This spring I'm planning a trip to France as a sort of personal pilgrimage to the Grotto of Lourdes.

Have any of you went? Did you receive healing? I recently had a pretty serious health crisis which I could really use Our Lady's help with. I even ordered Holy Water from the grotto there to help me until I can get over there.

I'd love to hear your inspirational stories. Please and thank you.

Hello everyone. Here’s my story about choosing Jesus. I converted a little while ago after struggling to figure out my life meaning and struggling to survive with horrible rules and hatefulness of Islam. I chose to convert after brief desire and interest in Jesus. But converting created complications in my life that I’m still suffering from. My family found out and tried to kill me and in my home country if they kill me it’d be considered legal and also converting from Islam is illegal and punishable by imprisonment. Thankfully I escaped in time before anything happened to me. Unfortunately being young and with no life experience is not a good thing for survival. It’s been very hard and overwhelming for me as I discover this world where everyone is for themselves and will kill you if you’re not careful enough. I have dreams that I’m keeping it alive and have still hope that I will achieve it. I don’t have any friends. Im all alone fighting and surviving. Please pray for me to have strength and find support.

Thought this was an interesting read on the small but growing TLM movement (at least according to this article) in Vietnam itself.

Vietnam itself has a pretty sizable Catholic minority, much larger in % and raw numbers than their South East Asian neighbors (except the Philippines, where Catholicism isn't a minority of the population)

Some interesting tidbits:

Even more surprising than the liturgy itself are the faces in the congregation. Most worshippers are in their twenties or thirties. They grew up attending the post-Vatican II Mass in Vietnamese. Many had never encountered the Traditional Latin Mass until they were adults.

------

Rediscovering the older rite has also led them back to forgotten parts of Vietnam's own Catholic heritage.

"Along with the Latin Mass, we rediscovered a treasure of Vietnamese prayers and catechetical texts prepared by missionaries before the Second Vatican Council," Hoang said. "They had already been adapted to Vietnamese culture and language. Few Catholic communities in Southeast Asia still possess such a rich heritage."

----

Unlike countries such as France or the United States, Vietnam has no established network of parishes dedicated to the Traditional Latin Mass. Instead, traditionalist communities remain small and loosely connected.

Many know one another through friendships, online groups or connections formed while studying overseas. Because opportunities to celebrate the older liturgy remain limited, a Mass is often organized only when circumstances permit, sometimes with the help of visiting foreign priests.

Things I wish the article clarified more:

- Where are these foreign priests coming from?
- What orders do a these visitor priests belong to?
- What are the numbers of people who attend the Traditional Mass in Vietnam, and when they say it's growing, that does that mean?

But overall, I like to see this.

I'm not a regular Latin Mass goer, but I do maintain that the Latin Mass is the heritage of not just "the West" (as some LARPers and haters contend), but of the Universal Church itself. It is the mass that my grandparents (who are Vietnamese) celebrated. It is the mass that my parents celebrated. It is the mass that Saint Andrew Trần An Dũng-Lạc and the rest of the Vietnamese martyrs celebrated - and were persucuted for.

So it's good to see young Vietnamese people IN Vietnam re-discovering their heritage.

I made a new sub for Catholic women to discuss hot-button topics, news/popular culture, women’s health, and all things Catholicism. This is a safe place to discuss particularly divisive issues, and my goal is to keep the sub politically neutral. We of course expect users to speak to each other with respect and charity, and above all else, remember that they are followers of Jesus Christ. You can join at r/magnificat

I am a mom to three littles, so I don’t have a lot of time to be on here moderating. If you’re interested in helping me manage the new sub, shoot me a message!

Thanks and God Bless!

Thank you St. Jude, for answering my prayer!

I thought against posting this on the adhd subreddit, as too many folk on Reddit are anti-catholic and I don’t want to open myself up to harassment.

Alright. I’ve got this problem where I am super stressed out during mass from start to finish. I try with everything in me to focus on the priest, or choir, or any other speaker, but it is SO hard. People talk, babies cry and cry, all the coughing, tone deaf loud singing, and more- its just too much. It’s overwhelming! It makes me not want to attend Sunday service, but obviously I have to.

