Tag: Question Box

By Fr. Thom Hennen
Question Box

Q. Why do some Catholic churches offer the chalice, or blood of Christ, at Communion while some offer only the bread, or body of Christ? Are we missing something if we don’t receive both?

A. Practices on this have changed throughout the Church’s history and can vary from day to day (weekday or Sunday Mass) and even from parish to parish. At Sacred Heart Cathedral, we do offer the chalice at all of our Sunday and holy day Masses. In general, I have noticed more people partaking of the chalice since the pandemic. During that time many dioceses, including ours, limited this practice to try to prevent spread of the virus. Even today, at times, this practice may be advisable, for example during the height of cold and flu season or in school settings.

I used to have an annual discussion with my dentist as to why the Catholic Church still used a common cup instead of little disposable cups like some Protestant churches do. There are many reasons for this.

Liturgically, we want to preserve as much as possible the symbolism of the one loaf and one cup, from which we all partake. While there may need to be extra chalices on the altar (depending on the size of the congregation), there is one principal chalice. In the same way, we usually need several ciboria (containers) for the bread but one paten or ciborium with a larger host is broken and distributed.

Portioning out the precious blood into many little cups would destroy that symbolism and could risk spilling. Also, we believe that Christ is truly present in the eucharistic species. Therefore, out of due respect we could not simply dispose of all of those little cups in the garbage. It would be burdensome to purify and wash them all for reuse.

The preference of the liturgy is clearly that both species (the body and the blood) be offered, as this practice more fully imitates what Christ left us in this sacrament. Having said that, a person is not receiving “less Jesus” when consuming only one or the other species. We believe that Christ is fully, truly and substantially present in both species, whether that is a fragment of the sacred host or a drop of the precious blood.

The norms published by the U.S. bishops state: “[A]n appreciation for reception of ‘the whole Christ’ through one species should not diminish in any way the fuller sign value of reception of Holy Communion under both kinds. For just as Christ offered his whole self, body and blood, as sacrifice for our sins, so too is our reception of his Body and Blood under both kinds an especially fitting participation in his memorial of eternal life.”

In seminary, I remember a talk given by Venerable Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan, who was ordained a bishop in 1967 in Vietnam and imprisoned in 1975 after the fall of Saigon. He told the story of how his family would smuggle in wine labeled as “stomach medicine” so that he could celebrate Mass. With a bit of bread in one hand and a couple of drops of wine and a drop of water in the other hand, he would celebrate Mass in his cell as best he could from memory. The Eucharist celebrated in that dark cell was as valid as the most solemn Mass offered at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

When it comes to the liturgy, we should strive for the best and fullest that we can offer according to our capability and circumstances.

(Father Thom Hennen serves as the pastor of Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport and vicar general for the Diocese of Davenport. Send questions to messenger@davenportdiocese.org)

By Fr. Thom Hennen
Question Box

Q: What is the Diocese of Davenport doing for the Jubilee Year? How can we participate?

A: On Christmas Eve, Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of the Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican, officially beginning the Jubilee Year 2025. On the Sunday following, Dec. 29, the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, he opened the Holy Door at St. John Lateran (the cathedral of Rome). The Holy Door at the Basilica of St. Mary Major was opened Jan. 1, the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. Finally, on Jan. 5, the Epiphany of the Lord, the Holy Door at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls was opened. Unlike other years, where Holy Doors in other churches around the world may have been opened, the only Holy Doors opened for this Jubilee were those at the four major basilicas in Rome.

What about here? While Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport does not have “Holy Doors,” the cathedral and four other churches in the diocese have been designated as pilgrimage sites: Ss. Mary and Patrick in West Burlington, Ss. Mary & Mathias in Muscatine, St. Patrick in Iowa City and St. Mary in Grinnell. You may visit these churches throughout the Jubilee Year to obtain the plenary indulgence attached to visiting one the four major basilicas in Rome. The usual requirements for obtaining an indulgence apply, of course (recent confession, receiving Holy Communion and praying for the intentions of the Holy Father).

Those who are unable to travel to make a pilgrimage to any of these places (for example, the elderly, the sick, prisoners and people who care for the sick) can still join in spirit with those on pilgrimage through their prayer and by “offering up their sufferings or the hardships of their lives.”

