Ask Prosper Archive

QUESTION: Do we still have a Parish Food Bank, and how can I contribute to it?
 
Prosper:  We sure do have a Food Bank.  Our parishioners support both the Mary, Queen of Peace Food Bank and the Mt. Washington Ecumenical Food Bank.  The Mary, Queen of Peace Food Bank is held on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month, 11:30 a.m. at the Parish Administration Center (81 S. 13th St.), serving Zip Code 15203.  You can call the parish office for more information.  The Mt. Washington Ecumenical Food Bank (213 Bailey Ave.) is held on the 4th Tuesday of each month.  There is more information about both Food Banks on our website.  Donations are welcomed, monetary should be marked Food Bank and dropped in the collection.  Non-perishable food items are accepted at the Administration Center.  Thank you for caring about those among us who are less fortunate -- Jesus said, feed my lambs, feed my sheep.  Amen.
  
QUESTION: During the Prayers of the Faithful we include “all the intentions on the altar.”  What are they, and are they listed somewhere?
 
Prosper:  In a previous “Ask Prosper” column we talked about different kinds of prayer.  Our Mass is a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, but also prayers appealing to our God for reconciliation and mercy.  During the Prayers of the Faithful we may ask for mercy and forgiveness.  We take this opportunity to place all of our requests on the altar.  Members of our church family may have special intentions that are very personal, and these are the ones that are held in the silence of our hearts.  In previous times there may have been a book or ledger at the door of the church where everyone could enter a prayer request.  A friend of mine was at a church in Italy, and entered a prayer request there.  God knows and hears all of our petitions, even those held in the silence of our hearts.  Hear us Oh Lord.
  
QUESTION: What does it mean when we say AMEN after our prayers and during mass?
 
Prosper:  That’s a good question, it made my ears pop up.  So often in everything we do and say it may be all out of habit.  Do we even understand what we are saying?  Amen is a word that came to English from Latin, which got it from the Greek, which got it from Aramaic or technically Hebrew.  Oh boy, that’s a long way home.  It is difficult to translate directly, especially for a dog, but it appears to be derived from “aman” which means conformed, supported or upheld.  It can also be associated with the Hebrew word for truth (emet).  So, when we say amen, we agree, approve and affirm something that has been said.  Now we can all give our approval or consent in one faith filled acclamation.  Let the church say AMEN!

QUESTION: Who is the gentleman who is in the sanctuary during many masses at St. Adalbert Church?
 
PROSPER:  I always like it when I can answer a question with a question.  What is a sacristan?  A sacristan is one who is charged with the care of the sacristy, and the holy vessels that are used during mass.  In the early church these duties were often charged to clerics or clergy.  In our churches today this position is usually filled by the laity.  The gentleman that you refer to is not a deacon, he is however a longtime parishioner who is familiar with Catholic traditions, rubrics and regulations.  We appreciate his service, especially during Covid when we did not have servers.
 
I always listen to Fr. Daniel when he tells me that we each have something to offer, and it is our joy and duty to share our gifts and talents, skills and abilities with others, especially with our family and parish family.  Please consider introducing yourself to our sacristan or any parishioner you see doing something, and ask if you can help.  Again, each of us has something to offer, so consider helping.  Some tasks aren’t always fun, like emptying the trash or removing dead flowers, but these are ways we can SERVE and SHARE OUR LIVES with others.  Other ways to help include reading or singing at Mass, assisting at funerals, cleaning the churches, praying for our homebound and infirmed parishioners, visiting or calling them to offer kindness, offering rides to Mass to people who do not drive, etc. etc. -- all opportunities to praise and glorify God, serve others and share our lives, meet new and interesting people, and have some fun.  Maybe we don’t say it enough, but we appreciate all the lay people who have stepped up to help at both of our churches. Amen!  Alleluia!
  
QUESTION: Hi Prosper, I just wanted to thank you for answering my question about our new parish logo.
 