I’ve tried going at different times for different crowds, sitting in different places all around the church, and attending different parishes. The best experience I’ve had was at my old parish… an hour away.

So I’m stuck feeling like I’m failing at worshipping the Lord because every single sound people make distracts me from it. I have to fight against being upset with them for being inconsiderate and disrespectful of the mass , and fight against being upset with myself for struggling to focus to begin with.

For a few weeks I quit going to Sunday service and just went to daily mass. I LOVE daily mass. The crowd is smaller, quiet and respectful and I can actually focus on what the priest is saying with only my own inattentive thoughts to distract me. It’s much easier to bring my focus back from distracting thoughts than it is to bring it back from constant noice every five seconds.

I wish that I could get the audio cast from the choir/speaker directly into noise cancelling earbuds so that I could only hear what they are saying.

I’m really at my wits end with this and can use some advice. I tried taking my add meds and attending but had the same problem. When I first noticed it happening I thought I was just being impatient with others, but eventually I realized that no I’m just freaking frustrated that I can’t focus. I’d rather all of the talkers and disgruntled babies (my church has a LOT of them) be at mass than not, so I’m not upset with them. Not really. But heck I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t having a very hard time.

It’s to the point where I don’t even see the point in attending. I can’t focus, I mean I try and try and try, and everything I hear online says if you aren’t paying attention in mass then it’s an insult to the Lord.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I adore mass, I’d go every day if I could and often do, but man Sunday service (aka the mandatory one) is just a brutal experience.

Edit:
This community is the best! Thank you all for being so supportive and helpful. I’ve gotten a few great suggestions so far, but feel free to add more. It’ll probably take a combination of things to find something that’ll work best for me.

I try to respond to everyone who is so kind as to leave a message, but if I don’t I promise that I’m still grateful for the time you took in reaching out, though probably got distracted and forgot to respond.

I hope that anyone else that’s struggling with adhd or sensory issues can benefit from this post and the comments. May the Lord keep us all.

So my in-law is a Baptist/protestant and they end up at mass with my husband and I once every 1-2 years. So not often, but sometimes. The first time of course I explained that we have closed communion but I didnt give the best explanation because I felt really awkward. I'm a cradle Catholic and my entire side of the family is Catholic and I was 20 and had just never had to explain to a person in real time that they couldn't receive communion at mass. So it was just a really awkward interaction and I could've done a way better job. BUT he didn't receive communion and every time since then when he's attended mass with us he knew not to receive and we pretty much never talked about it again. Up until recently... He came to mass with us and I noticed he had received communion instead of getting a blessing.

Now my husband and I are at a loss and have no idea how to bring it up graciously again? I do know this time I will be much more prepared to give an explanation. But I just wonder what other people's experience is trying to "bring it up" in conversation without it sounding really forced or judgemental.

Also, I'm assuming they had just forgotten about not receiving communion, I don't think they did it on purpose.

I have really bad lustful sins of a certain type which at the thought of having to confess them leads me to despair. I dont plan on confessing them since i cant imagine myself even speaking those thoughts out loud. Because of this and since im nearly certain these were mortal sins im just struggling really hard with the fact that because of my shame i could be going to hell. I have totally given up on prayer since its pointless if im in mortal sin anyway why did it have to come to this?

Let’s say Someone dies unexpectedly and has unconfessed mortal and veinal sins do they go to hell?

And what advice would you give to us trying to beat such sins?

St. Rita, I ask for your continued prayer in my life. I pray for the strength and health to find a job that suits me well. I pray that everything that was stolen from me - health, finances, my home - will return tenfold.

I have schizophrenia panic disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder I was raised Catholic but haven't been to mass in a long time.Do you think I will ok to start going I really need a relationship with my heavenly father.

Hey guys so here is my situation,
I grew up Protestant (more specifically in the Salvation Army) and come from a long line of family high up inside the organisation with my Dad being a senior pastor. Last year after having lost my connection to the church I ended up coming back and began checking out different non denominational’s in my area but eventually ended up enquiring about Catholicism. Fast forward a year and now about to enter RCIA classes and it’s always a tough conversation when talking about it with my Dad. My general understanding is just that like most low church protestants he has mainly been fed misinformation about what the catholic faith is, any advice on how to go about trying to explain it to him without making him feel like I am undermining him as a pastor with many years of study and experience. He is generally a pretty open minded easy to talk to person but also having such a long history of Salvo’s in my family I don’t see how he can really come to shake the theology he has known for the last 60 years of his life.

