimacy.
His reasons are different from mine. His celibacy is vocational rather than resulting from his sexual orientation. He may experience that vocation very differently from how a gay Catholic experiences chastity.
I don’t want to erase those differences.
But there is nevertheless something important about hearing sexual restraint preached by a man whose own life has been concretely structured around it.
When a celibate priest tells me that human flourishing cannot ultimately depend upon sexual fulfillment or marriage, I can look at him and think:
You have actually wagered your own life on that proposition.
That matters to me.
It also changes how I hear the Catholic claim that our deepest identity is as children of God.
In Protestant settings, I sometimes struggled when married Christians told gay Christians not to make sexuality or relationships central to their identities while their own identities as husbands, wives, fathers and mothers were openly celebrated.
Catholic priesthood presents me with something stranger.
Here is a man whom the Church itself asks to relinquish husbandhood and biological fatherhood in order to live another vocation. Whatever else I think about Catholic teaching, the renunciation is not being demanded exclusively from the gay person sitting in the pew.
Again, none of this proves that Catholic teaching on homosexuality is true.
A difficult teaching does not become true merely because the teacher also sacrifices.
But shared cost changes the moral character of the conversation.
There is a difference between:
“God asks you to live without this.”
and:
“Christian discipleship can ask human beings to live without this, and my own life is also organized around that conviction.”
Perhaps this is one reason priestly celibacy has begun making more sense to me during my journey toward Catholicism.
For Catholics, especially priests or other celibate Catholics: does the Church understand priestly celibacy and the chastity expected of unmarried gay Catholics as having any meaningful theological relationship? Or am I connecting two forms of renunciation that Catholic theology would regard as fundamentally different?

Blessed Stanley Francis Rother, missionary, farmer, translator, founder, priest, and the first martyr born in the United States, was born in 1935 in the United States to Franz Rother and Gertrude Smith, the first of four children in the family. He was baptized two days after his birth at Holy Trinity Church in Oklahoma. His brothers were named Tom and Jim, and interestingly, his sister Betty May later joined the order. He spent most of his childhood on the family farm and attended Holy Trinity School. After graduating high school, he dreamed of becoming a priest, so he went to St. John's Theological Seminary in San Antonio, Texas, now known as the Assumption Theological Seminary. There, in addition to attending classes, he worked as a sacristy keeper, bookbinder, plumber, and gardener. About six years later, he was expelled for poor grades. This was certainly a blow to him. Fortunately, after speaking with Bishop Victor Reed, he was accepted into Mount St. Mary's Theological Seminary in Emmettsburgh, Maryland, and graduated in 1963. He became a priest in May of the same year and was subsequently appointed deputy priest of several parishes in Oklahoma. In 1968, he requested Bishop Victor to send him to Atitlán, San Diego, Guatemala, a city predominantly inhabited by Tesutohirans and one of the poorest regions in Central America. This would be the biggest turning point in his life and his last journey. After arriving in Atitlán in 1968, he diligently learned Spanish and Tesutohiran. He often dined with the people, cared for the sick, and helped them access medical care. In the late 1960s, he founded the "Hospitalito" radio station, dedicated to teaching mathematics and languages. Born into a farming family, he also personally taught local farmers how to cultivate new crops. By 1973, he could preach in Tesutohiran, and in addition to fulfilling his priestly duties, he participated in the translation of the New Testament into Tesutohiran. By 1975, he had become a true leader in local missionary work; his fair skin and the image of him often smoking a pipe had deeply resonated with the local people. Because there is no word for Stanley in the Tesutohiel language, the people affectionately call him "Padre Apla's." Since 1960, Guatemala has suffered from conflict with authoritarian military governments, extremism, and left-wing uprisings by impoverished indigenous groups. In 1977, the United States stopped military aid to Guatemala due to human rights abuses. However, during this period of conflict, Lucas García intensified military operations, sending death squads to intimidate and massacre indigenous people. Priests, deacons, nuns, and parishioners, who often assisted the indigenous population, became prime targets. After the brutal murder of a radio station and its manager, and the tortured remains of clergy members, he realized he was in grave danger. He reported to Oklahoma how three strangers had kidnapped a teacher—one of eleven missing people in the community—who had also reported the kidnapping, but the police ignored it. He did not give up the search. In mid-January, a friend warned him that his name was on an assassination list, so he reluctantly returned to Oklahoma. Bishop Daniel Henry Mugenberg said that when he was a university student, he attended a Mass presided over by Stanley and was deeply moved by the peaceful atmosphere emanating from the steadfast spirit of the event. Through Stanley's efforts, Archbishop Charles Saratca finally granted him permission to return to Guatemala to celebrate Easter in 1981. That July, three men broke into the church. Francis Bosell—we can't blame him, he was just a teenager at the time—yet, under death threats, he still led the assailants to Stanley's room. Stanley fought fiercely with the assailants, ultimately collapsing after being shot twice in the head, and the assailants escaped. Following Stanley's death, over 2,500 people attended his funeral and prayed all day. His heart was eventually removed and buried at the local church altar. After a second funeral Mass at the end of July that year, his body was returned to his hometown and buried in the Holy Trinity Cemetery in Okacchi in August. Perhaps under pressure, the Guatemalan government arrested the three men, claiming they had only robbed Stanley and that he had been killed because Stanley resisted. Father Beaussel knew they weren't the real killers, but they were ultimately convicted of murder and sentenced to eight years in prison. Their case was later overturned, rumored to be due to pressure from the US government, but this has never been confirmed. Stanley was one of the ten priests murdered at the time. Senator David Boren had also called for a government investigation into Stanley's death, but unfortunately, the government took no action, and the murderers remain at large. This priest was full of energy and hope throughout his life; even though his life was full of setbacks, he remained steadfast in his goals, even willing to pay the price with his life. He was martyred on July 28, 1981, at the age of 46.