The idea is mercy, not to be so restrictive as to prevent all but a privileged few from obtaining the special graces of this Holy Year. At the same time, the idea of making a physical pilgrimage has long been a part of our tradition, as it is in other religions. We go on journeys to remind ourselves that we are a pilgrim people, walking together through this life to life eternal. We visit holy places, where Jesus, Mary or the saints walked and prayed. We pass through special doors to mark a kind of transition or new beginning.

This Pilgrimage of Hope began for us in the Diocese of Davenport on Dec. 29, the same Sunday of the opening of the Holy Doors at St. John Lateran. As you will read about in this issue of the Messenger, we began with a prayer service and procession with Bishop Dennis Walsh from historic St. Anthony Catholic Church in downtown Davenport up the hill to Sacred Heart Cathedral, where we celebrated Mass together in English, Spanish and Vietnamese. Fortunately, the weather cooperated that day. It was a truly beautiful celebration.

Aside from going on pilgrimage and visiting one of the designated churches locally or around the world, how else may Catholics participate in this Jubilee Year? Do what you can to make this year different. Find a way to set it apart. That’s what the word “consecrate” means: to set apart for sacred purpose. Even the secular world is used to making New Year’s resolutions. Why not make a Jubilee Year resolution? Maybe it is carving out more time for self-care, for prayer, for family or for service in your community. Happy Jubilee!

For more information check out: www.davenportdiocese.org/liturgy#Jubilee2025

(Father Thom Hennen serves as the pastor of Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport and vicar general for the Diocese of Davenport. Send questions to messenger@davenportdiocese.org)

Q: I know that the Catholic Church now allows cremation but is burial of the body still preferred or does it matter?

A: For centuries, the practice of cremation was forbidden in the Catholic Church. Cremation was seen as a pagan practice. Also, the Romans would often burn the bodies of Christian martyrs as a way to dispose of the body and, by their thinking, rob these martyrs of their resurrection.

As attitudes about this practice changed and for various pastoral reasons, the Church’s stance on cremation was modified in 1963. Cremation was allowed, but the clear preference was and is still for the burial of the intact body.

The funeral ritual was later modified to allow having the cremated remains present for the funeral liturgy and for the burial or entombment of cremated remains. Even with these pastoral accommodations, the cremated remains are never to be scattered or otherwise separated and should be buried in one place. Burial at sea is also acceptable, again, as long as the body is intact or ashes are not scattered. The most recent document on this topic from the Vatican is a 2016 instruction of the Congregation (now called “Dicastery”) for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Other more recent alternatives regarding a deceased person’s remains, such as “human composting” or alkaline hydrolysis are not acceptable as they fail to show proper respect for the body and leave little or nothing to be interred.

As for the funeral liturgy, if cremation is going to be considered, the ideal would be to have the body present for the funeral Mass and the cremation and burial done later. This shows dignity for the body and, I think, offers some greater closure for friends and family for the funeral rites. Also, instead of purchasing a casket, in this case a casket may be rented for this one-time use. No kidding.

My parents both passed away several years ago after long, full and blessed lives. When they were making their funeral arrangements, my dad, who was a design engineer for John Deere for many years, said he would like a casket in metal, preferably green, as that is the medium he worked in for most of his career. My mother preferred something more natural in wood.

A now famous family story is that when they were shopping for caskets, my mother actually felt the cloth lining of the wooden casket she had selected and said, “Oh, that feels nice and soft.” This elicited a good chuckle from both my dad and my sister. What can I say? My mom liked to be comfortable.

Q: Why must the body (even cremated remains) be buried intact but keeping relics of the saints is acceptable?

A: Great question and timely, as a major relic of St. Jude the Apostle recently visited our diocese. I’ll admit, it seems odd that we allow for the distribution of relics but not the remains (cremated or otherwise) of our loved ones.

I suppose one reason for veneration of relics historically was to promote devotion to the saints. It was a way of drawing attention to the fact that these were real people, not “superheroes” or fairytales. They struggled under all the same limitations as we do yet were able to live heroically holy lives. This gives us great hope and example.

I would also argue that while the bodies of the saints are not always kept intact, certainly their relics are treated with great dignity and reverence, often placed in ornate reliquaries and given places of great honor in churches and altars.

