Mary knows the breadth of joy and she knows the depth of sorrow. She understands how to accompany us through life’s joys and sorrows.

It is understandable that so many attributed the words to Steinem, who died Sept. 2 at age 92; not only did she gleefully repeat them, her own rhetoric echoed or expanded on the sentiments as she became the face of second wave feminism for six decades.

Q: I’m a Catholic working at a funeral home and assisting at many Catholic funerals. I’m not always in the church for the entirety of Mass. I’m sometimes out during the Gospel and homily or after Communion since I’m helping with the arrangements. Since it’s not fulfilling my Sunday obligation, is it still OK for me to receive Communion to offer up for the deceased if I’m not there for the entire Mass? (Illinois)

Some may never meet Deacon Woodus, but they’d be sharing his mission, which includes helping to meet the charges laid out in Archbishop Lori’s pastoral reflections “The Enduring Power of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Principles of Nonviolence” and “The Journey to Racial Justice: Repentance, Healing and Action.”

Twenty-five years ago, I was the newly installed Bishop of Bridgeport, Conn. I was still learning the rhythm of my new diocese – its priests, its people and its parishes – when routine meetings called me away to Washington, D.C., for a conference. It concluded Sept. 10, 2001. I flew back to the New York area with two friends, looking forward to spending the following day together. 

If you knew Jeff Nattans, you must remember his smile. He was always pleasant, always upbeat, and always eager to connect with people around him.

Q: In the Gospel’s account of Peter’s confession of Christ, Jesus responded with: “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church.” I sometimes wonder if it wouldn’t have been better if Jesus would have skipped the wordplay and simply said: “Peter, I’m making you the first head of my Church.” The verse as is, seems subject to a lot of interpretation. When I was Protestant we all said that the verse implied that the Church would be built on a general confession of Christ, and Peter’s was but one example. Could you comment? (Indiana)

Reluctant as I am to fiddle with the U.S. Constitution, I’m willing to consider an amendment banning any elementary school from opening before Labor Day.

I wonder if you can tell the age of a person by the number of dead people’s phone numbers he still has saved on his phone? It could be like judging the age of a tree by the rings on its core.

Q: I know officially the Catholic Church is against the death penalty, but what about Genesis 9:6?

A: It looks like there are two dimensions to your question: the Church’s teaching on the death penalty, and how we are to read the Old Testament as Catholics.