Home

Welcome to Actually Catholic.

For more information about customizing your site check out learn.wordpress.com

Latest from the Blog

“For where I found truth, there found I my God, who is truth itself.”

St. Augustine, Confessions

Saint Joseph, Terror of Demons, Pray for Us

Christmas, Morality, and Grace

“Every day, every decision, is an opportunity” Christmas is fast approaching. People are worried about decorations, Christmas cards, shopping, and the like, trying to balance (or even find) meaning in the season through all of the materialism and commercialism that takes the forefront. I’ve been visiting family after losing my wife to Alzheimer’s this fall,…

Life is a Test: Are You Ready?

Some thoughts on Thanksgiving I’m traveling this week and don’t get to daily mass or watch it on TV, so I picked up one of my Bible apps and dialed up today’s readings. The gospel was one we had recently heard during Ordinary Time, Luke 21:12-19 (33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time). Today’s was a slightly shorter…

The Coming Feast of Christ the King and our Approach to Time

By Deacon Keith Fournier, JD, MTS, MPhil Next week we will celebrate the Feast Christ the King in the revised liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church. Yet, for many Catholics who commemorate the Feast, it is just one more somewhat esoteric celebration which we go through every year at this time. This mistake is at…

MOLLIE FLETCHER KLOCEK

Chesapeake – Mollie Fletcher Klocek, 74, died peacefully on October 15, 2025, at the Commonwealth Senior Living Facility, Leigh Hall, in Norfolk. She was born on October 1, 1951, at Ft. Benning, Georgia, to John W. and Sara (Adams) Fletcher. She is preceded in death by her brother John and has two surviving brothers, Michael…

Mollie Fletcher Klocek

Chesapeake – Mollie Fletcher Klocek, 74, died peacefully on October 15, 2025, at the Commonwealth Senior Living Facility, Leigh Hall, in Norfolk. She was born on October 1, 1951, at Ft. Benning, Georgia, to John W. and Sara (Adams) Fletcher. She is preceded in death by her brother John and has two surviving brothers, Michael…

Are You a Living Room Catholic (LRC)?

“You can’t be a part-time Catholic when there is a full-time Satan.” (from Scott Hahn’s Facebook site) I don’t recall where I got the term “living room Catholic” but it struck me when I heard it as “Catholic in name only” (CINO). Then I watched a conversion story on the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN)…

Admonish the Sinner

“Stop judging, that you may not be judged.”  “Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?” (Matt. 7:1, 3) We are reluctant to criticize others, probably because we don’t take criticism very well ourselves. We often rely on the above statements of…

Turning the Corner

The United States, after the last election is turning the corner in rebuilding a constitutional government; smaller, more efficient, less intrusive, and stronger. With the death of Pope Francis, the Church also has an opportunity to return to the basics of Catholicism and Christianity in general. The Church has elected a new pope. We shall…

God’s Binary World

The spirit of relativism, which rules our society, insists that any choice we make, as long as it makes us “feel good,” is the right choice. God tells us that isn’t so. We have two choices, God, or not God. This is the question Joshua asks the Israelites just before his death after recounting the…

Why Do We Need Lent?

Lent is right in front of us, a little more than a week away. Lent this year begins with Ash Wednesday on March 5, 2025. Why do we do this every year? It’s more than just a build-up to our celebration of the Passion of Our Lord (Palm Sunday, Good Friday) in preparation for remembering…

The Time is Fulfilled

A Christmas Missive “And do this because you know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.” Romans 13:11 Christmas is just about here. We have been waiting with eager anticipation. Time seems to have crawled while also seeming…

Progressive Fragility

Ellen has left the country (I hope she turned in her passport so she really cannot come back). Joy Reid has come unhinged over the election results. Wasn’t it Obama who told us elections have consequences? Why hasn’t she left with Ellen?  Reid’s rant even implied that she worshipped Jesus while all of the MAGA voters worship Trump. In…

Not Out of the Woods Yet

While a Trump victory is a hugely significant event, in and of itself it is not a reversal of the past four years of decline our nation has experienced. The country has to be willing to heal itself, first and foremost by turning away from the divisiveness the Biden-Harris administration fomented to becoming Americans again.…

Pope Francis and the 2024 US Election

In a recent interview Pope Francis is quoted as saying, “In political morality, it is generally said that not voting is bad, not good: one must vote. And one has to choose the lesser evil.” In this interview he acknowledges that abortion is killing but he also says that the one who throws out migrants…