(Father Thom Hennen serves as the pastor of Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport and vicar general for the Diocese of Davenport. Send questions to messenger@davenportdiocese.org)

By Fr. Thom Hennen
Question Box

Q: Can you please explain the priest’s vestments for Mass and their significance?

A: The first and most basic vestment is the alb. It is a long, white garment that comes in a variety of styles. It is the baptismal garment. The word “alb” comes from the Latin albus, meaning white.  Some priests subscribe to the “more lace, more grace” theory and others prefer the noble simplicity that is the hallmark of the Roman Rite.

While the vesting prayers are no longer strictly required, many priests still use them and they are a good way to prepare for Mass. The traditional vesting prayer while putting on the alb reads: “Purify me, Lord, and cleanse my heart so that, washed in the Blood of the Lamb, I may enjoy eternal bliss.”

Depending on the style of the alb, an amice may be worn underneath the alb to cover the collar or neck. This is a rectangular white cloth with two long strings. The cloth is tucked around the collar and the strings are wrapped under the arms behind the back and tied around the waist in front to secure it in place. It is symbolic of the “helmet of salvation” (see Ephesians 6:17). The vesting prayer for the amice (put on before the alb) reads: “Lord, set the helmet of salvation on my head to fend off all the assaults of the devil.”

The amice also serves a very practical function of preventing “ring around the collar.” It is a lot easier to throw an amice in with your whites and some bleach than to have to wash or dry clean your alb after just a few uses. Some clergy really work up a sweat under all those layers.

Once the amice (if necessary) and alb are donned, the next vestment is the cincture. This is basically a rope belt, often with tassels or knots at each end. Again, not all styles of alb may require a cincture, but the purpose is to gather or “cinch” the alb. In these modern times it also provides a handy place to clip a lavalier microphone pack. Cinctures may be white or correspond to the color of the other vestments for the season or particular feast.

The cincture is a symbol of purity and, accordingly, the vesting prayer for the cincture reads:  “Lord, gird me with the cincture of purity and extinguish my fleshly desires, that the virtue of continence and chastity may abide within me.”

The cincture also serves to hold in place the stole, which is the next vestment that the priest puts on. The stole is the long strip that goes over the neck and hangs down in front. It is in the color of the season or feast. The stole is a symbol of the priest’s authority. The vesting prayer for the stole is: “Lord, restore the stole of immortality, which I lost through the collusion of our first parents, and, unworthy as I am to approach Thy sacred mysteries, may I yet gain eternal joy.”

Lastly, the priest puts on the chasuble, a large, usually circular cloth (also in the color of the season or feast) with a hole in the middle, worn like a poncho. The chasuble is the symbol of charity or love (see Colossians 3:14). In the seminary, we were taught the chasuble is worn over the stole because the priest’s authority should also be covered by love.

The vesting prayer for the chasuble reads: “O Lord, who has said, ‘My yoke is sweet and My burden light,’ grant that I may so carry it as to merit Thy grace.”

Tip to toe, now you know what the priest is wearing and what it means!

(Father Thom Hennen serves as the pastor of Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport and vicar general for the Diocese of Dav­enport. Send questions to messenger@davenportdiocese.org)

Q: How many bishops have been ordained at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport?

A: Surprisingly, few! On Sept. 27, Bishop Dennis Walsh was ordained 10th Bishop of the Diocese of Davenport, but he is only one of four bishops ordained at Sacred Heart Cathedral and only the second to be ordained there for our diocese. All of the others were ordained elsewhere, for various reasons, and two were ordained at Sacred Heart but for other dioceses.

First, a little history. The Diocese of Dubuque was created in 1837 with Bishop Matthias Loras as its first bishop (he was a childhood friend of St. John Vianney, incidentally). At that time, the diocese covered the entire territory of Iowa and up into Minnesota and the Dakotas.

In 1881, the creation of the Diocese of Davenport carved off the southern half of the state of Iowa as its territory. That left the northern half as the Diocese of Du­buque, which was elevated to an archdiocese in 1893.

The Dav­enport Diocese did not have a cathedral when Bishop John McMullen became our first bishop. A priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, he was consecrated at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago, where he had served as rector. He rebuilt the cathedral following the great Chicago fire of 1871 and later served as the archdiocese’s vicar general.