Prosper:  I was so excited when I got an email thanking me for a recent answer about the doves that are the new parish logo.  Fr. Daniel read it to me, I can’t get used to all this techie stuff, I’m just a dog you know.  Several other parish members have approached Fr. Michael and the staff, expressing the fact that the explanation and discussion are helping them to understand that we are blessed to be represented by the beautiful doves.  Gentle woman, peaceful dove, teach us wisdom, teach us love.  Mary, Queen of Peace pray for us.  AMEN
  
Prosper:  Recently Father Daniel and I were walking and a member of our parish family asked us a question about Christian music and faith based radio broadcasts.  I wholeheartedly encourage you all to tune your radios to 98.3 FM K-LOVE or KLOVE.com to listen to beautiful prayer set to contemporary music and song.  Try it for a week or two!  After some regular listening and prayer, hopefully you will enjoy a deeper insight into God’s mighty and tender love, His relentless mercy, and His abiding presence in your life.  Another choice for faith based music is The Message on SiriusXM channel 63.  Also, for some other prayerful, insightful and instructional radio listening, tune in to 106.3 FM Relevant Radio or Relevantradio.com, as well as 106.7 FM WAOB or WAOB.com (We Are One Body).  Finally, please know that there are many recordings on our parish YouTube channel by Amanda and Tom.  My furry ears perk up when I hear beautiful songs that help us praise Our God.  AMEN.  AMEN!

QUESTION: Why are all the lights on in church when it is so hot outside?
 
PROSPER:  Did you ever notice that there are two ways to look at any issue.  Why turn the lights on when it is so hot?  Vs.  It’s so much easier to see the words for the songs when the lights are on.  Let there be light.  This is a sign of joy, reverence and blessings.  Yes, you may be warm for a short time, only about an hour, but you have Jesus in you 24/7.  We are blessed to be able to gather freely.  So, think cool, sit by a fan or a window.  Maybe that is why I got a haircut.

QUESTION: Can the readings for the week be published in the bulletin?
 
PROSPER:  Oh boy, what a wonderful idea, what a blessing this is.  I called Donna G. in the Parish Office and it’s already done.  The readings for the week now appear in the bulletin every week -- they are also on the website.  Now we have no excuse when Fr. Daniel assigns us homework to read and pray over the Sacred Scripture from Mass, or other passages from the Bible.  Enjoy!
 
QUESTION: Can we say the prayer to St. Michael before or after Mass?
 
PROSPER:  I would never stop anyone from praying.  A perfect example of this is one friend of mine who stepped up to say the rosary before mass.  Many members who go to daily mass stay after to pray silently.  Feel free to lead the prayer.  Dear Lord, Mary Queen of Peace and all the saints, please hear our prayer.  Amen.
 
I am invited to a wedding in October. The mass is at 4:00 p.m. on a Saturday. Does this fulfill my Sunday obligation?
 
PROSPER:  The easy answer is yes.  According to Canon Law the obligation is satisfied by a Catholic rite mass celebrated on the holy day (Sunday) or the evening before, at or after 4:00 p.m. to count.  So, this wedding mass fulfills your Sunday obligation.  The wedding is a special occasion, but our Sunday obligation is also very important.

QUESTION: What is a relic?  I saw some of them on the altar at St. Adalbert Church.
 
Prosper:  Relics are the people who have been coming to mass for so long that they actually know when It’s time to sit, kneel and stand.  Just kidding!  Seriously, this is a great question so I decided to ask Fred.  He is a sacristan and lector, and was nice enough to show the relics to me.  Relics are anything from or associated with a Saint.  Just like our parents keep our baby shoes, or you may have your grandma’s hanky, these things help us to remember those who came before us.  Relics remind us of the holiness of the saint.  In Christianity we feel that veneration or respect for these objects bring us into closer communion with the saint.  These treasures bring to mind how these people who proceeded us gave so selflessly and generously.  Relics inspire us to ask for the prayers of that saint and with God’s help to live the same kind of God filled life.  There are a lot of relics at St. Adalbert Church including St. Roch and St. Francis.  They have been collected from all seven previous South Side parishes.  If you are aware of the relics at St. Mary of the Mount, let me know.  I will be happy to let the rest of our family know.  Don’t worry, I’m a smart dog, I will remember, 
 
QUESTION: What ever happened to Purgatory?  It seems like we never hear about it anymore.
 