One May Not Do Evil that Good May Come of It 

(CCC 1756, 1761, 1789) How critical is intent in one’s actions? Article 1756 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) states, “It is therefore an error to judge morality of human acts by considering only the intention that inspires them or the circumstances (environment, social pressure, duress or emergency, etc.) which supply their context.…

Choosing and Choice

Why is it that the most godless political party keeps trying to convince others, especially Christians, that God is really on their side? They’ve done it on billboards, in response to chastisement by a religious leader (e.g., Nancy Pelosi), and even two open letters (here and here) declaring their adherence to Catholic principles. Archbishop Cordileone (Pelosi’s bishop) and others responded, apparently to no…

Taste and See the Goodness of the Lord

Reflections on the Readings from the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle B Before we get into this week’s reflections we should take a quick look at the Church’s teaching on the Eucharist, the Bread of Life, Panis Angelicus. First of all, the Eucharist is a sacrament. A sacrament is an outward sign, instituted by Christ which gives…

The True Bread from Heaven

Reflections on the Readings for the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time As we continue our travel through Chapter Six of the Gospel of John, we enter into the Bread of Life discourse. Dr. Peter Kreeft points out that, while in English we have the one term for life, in the Greek, in which this gospel was…

Jesus Feeds the Multitudes:

Reflections on the Readings for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B in the liturgical cycle focuses mainly on the gospel of Mark. However, the gospel of Mark is the shortest of the gospels, so the Church fills out the year with readings from other gospels, mostly the gospel of John. Thus, this week (and…

Vacation from Work, Not God

Summer is upon us. That means nicer weather (and afternoon thunderstorms around here), more outdoor activities, family outings, travel, Independence Day celebrations (don’t forget your flag), etc. However, as committed Catholics, we must remember that our commitment to God does not change with the seasons. While we might be on vacation from work, we should…

My Articles on Catholic365

Although I haven’t been posting here lately, I have multiple articles on Catholic365.com. Please read and share. Catholic Men’s Groups are Vital, January 29, 2024: https://www.catholic365.com/article/35324/catholic-mens-groups-are-vital.html Hell, February 1, 2024: https://www.catholic365.com/article/35378/hell.html Lent 2024, February 8, 2024: https://www.catholic365.com/article/35470/lent-2024.html God is Calling, February 11, 2024: https://www.catholic365.com/article/35494/god-is-calling.html Jesus and His Cross, February 13, 2024: https://www.catholic365.com/article/35528/jesus-and-his-cross.html Pray Constantly, February 16, 2024: https://www.catholic365.com/article/36583/pray-constantly.html What Do…

From “Cafeteria Catholics” to “Used-to-be Catholics”

“The safest road to Hell is the gradual one — the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.”  C. S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters Within a few short weeks of finishing a powerful book by Fr. William Casey entitled, You Shall Stand Firm: Preserving the Faith in an Age of Apostasy, my…

We Are Sheep

“Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed … that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Rom 12:2 “The Good Shepherd ought to be the model and ‘form’ of the bishop’s pastoral office.” (CCC 896) Many years ago my brother-in-law, a non-denominational minister,…

Letter to Editor, Catholic Virginian, September 18, 2023

Yes, There is a War on Christianity In the September 4 letters to the editor one reader declared concern over a supposed war on religion. There is a secular nature of many current issues BUT, the flaunting of practices that run afoul of the natural law and Church teaching including trying to pass laws, use…

The Call: A conversion story

(For those who don’t think Jesus “speaks” to them during adoration.) (While meditating on the Eucharist during Adoration, 9/8/2023) Emptiness, loss, feeling of abandonment, Seeking solace, Church, the mass,  Surrounded by strangers. Movement of Heart, a calling, Planning to sin, asking God’s grace, The answer: God intercedes. He sends people to call me back. Reconciliation.…

World Youth Day 2023

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette noted the reaction by Maria Seybert, 19, of Littletown, Colo., [who] was attending her first World Youth Day and seemed inspired by Francis’ exhortations to spread the faith. “Yeah, I know that our church is very broken; we have a lot of sinners and broken people,” Ms. Seybert said. “I desire to hear something…

God’s Message Has Not Changed

The Great Commandment: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. … And a second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mt 22:36-39, cf. Dt 6:5, Lev 19:18) Dr. Peter Kreeft, in his book Because God is Real, notes,…

Democrats Again Try to Claim Religious Faithfulness

“When we Christians behave badly, or fail to behave well, we are making Christianity unbelievable to the outside world.” C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity Once again, in a brazen attempt to convince themselves and others, a group of thirty self-professed pro-choice Catholic Democrat representatives have written a letter claiming to be “making real the basic principles at…

What Do You See When You Look at the Eucharist?