I have a hypertonic pelvic floor for over a month and a pudendal nerve impingement that can fire at any time- especially going up stairs (I live on a second floor of a split house), driving, and now sitting.

I know God won’t answer all our prayers, even though I was at a healing mass with a renowned priest, touched Padre Pio’s original cloak, and have Our Lady of Lourdes holy water.

This condition has reignited my once passive faith, however, it is difficult to generally continue life. This illness makes me effectively a shut in as I have to navigate stairs to go outside. My quality of life has drastically declined and my nervous system fights against me. It is very difficult to stay any type of positive especially as I live alone and am alone with this illness.

Please pray for me

I am a girl in my very early 20s, born and raised Catholic. As the title says I have been feeling this way for about 3 years now. Im not sure how to fix it. I feel so lonely and I wish I had someone to talk to about it but I have no friends at all and never leave the house unless it's for grocery shopping and mass. I know this will pass, well I hope it does but I feel so stuck and I just want to get closer to God and give him all my worries but I feel like im drowning in my own thoughts. I don't struggle with my faith at all in the sense that I accept all the teachings of the church and fully believe in our Lord and savior Jesus Christ, but I feel distant from God. I just want some advice or tough love, I need a push in life. I have never had a job but sometimes I think maybe if I get one I'll have a purpose or maybe when I get a boyfriend and get married I will have a purpose. But still I will feel empty I know because what im truly looking for is God and that is the only thing that will fulfill and suffice my soul.

*How can I get closer to God and stop trying to fill my life with useless distractions?❓️

This is what my life needs please any advice is welcomed. Im tired of ignoring this or saying I will figure it out later I want to fully dedicate myself to our Lord now.

I'm not using a burner for any reason in particular.

I'm going to talk about my life, to give a preface.

But Hi, call me Ky. I'm a just-turned 17 year old girl, and I yearn for religious life. However, I am unbaptized. I want to follow this by saying I went to Catholic school k-12, not saying that means I know everything about Catholicism, but I do have a basis for it. And I did go to Mass every Tuesday and Thursday. Not really on Sundays, though, as my parents are atheists. I did ask in 3rd grade to be baptized, but it didn't happen because they wanted me to "choose my own path." Well my own path has led me right back.

I haven't been an avid Church goer until my birthday, a little less than a complete month ago. But I have been going more than once a week, up to four sometimes. I am going into OCIA within a week.

But, back to being a Nun. I did have a calling when i was little little, especially in middle school. Even though I was in my rebel not-christian phase during then, i knew it deep down i was meant to be a nun. During middle school i began searching other religions, and during my high school years i did that and other denominations. But, my heart was always tugged back to Catholicism, God bless. I believe a work of the Holy Spirit, as my Priest actually said that too.

During middle school i asked my religious teacher (an active sister i think? She never wore the habit) if i could have a different job other than nurse or teacher as a nun. She said yes, very kind woman. But deep down i knew, and I still know that my thoughts for having a job whilst being a Nun isn't exactly me yearning for work. It feels like more of an excuse.

I know, or I think I know, for sure that I am meant to be cloistered, and probably contemplative. Most notably I have thought about the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters and the Carmelites. But I am open to any at this point in time.

I feel myself get teary-eyed whenever the thought that I couldn't be a Nun passes my mind. I have never been this emotional about anything. But this, I have every right to be emotional about. I yearn to serve God in this way, to serve the world in this way. I wish to be Jesus' spouse. My love has no comprehendible words to fill how I need to say it. The love of God is a burning flame in my heart each time I endure Mass, and especially when I sit through Adoration. There is no other place I'd like to be, no where else compels me. But oh, adoration! Though I cannot receive it, for I am unbaptized, I love it so already. I would start myself a whole day of everything! Stuck in a tiny room with nothing (But maybe my Bible and a Cross!) for only the possibility to kiss it! Oh I cannot fathom my feelings into words.