“This is one of the reasons I have for staying in the face of physical harm. The shepherd cannot run at the first sign of danger.”

—Blessed Father Stanley Rother

Please pray for me, I’m lost and in a very difficult point in my life. I have so many blessings in my life yet I find it difficult to continue.

After finding the Church a few months ago after 14 years of atheism, I’ve been praying for my wife’s conversion. I’ve been praying a novena to Saint Joseph in the process, asking for help being a better husband so that God’s grace may reflect itself to her through my own transformation in Christ.

Last Sunday, my mom decided to go to Mass with me when she previously has never gone. Actually, she’s only ever been a non-denominational Pentecostal (lots of Rhema School churches). Needless to say, she loved the experience and is eagerly looking forward to this Sunday.

Typically, after Mass, I go to a Cuban bakery nearby for breakfast. This is important for later.

Last night, while I was on the phone with my mom, she mentioned that my niece (13yo) has asked her a few questions about what it was that I believed in now and now she’s asking to come with us this Sunday.

This morning, after leaving Adoration, I sent one of my cousins (20yo) a picture of the chapel and the stained glass. I also mentioned that his cousin was going with us on Sunday and he very excitedly asked if he could come with us since he hadn’t been to church in a few weeks (he’s also non-denom Pentecostal).

So, now all four of us are going to Mass together on Sunday and, afterwards, we’re picking my wife up at home and all going to the Cuba bakery. I feel as if God is showing her His grace by showing what He has done for those of us closest to her.

Maybe I’m just reading into it, but four days into a novena and praying the Rosary twice a day every day for the last five days, I can’t help but feel that my prayers are being heard, even if it’s not immediately obvious how God is working.