“The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’” (1 Cor 11:23-24 RSV-CE) On June 12th, 2023, the Feast of Corpus Christi, the body of Christ, we…

Awaiting Pentecost

“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”           (Jn 14:26) The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us, “By his coming, which never ceases, the Holy Spirit causes the world to enter…

Fraternity

A group of persons associated by … ties of brotherhood. An organization of laymen for religious or charitable purpose; sodality. In 2016 Bishop Olmsted, of the Phoenix Diocese, wrote an Apostolic exhortation to the Catholic men of his diocese. He talks of the war on the Church by the forces of Satan, reminiscent of Pope…

Jesus and His Cross

The beginning of Holy Week and anticipation of Easter is a time to reflect on our Lord’s passion, suffering and death on the cross. I think about those non-Catholic Christians and wondered what they did in preparation and how they reflected on the events leading up to Our Lord’s glorious resurrection on Easter morning. One…

A Time for Reflection

Christians around the world are embarking on the solemn season of Lent. This is a period for reflection, prayer, fasting, and repentance. For Catholics it is part of the liturgical year, the cycle of feasts and celebrations, much like the cycle of feasts God instructed the Israelites to observe after He brought them out of…

Death: Are You Ready?

I fell in my driveway yesterday, landing on my shoulder and banging my head right above the eye hard on the concrete. My wife insisted on taking me to the emergency room. Anyone who has been to the E.R. for anything knows what that is like – perkatory. Perkatory is that agonizingly endless interval endured…

UNITY

While written for my local Knights of Columbus Council Newsletter, the issue of unity is an important one for our Church. It is also important for our country. I am afraid that we have forgotten our national unity as well as our need for oneness with God and each other as part of His family.…

A New Beginning

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” (Is 9:2) Christmas is right on top of us. Twenty to thirty years ago the television networks would have multiple showings of “A Christmas Carol” (several versions), “Miracle on 34th Street,” “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “White Christmas,” “The Bishop’s Wife,” and several others. A quick…

True Marriage and Christian Love

[Jesus said] “Have you not read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one’? So they are no longer two but one. What therefore God has…

“Thou movest us to delight in praising Thee, for Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee.”

St. Augustine, “Confessions”

Babes in Arms and Toddlers at Mass

I love to see the little ones at mass. I know they can be disruptive at times, but they are really such a joy to watch. I love it when I am a Eucharistic Minister, and someone comes to communion with a child in their arms – I get to touch heaven when I touch…

Somewhere There’s a Bottom – We Hope

“People who are happy or breathing easier because of the outcome of this election now own its consequences. Inflation, high gas and food prices, and an open border are likely to continue. … Maybe another two years of suffering will do it, assuming the country survives.” —Cal Thomas How low can we go? We have…

Love (Charity) is at the Heart of Catholic Social Doctrine

 “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”  (Jn 13:35) “A virtue is an habitual and firm disposition to do good.  It allows the person not only to perform good acts, but to give the best of himself.” (Catechism 1803) Simply put, Catholic social doctrine supports…

Catholic Vote

Dear Editor: I have a response to Maria Mastromarino (Letters to the Editor, Oct. 29: Catholics should not be single-issue voters).  Our issues are the teachings of Jesus Christ and His Church. Here are some guidelines for how I think Catholics should vote.  Ask yourself the following questions:  New York has an opportunity this year…

Transparency: What are They Trying to Hide?

“For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.” (Jn 3:19) Who is really running things? Why do all of the Democrats refuse to debate? What are they hiding? Why did the government send all of those immigrants around the country at night, without…

Elections Coming: Check your conscience

(This is the full version of my essay on checking one’s conscience for the coming election. The previous election post, “2022 Elections Coming: Is your conscience ready,” was condensed from this so it could be submitted for publication in the Richmond Diocesan Newspaper, The Catholic Virginian, and was published on September 19, here.) Pope St.…

The Left Quotes Scripture

“He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetuate it.” Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Quoting Sacred Scripture to try to support abortion, the latest tactic by the left, is almost as laughable as VP Harris declaring “the border is secure” while watching hundreds of illegal…

2022 Midterm Elections: Is Your Conscience Ready?

“In the depths of his conscience, man detects a law … always summoning him to love good and avoid evil, the voice of conscience [which] speaks to his heart…” Vatican II, Gaudium et Spes The midterm elections are less than 100 days away. Now is time to review our duties and responsibilities as Catholics in the…