When Bishop McMullen took possession of the Davenport Diocese, he chose St. Margaret Church on a hilltop in east Davenport as our first cathedral. The church, named for St. Margaret of Scotland, really was a nod to Marguerite LeClaire, wife of Antoine LeClaire. Her husband, considered the principal founder of Davenport, gave the land and money to build the church.

The diocese quickly outgrew St. Margaret Church, which led to the start of the cathedral next door at 10th and Iowa streets. Bishop Mc­Mullen served two years as bishop until his death in 1883 — before the cathedral was dedicated in 1891 and named after the Sacred Heart of Jesus (with a St. Margaret Chapel by order of Rome). That meant that his suc­cessor, Bish­op Henry Cos­grove (1884-1906) was ordained in the former St. Mar­garet Cathedral.

The first bishop ordained at Sacred Heart Cathedral was our third bishop, Bishop James Davis, ordained as co-adjutor bishop in 1904 and taking over for Bishop Cosgrove in 1906.

Our only auxiliary bishop was Bishop Edward Howard (1923-1926), who was ordained at St. Raphael Cathedral in Dubuque and eventually made Bishop of Oregon City (now Portland).

Our fourth bishop, Bishop Henry Rohlman (1927-1944), also consecrated at St. Raphael Cathedral, was installed the following day at Sacred Heart in Davenport.

The second episcopal ordination at Sacred Heart Cathedral was that of Bishop William Adrian in 1936. A priest of the Davenport Diocese, he was ordained Bishop of Nashville, Tennessee.

Our fifth bishop, Bishop Ralph Hayes (1944-1966), was already a bishop when he came to us. In 1933, he was consecrated a bishop in Pitts­burgh, where he was from, for the Diocese of Hel­ena, Montana. He became rector of the Pontifical North Ameri­can College in Rome during World War II, before his appointment to Davenport.

Our sixth bishop, Bishop Gerald O’Keefe (1966-1994), came to us as an auxiliary bishop of St. Paul, Minn­e­sota. He was installed at Sacred Heart Cathedral in January 1967.

The third bishop ordained at Sacred Heart, Bishop Maurice Dingman, was one of our own but appointed to the Diocese of Des Moines in 1968.

Our seventh bishop, now-Bishop Em­erit­us William Franklin (1993-2006), was an auxiliary of the Archdiocese of Dubuque, where he was consecrated (at St. Raphael’s) in 1987.

Bishop Emeritus Martin Amos (2006-2017) was also already an auxiliary bishop (of the Diocese of Cle­veland, Ohio) when he became our eighth bishop.

Our ninth bishop, now-Archbishop Thomas Zinkula (2017-2023) was consecrated at St. John Vianney Church in Bettendorf due to the construction of the gathering space and diocesan hall at Sacred Heart Cathedral. He now serves as the archbishop of the Dubuque Archdiocese.

There you have it! So, Bishop Walsh is only the fourth bishop ordained at the present cathedral and only the second for our diocese in nearly 120 years!

(Father Thom Hennen serves as the pastor of Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport and vicar general for the Diocese of Dav­enport. Send questions to messenger@davenportdiocese.org)

By Fr. Thom Hennen
Question Box

Several weeks ago in this column, I attempted to tackle a question about why God seems to put up with wars, violence and other human atrocities. I only got so far. After all, it is much “easier” to explain human-made disasters. We have free will and often misuse it. But what about things such as natural disasters or disease? Why doesn’t God step in and fix those? Does he like toying with us or watching people suffer? No! A thousand times, no. But why then?

Things like natural disasters and illness fall into a category of what we call “natural” or “physical evil,” as opposed to “moral evil,” which implies human agency. A “natural or physical evil” doesn’t mean it is diabolical (from the devil) or that it has a will of its own or that God is hurling it at us. We mean evil in the most general sense of the word: a privation of some good.

So, why do does God seem to allow natural or physical evil to happen, even if he doesn’t actively cause them? The world does as the world does; things in the world do as they were created to do. In a way, “why?” is the wrong question. We might as well ask, “Why is the sky blue?” Yes, I know there is a perfectly reasonable scientific answer to this question but it is more about how this phenomenon occurs than why. The larger question still looming is why this has to be the way it is in the first place.

