ST Raphael's Church - Church Office

Why we will no longer be a welcoming church

We’ve decided to quit being a welcoming church. No kidding. We’re giving it up. Like so many congregations, we’ve sunk an amazing amount of time and energy into becoming a welcoming church. We changed worship styles, trained greeters and ushers, wore name tags, brewed coffee, went to workshops on hospitality and put our friendliest people …

Why Homosexuality Is Not Like Other Sins

Homosexuality is not the only sin prohibited in the Bible, but it is different from all the rest, at least right now. And we have really good news for homosexuals.

Seven Reasons Why We Should Not Accept Millions of Years

There is an intensifying controversy in the church all over the world regarding the age of the earth.

Why Are So Many Single Women are Leaving the Church?

A few years ago, I attended the Women of the World festival in London. Arriving late, I hurried up to a panel called ‘Faith and Feminism,” which featured a panel…

I went to church with Bruce Jenner. Here’s what Caitlyn Jenner taught me about Jesus.

Caitlyn knows who Jesus is, and Jesus knows her by name.

What Jesus did Besides Go to Church

Sometimes Jesus gets a reputation for being boring. Probably because people who follow Him can be really boring. In one of my favorite videos of all time, Vintage 21 church pokes fun at our misconc…

85-Year-Old Woman Refuses To Remove Painting Of Virgin Mary From Home

“You’re not going to tell this old lady what to do. This is America. As long as I have two arms and two legs, I’m going to do it.”

Why do Catholics call priests ‘Father’?

Given the ways in which they serve the community, it seems a natural and even holy development that we see priests as symbolic parents.

Can a priest withhold communion from a Catholic?

Catholics should not be denied communion except for a serious reason. However, in some situations, a priest can and sometimes must withhold communion.

Opinion: Is there room for the Virgin Mary in a 21st century Christmas?

There’s something very troubling about a culture that affirms, celebrates and perpetuates the idea that virginity is a girl’s most valuable attribute and a measure of her moral character

Can We Argue that the Virgin Mary Never Died?

Don't they celebrate the Dormition instead of the Assumption in the East? And doesn't

4 Women in Tolkien's Middle-Earth who reflect the beauty of the Virgin Mary

“I think I know exactly what you mean by the order of Grace; and of course by your references to Our …

‘Once a Catholic, Always a Catholic’?

Can you quit the Catholic Church? Can you be kicked out of the Church? Or is the old saying

When “Catholic guilt” gets in the way of Catholic faith

Taken to the extreme, ‘Catholic guilt’ can become an obsessive-compulsive disorder, also known as scrupulosity.

A Complete Guide To The Catholic Rules For Lent

A complete and easy guide to learning and following the fasting and dietary rules and more for Lent

Why Choose Catholic kindergarten?

See all of the wonderful things that happen at our Catholic kindergartens.

What Is Purgatory?

Popular images of purgatory are probably inspired by Dante and expanded upon by imaginative artists, often with an aim to thrill or horrify their audience. As a result, Catholics lose sight of what ought to

A Complete Guide To The Catholic Rules

A complete and easy-to-use guide to learning and following the fasting and dietary rules and more for Lent

Why Aren’t You Catholic?