Feeling Lost? Try God

I think it was The Muppet Movie where some character told Kermit he felt lost and Kermit asked, “Have you tried Hare Krishna?” Lots of people feel lost today and many more are lost but don’t realize it. Our world has rejected God causing anxiety and discomfort across all levels of society.  In a recent…

Be Not Afraid

Published on the Patriot Post July 1, 2022. Below is the unedited version. “We need to tell our story of salvation in a new way. With charity and confidence, without fear.” Archbishop Gomez of LA, Address, Madrid Spain, November 4, 2021 “The liberty of love, therefore, is not license. Freedom implies not just a mere…

Victory for Life and America: SCOTUS Overturns Roe v Wade

The decision has been announced. The Supreme Court has overturned Roe and Casey in a 6-3 Decision. This is an overwhelming victory for life and for freedom for all, born and unborn, in the United States. Now we need to work doggedly within our states to make sure that life is preserved and the dignity…

Sin Always Goes to the Extreme

“For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.” Jn 3:20 “Indeed all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and imposters will go on from bad to worse, deceivers and deceived…” 2 Tim…

Transformation

Darkness, evil. Evil darkness. Shame. Emptiness, revelation, truth. Hope. Repentance, atonement, changing heart. Mercy. Bright light, circle of light. Eternal glory.

I Don’t Need Church to Worship God

Do you know someone who has said this, or someone close who has left the Church? I do, including some close friends and relatives. Here are some of my thoughts on what I might say to them. God is Calling. And He’s calling YOU! “And the Lord God said: It is not good for man…

Jesus and the Cross

At the beginning of Holy Week and in anticipation of Easter I was reflecting on our Lord’s passion, suffering and death on the cross. I began to think about those non-Catholic Christians and wondered what they did in preparation and how they reflected on the events leading up to Our Lord’s glorious resurrection on Easter…

70 Bishops worldwide criticize Germany’s Synodal Way

Several months ago George Weigel commented that bishops needed to band together and tell the German Bishops to wake up and that their synodal way was heretical, to which I commented in agreement. Well, it has taken quite awhile, but now 70 bishops around the world have written an open letter to the German Bishops…

TRUTH

What is truth?” Pontius Pilate (Jn 18:38) “In times of universal deceit, telling the truth will be a revolutionary act.” George Orwell People today have a hard time with the truth. The news media lie to us, our politicians lie to us, even our Church leaders lie to us; all in an effort to exert…

All Hail the State Church

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging freedom of speech, ….” Constitution of the United States, Amendment 1 While not explicitly establishing a state religion by law, the progressives in power have, nonetheless established, by a combination of executive orders, mandates, school board and…

On Weigel’s “Liquid Catholicism and the German Synodal Way”

George Weigel is right in describing the German Synodal Way as “liquid Catholicism” and a form of liberal Protestantism. In an earlier article in The Tablet, he noted that the rest of the bishops around the world needed to take the matter in hand and correct their brothers in Germany. (March 10, 2021) They didn’t…

Personal Prayer to the Holy Trinity

By your grace and mercy, O Lord, you called me back to you.  I don’t know how long I resisted your call or did not acknowledge it, but you finally called loudly enough that I answered. Then you gently, but firmly, guided me to discern you more and to get to know you better. You…

Abortion: A Product of the Father of Lies

Abortion Kills Babies Watching the 2022 March for Life I heard the witness of a woman who had been pressured to have an abortion in her youth. She listed the lies that she was told throughout the process of getting an abortion. Despite being told that she would recover and heal, she is still suffering.…

In Hoc Anno Domini, by Vermont Royster

“A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.” C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity. AND, “There is but one good; that is God. Everything else is good when it looks to Him and bad when it…

Mary, the Mother of Jesus

Mary, the Mother of Jesus “Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, ‘Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does it happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?’” (Lk 1:41-43, emphasis added) During this time…

To Clarify Previous Post on the Sabbath

In my previous post on the sabbath, I implied that the Apostles had “changed” the sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. My arguments actually supported the observance of Sunday as the primary holy day of the week, with observances commensurate with the Jewish Sabbath. However, the Church still recognizes Saturday as the sabbath but, as I…

Is “Woke” Catholic (or even Protestant)?