Cyprus, Serbia and Vatican City

Being that Ripperger is flat-out wrong about some things, and is spreading misinformation, are we meant to believe the things he teaches? I believe in exorcisms in a general sense, but when an exorcist straight-up tells lies (Harry Potter uses “real spells”, evolution is not compatible with Catholicism, women working outside the home without it being a financial necessity is a “mortal sin”) it makes it incredibly difficult for me to believe much of anything he says that isn’t validated by the Church. Does anyone else struggle with this? I understand that no one is perfect, but if you’re speaking publicly as a priest and exorcist, and you’re saying things that are objectively untrue, at best you’re causing scandal…

St. Rita, I ask for your continued prayer. I know you have helped with movement behind the scenes before. I need my own home. My own quiet, clean home where I can take care of myself. Lord, please have mercy on me. I can't keep moving around from place to place. Help me find the perfect home for me.

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me. Jesus, I trust in You.

I think it's good to do it often, imagining that Jesus is in front of you.

None of this is AI, I recorded and edited everything on my own.

(For mods: I understand that I can only post my own stuff once a week, as per the rules. I'm posting this now because my last post was last Thursday, so I think that this one is allowed. If not, I apologize for misunderstanding the rules)

Hello everyone. I’m preparing for a certification course next week, and honestly, it’s one of the hardest things I think I’ve ever done. I’m asking for your prayers as I work through this. Please pray that I can set aside my anxiety, open my heart, and allow the Lord to guide me through this process. I also pray that He strengthens my ability to retain the information, remember what I’ve learned, and remain focused and confident. Thank you all for your prayers and support.

​

I’m 21 and I’ve been going through OCIA because I was interested in becoming Catholic. When I first started, I genuinely thought this was something I wanted and I was excited about eventually being baptized and becoming Catholic.

But the more classes I’ve gone to, the more confused I’ve become.

I don’t really understand why the process takes so long, and honestly, somewhere along the way I feel like I’ve started losing my faith instead of gaining it. I have a lot of questions, and sometimes I don’t even know if I actually believe in God anymore.

The part I’m struggling with most is this: would it be wrong to become Catholic, get baptized, receive the sacraments, etc. if I’m not 100% sure that I believe all of it?

Part of me thinks, “What if Catholicism is actually true? What if God is real and I’m supposed to believe this?” And then another part of me thinks that maybe I’m only considering becoming Catholic because I’m scared of being wrong and going to Hell.

I know that probably sounds like a terrible reason to convert. I don’t want to fake having faith just to cover my bases in case Christianity is true. At the same time, if there really is an eternal consequence to getting this wrong, it’s hard not to think about it that way.

I also feel guilty because there are people in OCIA who seem genuinely confident in their faith, while I’m sitting there wondering whether I believe any of this anymore.

So I guess my question is: Would it be wrong to become Catholic and get baptized even if I’m still unsure? Should I wait until I actually believe, or is uncertainty a normal part of the process?

I’d especially appreciate answers from Catholics who have gone through OCIA, converts, or people who struggled with doubt before becoming Catholic. I’m not looking for someone to just tell me what I want to hear. I genuinely don’t know what I believe anymore.

For example, I just comited a sin and it was pretty bad, like watching porn or stealing something. If I die before I'm able to go to confession, does that automatically means I'm going to hell or does God give us a chance to go to purgatory?

I’m coming from a bad place. Joined the army because I needed a change. Miss my church, I’m just being stubborn. I don’t have weekends off anymore and missed the church. Really would like some voice messages or a phone call prayer

I really like the idea of veiling at Mass, but it’s not commonly done at my church. I’ve seen it randomly but not all the time. I feel self conscious about it even though it feels right. My husband and I are having a convalidation ceremony in a couple weeks and I was thinking of starting then, but I still feel self conscious about it.

I was also wondering if there are rules I should follow.

I know it's a sin so I assume the answer would be yes. I'm not drunk or impaired in any way and I would schedule it so I wouldn't have the excuse of impulse. But when I die will I wake up again and be in Hell? That doesn't seem right. That seems really cruel that God would do that to anyone. I dunno if I even want to go to heaven if He would