PROSPER:  I asked Fr. Daniel and he said “I pray to ‘go to’ purgatory.  For if we experience purgatory, we are assured of Heaven.  Amen!”  In our culture it seems like very often we would rather take the easy way out and go straight to heaven.  Even in the funeral liturgies we are reminded that those who have died may still require purification of their sins and the consequence of sin, and we ought to pray and help our loved ones through prayer and works of penance on their behalf.  Purgatory can be explained as a supreme example of God’s infinite mercy and forgiveness.  It is a gift from God removing all sin and blemish.  This is the justice aspect of God’s infinite love.  We here on earth need to “embrace” all those souls in Purgatory and pray for their purification and bring them into complete unification with God.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church states it this way. “All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are still indeed assured of their eternal salvation.  After death they undergo purification (purgatory) so to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven”.  If you want more information visit the website of Susan Tassone.  She is a warrior for all the souls in Purgatory.  What a wonderful, faith filled ministry, and a great way for us to pray for those we have lost.  Amen.
 

Prosper:  Just a note to thank you all for all the questions you ask.  I’m so happy to help with all these things.  All of us here at Mary, Queen of Peace Parish have jobs to do.  Some of these things are ministry, for example lectors or cantors.  Other things always need done, like setting up for mass, lighting the candles, even things like cleaning (not my favorite) need done.  And for those who cannot do manual tasks, consider praying for our parish, especially for those struggling in silence.  Even I have a job to do.  I have to keep an eye on Fr. Daniel and accompany him in trying to bring comfort to the hurting.  All these things that we do, we do out of love for God and for our parish family.  We expect nothing in return, but God’s love and the joy of truly giving of ourselves for the sake of others.  This goes for all of us, even me.  While I always enjoy treats, since I have a sensitive belly and am easily distracted by food, Father Daniel keeps an eye on me and is the only person to give me treats.  He makes sure I eat right and stay focused in my ministry.  So thank you for the offer of treats.  And I assure you that all we do is truly appreciated.  As a friend of mine says, we will get our true reward in heaven.  Volunteering and doing these things for others helps us grow as a healthy person, and helps to form a holy and vibrant family and community.  It makes my heart leap with joy to see us uniting as a parish family.  Amen!

 QUESTION: I would like to know if Saint Pamphilus is still a Roman Catholic Church?  It has a different name now.  If I go to mass at that church, does it still count?

 Prosper:  Well, that’s a real head scratcher.  At first I looked it up on the Diocese’s website, and it referred to the Brookline/Beechview merger that created St. Theresa of Kolkata.  A very good friend of mine told me that the church building had actually been sold.  With some additional sniffing out of Information I found out that the church is now Our Lady of Victory, Maronite rite.  The Maronites are in full communion with the Pope and the Catholic Church, but follow the Code of Canons of the Eastern churches.  It retains self- governance, but has close ties to the world- wide Catholic Church and Latin Rites.  The mass is somewhat different as are the hymns and responses.  This is a way for us to explore how other rites celebrate mass.  In the same way many of our parishioners have ties to the Byzantine rite, we can participate and praise God in many ways.  So, the answer is YES, the Maronite Mass counts.  It’s nice to make new friends.  Our community becomes stronger as we all participate and support each other.  I know that I can depend on so many of my church friends.  Can you bark AMEN!