But I feel so stuck. I cannot move. I cannot do anything. I yearn to move forward but I'm stuck. I wish to be a better Christian. To use my love in prayer and thought like how I'm supposed to. I wish I had daily adoration but my Church only does it mondays and thursdays. And the nearest one that does it daily is too far.

Nothing in the world could make me happier. No objects, no money, no people! I would give up seeing my family, my friends! In order to consume the holy sacrament. I know no such thing is asked of me but I must say it for you all to comprehend how I am feeling.

Oh what am I to do? I might cry.

This whole post isn't even about my Vocation at this point. So let me talk about that. I feel as though I must have Eucharistic adoration, which may unfortunately dismiss the Carmelites as a choice even though I hold them so deeply and sincerely as a great order. I know that the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters adore the Eucharist in increments, so that Jesus may never be alone! But oh, oh oh oh i feel so selfish if I say I don't know if I could handle only 30 minutes. Maybe I could. I know right now I could but that's because I'm on this screen! And i have school! I would stay in Adoration from when it starts on Thursday or when it ends if i could. And that is 12 full hours. What would I do, maybe I should ask myself? What else could I do but adore, and contemplate, and just think! And talk to our dear Lord. Oh at this point I should just be a hermit locked in an adoration cell! But I know that thought might be a dangerous one and I am not one to know where it could lead.

I have nothing to add. I don't know what to say. God bless all who read, and the rest of the world.

I find it fascinating when modern saints get parishes named after them. To think, most people were alive while he walked the earth, and now he's the patron of a church!

An excerpt:

The first Catholic parish in the world founded under the patronage of Ghanaian martyr and saint Matthew Ayariga will open in Arlington, Texas, in January 2027.

Ayariga was one of 21 Christian migrant workers in Libya kidnapped and then beheaded by the terrorist group ISIS on a beach near Sirte, Libya, on Feb. 15, 2015.

Originally from Ghana, Ayariga was the only Black African among the 21 men. The others were all Coptic Orthodox Christians from Egypt. When questioned about his faith by his kidnappers, he reportedly replied: “Their God is my God.”

The parish will also be the first Ghanaian Catholic parish in the U.S. and will serve the Ghanaian community in north Texas, which has met since 2007 at St. Joseph Church in Arlington.

I am 13 and headed into high-school, ive considered Catholicism before in my life but it never really went everywhere. In my state most of the people I know are athiest and democracy, I dont have anything against them but I do not agree with their ideas, my personal morals and ideas also agree with Catholicism pretty well. My main problem is I cannot attend church as I am unable to drive (and theres only Baptist and non denominational churches nearby) what should I do from here considering I do not know to much about how the catholic church operates and would be lost if I where to join anyway. For now which Bible apps and bibles would you guys recommend, and I am going to see if my school im headed to has anything on Christianity, but for now I want to get advice from real Catholics

(Do have money to buy a Bible, but with current situation and timely manner I would not be able to attend mass, and would also prefer to wait until I know more about the church)

I think St. Jerome would get temporarily banned on reddit, make a burner account, and get permanently banned.

new bishop of Datong,China

I have so much respect for my pastor. He’s helped me a lot during the last few years as I transitioned from a life of homosexuality to a life of chastity. WELS is a smaller and very conservative denomination of Lutheranism, and so they place a lot of efforts on gaining and retaining their members.

This is going to sound ridiculous but I have a very soft heart and I don’t want to disappoint or upset my Pastor. He views Catholicism as false (however, he does believe some are saved) and would probably think that he failed as a Pastor.

I just want to make sure that I leave on good terms and as friends who both love Christ.

I’m currently going through a very difficult and exhausting time. Yesterday, my husband brought home a Rosary gifted to me by his coworker. ​I used to pray the Rosary years ago, but stopped because back then, it didn't really bring me the peace of mind I was searching for.

​Receiving this gift makes me want to try again, but I’m not sure if it will give peace and comfort this time. I’m also worried that if it doesn't help this time either, it might push me even further away from Catholicism.

​Has anyone been in a similar place? Any advice would mean a lot. Many thanks in advance. God bless.