To paraphrase Pope St. Paul VI, “From some fissure, the ‘woke’ of Satan has entered the temple of God.” A recent article from the Washington Examiner stated, “The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., has reportedly displayed a painting that depicts George Floyd as Jesus Christ in two locations on campus.” While the death…

The Magisterium: A Gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church

As Catholics we believe, and the Church teaches that we have the line on truth where faith and morals are concerned. Now, by baptism (and confirmation, if we are confirmed), we are all blessed with gifts of the Holy Spirit (in varying degrees and varying gifts). Protestants claim that the Holy Spirit guides them, too.…

Sabbath Observance: Saturday or Sunday

Recently I got into a discussion with a non-Catholic concerning what was the appropriate day to observe the sabbath. He requested that I read an article on the United Church of God (UGC) website entitled, “Was the Sabbath Changed in the New Testament?”  I read the article and, while I found it interesting, to me…

Election time, form your conscience

Eartly voting has been going on in Virginia since mid-September. Therefore, it is time to review our duties and responsibilities as Catholics in the public square. As Catholics our social obligations include political involvement and being informed voters, voting in consonance with the doctrines of our faith. Through the USCCB guide Forming Consciences for Faithful…

 Prayers after Mass

The following prayers, which I referred to in my recent post “Pray,” were ordered by His Holiness Pope Leo XIII to be recited kneeling after mass. They were said after mass when I was young (pre-Vatican II). Prayers to be said: Hail Mary (3 times) Hail Holy Queen Let us Pray:  O God, our refuge…

PRAY

“Pray at all times in the spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” Eph 6:18“Rejoice always, pray constantly.” 1Thes 5:17 “There is but one good, and that is God.  Everything else is good when it looks to Him and bad when it turns from Him. And the higher and mightier it is in the natural order,…

In re “Statement of Principles” 18 June 2021

I read with interest the letter from 60 “Catholic” representatives hoping to find some sign of repentance and understanding of the true meaning of the Eucharist and what is required to properly receive Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.  Instead, all I found was arrogance and a blatant denial of any need to follow the teaching…

Be a Man of St. Joseph like Nathan and Ambrose

In a recent discussion of a parish men’s group, our local chapter of the Men of St. Joseph International (MOSJI: mosji.org), we were discussing how we need to act and to profess our faith in this secular, morally relativistic world. During the discussion, the phrase came up, “Be a Nathan,” referring to Nathan the prophet.…

Favorite John Henry Newman Quote

“I am created to do something or to be something for which no one else is created. I have a place in God’s counsels, in God’s world, which no one else has. Whether I be rich or poor, despised or esteemed by man, God knows me and calls me by my name. God has created…

Letter to “Catholic” Politician Supporting Abortion

Dear Senator/Congressman  ____________,  As a fellow Catholic I was shocked and dismayed to learn that you recently voted against protecting the life of a child who had survived an abortion.  I had already been deeply concerned that you, as a Catholic, supported abortion at all, but to take it to the level of infanticide is…

Conversion and God’s Time

While reading the Ratzinger Report just prior to my birthday a comment he made on heresy and apostasy made an impact on me. It caused me to reflect on my own faith formation in the fullness of God’s time. I realized that, in order to get where I am in understanding the fullness and the…

Some Background on the Prayer to St. Michael

From the June 10th 2021 “Wanderer.” “Then, one morning in 1884, during the papacy of Leo XIII, the Pope appeared discombobulated and seemed to lose consciousness after saying morning Mass. His aides came to his assistance and after the episode passed he told them what had happened. He said he had witnessed a conversation between God and…

Teaching Opportunity on Communion

There are a lot of letters being sent to diocesan newspapers (I subscribe to two) with negative comments to the bishops building a document to educate the faithful (and others) on the Eucharist, to be entitled, “The Mystery of the Eucharist and Why it Matters. Some have complained that too many Catholics are one subject…

Letter to Bishops re Communion

I wrote this letter to several bishops after reading the “statement of principles” signed by 60 congressional representatives. If you agree, feel free to copy all or part and send to your own or other bishops on your behalf. Excellency, May God bless you and your endeavors to maintain the teachings of the Gospel, Canon…

Get new content delivered directly to your inbox.

2 thoughts on “Home

  1. Dear Tom,

    Greetings in Christ!

    I have been following your posts, and commend you for your faith and your God-pleasing efforts.

    It’s been a long way since we served together on BLANDY!!

    I would love to catch up.

    Among many other things in our life, our second son, Thomas, is XO on USS HARRY S TRUMAN. They deployed yesterday. He and his wife are both ’02 graduates of the Academy.

    With love in Christ,

    Bob Uhl

    Like

Leave a reply to luhlad26a8c4ade Cancel reply