Question: Dear Prosper, what happened to Mary?  What was the rational for excluding her from our new logo?  After all Mary is our patroness and an integral part of our Catholic faith.  Though I like the rendition of the doves I do not feel they adequately speak to our B.V.M.  White doves represent and call to mind peace not Mary.  Couldn't we have chosen a logo that honors Mary and speaks to our vision to become a united and inclusive parish working toward peace.  Are we forgetting our heritage and the strong devotion our forefathers had for Mary?  Without Mary's intersession do we even have a chance at being a successful parish?

 Prosper:  I liked the other image our two parishes used for the past few years as we started the On Mission for the Church Alive.  It was a blue line image of Mary holding the child Jesus.  A great representation of Mary and the Prince of Peace coming together.  We became something new in January of 2021.  We have been offered a new identity and we needed an image to help us experience that we now belong to Mary, Queen of Peace Parish.  To help me answer this question I went to The Leadership Team.

 When it comes to the arts and design there are as many preferences and opinions as there are people and dogs.  Art and design have the potential of many layers of individual and collective interpretation and feeling.  A good logo/brand can support this.

 Two very important points about the new logo/brand.

 ∙ As far as logos/brands go, seldom do you see an image that is an actual picture.  That is not their purpose.  They do offer a memorable image and words that help create thought, feeling, meanings and connections.  A few examples:  The Pittsburgh Steelers logo does not have footballs, the Nike logo is not a running shoe, car logos like Chevrolet don't show cars or trucks.  Our new image is not an image of Mary. 

∙ The full logo includes both the image and the words.  So, it is a combination of the colourful hands/doves and the name “Mary, Queen of Peace Parish.”

 We know that images and words have power to unite us, as well as power to help us imagine the future.  The hope is this new image will reach back, reach forward and reach within each of us to help us to become a vibrant and inclusive parish community in Mary, Queen of Peace.

 For more information about the meaning of the new parish brand, please see the parish website https://www.maryqueenofpeacepgh.org/new-brand.

 Thank you, leadership for this answer, it seems clearer to me now.  I have really good ears and I heard these words in a song this week:  “Gentle Mother, peaceful dove, teach us wisdom, teach us love”.  Amen.

Question: I have a really nice bottle of wine that I would like to share with you at mass.  Is that OK, or is the wine used at mass special?   

Prosper:  This question really made me scratch my ear, I wasn’t sure so I talked to Fr. Michael. According to Canon Law 924.3 wine used for mass must be natural, made from grapes, and not corrupt (that means unaltered or sour, and does not contain any additives).  So, the easy answer is the best way to assure that these directives are met is to obtain the wine from a winery that adheres to these directives.  More directives can be found in the Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum.  Did you ever notice that the priest adds a little water to the wine at Consecration?  This symbolizes the incarnation of Christ.  The water is Christ’s humanity, the wine is Christ’s divinity.  It also calls to mind Jesus on the cross.  When the soldier pierced His side, out flowed blood and water. (John19:34)

Question: Prosper, you have been blessed with the most unique perspective of all of us.  You are considered human’s best friend.  You share kindness, friendship and caring.  You protect and bring comfort.  You reserve judgement and respond only to thoughtless words in a firm compassionate way.  You give nothing but unconditional love, and would lay down your life for a friend.  Sounds so familiar, as something that our Lord would say and our faith asks of all of us.  Why is it so difficult for us to be unconditional friends to each other, to try our best to treat each other in our uniqueness with the best of humanity, and even harder sometimes to accept exactly that from others.  Is the answer human nature?    It can reach the heart with an understanding smile.

Prosper:  I can’t help but wag my tail as I read this.  It makes me so happy to know that I have touched someone enough to say such nice things.  I do need to say that these things aren’t super human.  These are the ways that we can be Christ like to one another.  I know my ears perk up when someone remembers my name and smiles at me.  A dog’s work is never done, but that’s true for Christians also.  The new person at mass who seems so lonely just might appreciate that smile and a friendly good morning.  In the scheme of things isn’t that what Jesus expects of all of us, all creatures of Our God and King.  Can the church and all dogs say AMEN. 

