Pat McCloskey, OFM

I am a Roman Catholic mother. What should I tell my children about Muslims and their faith? The history of Islam is terrible, and what is happening now in Europe is no better.

You should tell them what the Catholic Church believes: Muslims are people created and loved by God. Like all other people, some of their members reflect that love better than others. Although some Muslims are terrorists, the vast majority of Muslims are not.

How can I help the Dreamers and my fellow brothers and sisters wanting to come to the United States?
Pray for Dreamers, support local efforts on their behalf, and make your views known to those who represent you in Congress. Every country, including the United States, has a right to control its borders. All three branches of government work together to do that. By the way, our country has had a tradition of family reunification long before the term chain migration became a negative expression.

What is the Catholic Church’s position on entering prayer? Is it New Age? Is it allowed for Catholics? Why or why not?

It is allowed, despite what some self-appointed guardians of Catholic orthodoxy are claiming on the Internet.

In a 2014 article in America (December 3), Sidney Callahan wrote: “The simple steps of the method are to choose a sacred word as a symbol of your intention to consent to God’s presence and action within. Then, settling comfortably, you introduce the sacred word and remain quietly attentive within God’s presence.