Similarly, while it is perfectly normal human behavior to ask why in the face of evil, whether moral or natural, the more relevant spiritual question is: How do I respond to this reality?

When faced with a moral evil, we can ask, “What can I do to change this?” In the face of truly natural disaster, however, I think we can waste a lot of emotional energy trying to figure out why, when sometimes we need to accept those things that are truly out of our control and carry on as best we can.

I know, I’m not really answering the question. But if I had an “easy,” perfect answer that you could tie up with a pretty little bow, then I would advise you to run the other way. This is a timeless question for a reason.

It is okay not to have crisp, clean answers to everything. At the same time, it important for us to engage the process and wrestle with these things. Many “short cuts” lead off a cliff and some meandering paths turn out to be worth the journey. I honestly worry about humanity’s current capacity to do this kind of thing, to grapple with mystery.

Beyond just saying that the world does as the world does, there is also a sense in our theological tradition that the first choice of human beings to turn away from God had far-reaching repercussions for them and for the rest of creation. St. Paul seems to allude to this when he writes, “We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now.” There is a sense that all of creation was caught up in our fall and, therefore, that all creation is also caught up in our redemption. We can take this notion too far, of course, but I don’t think we can absolutely dismiss it.

(Father Thom Hennen serves as the pastor of Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport and vicar general for the Diocese of Davenport. Send questions to messenger@davenportdiocese.org)

By Fr. Thom Hennen
Question Box

Q: Do Catholics believe in ghosts?
A: Every old building seems to have at least a few ghost stories attached to it. I know that my old seminary did.

There was a story of a seminarian who was working on a paper late at night in the lower level of the seminary where the computer lab was located. He pressed the elevator button to go back up to his room. While he was waiting for the elevator to arrive, he noticed a figure in black pants and a white shirt at the far end of the corridor. Assuming it was just another seminarian going down to the computer lab, he wondered how he hadn’t noticed him before. When the elevator arrived, the seminarian stepped in and turned around, only to see this person now standing in front of the elevator door, as though instantly transported from the end of the long hallway. The figure said, “Pray for me,” and the elevator doors closed!

Great story, huh? But is it true? I don’t know. The story goes that the seminarian told his spiritual director about it and they arranged to have some Masses offered for the repose of this person’s soul and there was never another encounter after that.

So, do Catholics believe in ghosts? Not exactly. From a theological perspective, what people think of as “ghosts” can be only one of four things: (1) our imaginations gone wild; (2) angels; (3) demons; or (4) souls in purgatory trying to get our attention to pray for them.

Personally, I am a bit of a natural skeptic when it comes to these things. I am always going to try to find a natural explanation first. The human mind is a vast and weird place. We can easily think we heard, saw or felt something. We can even begin to convince ourselves of this by re-telling the story. We can be easily influenced by things we may have recently heard or seen.

When I was a college chaplain I would always get a lot more requests for room or house blessings in the weeks leading up to Halloween, as students were convinced something supernatural was going on. I was happy to explain what we believe and don’t believe, the importance of daily prayer, reading Scripture, going to Mass and regular confession, and the use of sacramentals (holy water, etc.). I would ask some general questions and often found that the students had been watching scary movies or shows or were not sleeping as much or as well as they should. Sometimes I would find out they were messing around with a Ouija board or other like things. Do you think any of that could have had an effect? Probably.

The Church explicitly forbids any kind of “divination” to tell the future or attempts to communicate with the dead (see “Catechism of the Catholic Church,” para. 2115-2117). At best, fortune telling, séances and the like are just silly; at worst they could be opening doors that ought not be opened. The Bible in several places also specifically condemns these practices (see Deuteronomy 18:10-11, Isaiah 19:3 and Jeremiah 29:8). Anytime we try to go around God to seek hidden (“occult”) knowledge we are in violation of the First Commandment.

We don’t need to look for a devil behind every bush, but we do believe in unseen realities and should exercise caution in what sort of things we expose ourselves to. I enjoy a good ghost story as much as anyone, but in the end I believe in the one God, who is God of the living and the dead, and in his Son, who has conquered death and promises resurrection for those who believe.

(Father Thom Hennen serves as the pastor of Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport and vicar general for the Diocese of Davenport. Send questions to messenger@davenportdiocese.org)