Question: Why do priests wear different color vestments to mass?

Prosper:  I’m so glad you noticed.  There are several different colors that the priest wears during mass, sometimes it depends on the season and sometimes it depends on the reason for the celebration. 

∙White is worn for the Feast days such as Christmas and Easter.  This color is a symbol of joy, light and purity. White is also worn at funerals as a sign of Resurrection and New Life. 

∙Green is worn during Ordinary time (Fr. Daniel keeps telling me its not so ordinary) Green is a sign of hope and love.

∙Purple is in worn in Advent and Lent.  This color signifies penance and sacrifice.  Do you remember when we had questions about giving things up for Lent, and how we were waiting for the Baby Jesus during Advent?  Waiting isn’t always easy. 

∙Red is worn for masses celebrated for Martyrs, and also the Holy Spirit.  This color symbolizes suffering and also Our Lord’s Passion. 

∙Rose is worn on Gaudete Sunday in Advent to symbolize the JOY of what is to come.  Rose is also worn on Laetare Sunday in Lent to remind us of the HOPE for what is to come.  Fr. Michael keeps telling me he doesn’t like to wear pink.  I remind him its ROSE.

∙Black used to be used for funerals, but this has changed, its meaning was to remind us of our mortality.  Fr. Daniel says its because its slenderizing.  I just think we don’t use black because it shows the dog hair.

The mass is a sensory experience, we touch and taste the Eucharist, smell the incense, hear the music and the Word and see everything that is happening at the altar.  Color heightens our experience by evoking certain moods and feelings that contribute to the whole experience.  I’m so glad that there are Rubrics that remind the priests what color to wear, I have enough trouble remembering what time I have to be there, that’s a lot for a dog to remember. 

Question: Is it true that you shouldn’t eat for an hour prior to receiving Holy Communion?

Prosper:  The fast before Holy Communion is one hour.  This is a discipline not a church doctrine.  It is meant to help Catholics prepare for the awesome privilege of receiving Christ’s body, blood, soul and divinity.  Because it is a discipline it can be changed.  It has been changed to one hour having previously been three hours.  In a very simple explanation, don’t we all appreciate food more if we hunger for it?  The Eucharist is the living food of our faith, an hour doesn’t feel so bad, I have to wait till after mass for my treats.

Questions: Why does the Catholic church display so many statues and artifacts?  We look at them, pray to them.  Are we worshipping idols?

Prosper:  Praying in the presence of a statue or icon does not become idolatry, until in our human mind the idol becomes the god.  We as humans need reminders and memories, for example photos of family and friends bring back memories and recollections.  This too can be seen in the statues, icons, images that are present in our homes and churches.  Humans find comfort in having artistic representations of the Holy figures.  We can have reverence for human things, but we worship only God.  For example, stained glass windows are symbolic, and help us recall the story. I like to look at all the beautiful statues and windows in both of our churches, I even found a dog, that made me feel like I was home. 

Question: Can you please tell me who answers all these questions?  Prosper is an intelligent dog and knows many things, but we were just wondering. 

Prosper:  Yes, it’s true I can’t answer all these questions myself.  I’m just a dog you know.  Seriously, there is a small group of parishioners who came up with the idea of a question column.  We serve on council and other lay ministries.  We presented our idea to the Parish Leadership Team.  They thought the column would not only be informative, but also fun and engaging.  Let us assure you that when we receive a question about parish matters, we go right to the staff member that it involves. When there was a question about Catholic publications for children, we went to Holly Mohr. If there are questions about the Music Ministry, we ask Amanda and Tom. Administration questions go right to Father Michael.  If there are questions about Catholic Tradition, The Bible or doctrine, we research them, and then send our answers to Fr. Daniel, who reviews them.  This all happens before Prosper gives us his Paw Stamp of Approval.  We hope you are enjoying and learning from the answers.  We appreciate the opportunity to help us all live our covenant.  Thanks for asking.