Why Do Catholics ...?

Can a person who has come late into Mass (even for a good reason) still receive the Eucharist? I go to Mass in a small town, and there is no other Mass to go to if the Sunday obligation has not been fulfilled.

The conditions for receiving holy Communion are the state of grace, keeping the Eucharistic fast and to receive with devotion and attention. Just as you can receive holy Communion outside the Mass, if you can satisfy those conditions within a Mass you attend, even if late to it, you can receive holy Communion.

This would be true even in the case you describe, provided that you have no intention to evade the Sunday obligation if it were possible to fulfill, which in your unique situation it is not.

Have you always wondered about some aspect of the faith? Or maybe you’d like to know some trivia about Pope Francis. If you do, email us your question at [email protected] and look for the answer in an upcoming issue.

An image of the Sacred Heart in the Church of the Jesu in Rome

Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Next week, the Bishops of the United States will meet in Orlando and consecrate America to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This week on Register Radio we are joined by Bishop Kevin Rhoades to explain the importance of the consecration and how we can all take part and then Register senior writer Zelda Caldwell tells us about the remarkable phenomenon of diocesan priests living in community.