apol • o • get • ics

derived from the Greek word apologia, meaning "speaking in defense"

These apologetics papers are reasoned arguments in justification of the Catholic faith, written by parishioners and friends of Saint Charles Borromeo Catholic Church.  

The Bible

• 1 Corinthians Chapter 3 Verse 15
• Between the Ascension and Pentecost
• The Biblical Basis For Some Catholic Beliefs & Practices
• The Biblical Theology of Benedict XVI
• The Canaanite Woman - A Lesson on Faith and Humility
• A Commentary on the Story of Creation (Genesis 1:1 - 2:3 RSV)
• The Conversion of St. Paul
• Dating the Books of the New Testament -or- "The Emperor Has No Clothes"
• The Drunkenness of Noah
• The Eucharist of John
• Gethsemane
• Interpreting Scripture in Faith
• The Our Father - A Reflection - Mt 6
• A Reflection on the Story of The Fall of Man
• St. Paul on Becoming Saints
• St. Paul on Faith
• St. Paul on Fatherhood
• St. Paul on Fruits of the Spirit
• St. Paul on Marriage
• St. Paul on Suffering
• Reflection on the Beatitudes
• The Son of Man
• Unlocking the Book of Revelation
• The Wedding Feast at Cana (Jn 2:1-11) A Reflection
• Who In The Heck Was Melchizedek?

The Church

• Call No Man Father
• The Church - An Unbroken History
• Four Marks of the True Church
• Hierarchy of the Church
• How Does The Catholic Church Define Itself
• Is one church as good as another?
• Papal Infallibility
• The Pope and the Anti-Pope
• Reading Scripture & the Teaching of the Catholic Church
• The Role of Tradition

The Sacraments

• The Awesome Power of Confession
• Commentary on Jesus' Bread of Life Discourse (John 6:25-71 RSV)
• Cyber Confession?
• The Eucharist - Are the bread and wine really the Body and Blood of Christ?
• The Eucharist - Witness of the Early Church
• Is the Mass truly a sacrifice?
• The Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist
• The Sacrifice of the Mass
• St. John Chrysostom on Marriage
• This is My Body
• Why do Catholics confess their sins to a priest?

Salvation

• Are you saved by faith alone?
• Did Jesus really die for my sins so there is nothing I can do?
• Do you earn salvation? And if so, can it be lost?
• Do you have to be Catholic to go to Heaven?
• Must I suffer in order to achieve salvation?

Protestantism

• Justification
• Luther and the Canon of the Bible
• One Mediation of Christ and the Saints
• Sacred Tradition
• Sola Fide
• Sola Fide and Romans 10:9
• Sola Scriptura
• What is Fundamentalism?
• What Separates the Christian Faiths

Mary

• Mary's Assumption into Heaven
• Mary's Immaculate Conception
• Mary's Perpetual Virginity
• Mary, The Mother of God - Where It All Begins
• Pope John Paul II on Evolution and Mary

Faith

• Abortion - A Crime Against Humanity
• Advent
• The Apostolic Church and Pure Christianity
• The Call to Holiness
• Catholic Fundamentalism: What's That?
• Conscience - The Moral Trump Card
• Covenant - Christianity's Best Kept Secret?
• The Dictatorship of Relativism
• Difficulties in Prayer
• The Gifts of the Holy Spirit
• The Intercession of Saints
• Martyrdom: Heroically Living the Gospel
• The Meaning of Holy Week
• The Narrow Gate
• One Mediation of Christ and the Saints
• The Ordination of Women as Priests
• The Our Father - A Reflection - Mt 6
• Papal Primacy - A Historical Perspective
• St. Paul and Confronting Oneself
• St. Paul and the Resurrection
• St. Paul and the Stigmata
• Purgatory
• The Sacrament of Baptism
• The Sacrament of Confession
• The Sacrament of Confirmation
• The Sign of the Cross
• Statues
• Theological Deception
• The Theology of the Body
• Three Stages of the Spiritual Life
• Understanding Lent
• Was Jesus an only child?
• The Way of Spiritual Childhood
• What do Catholics believe? (The Nicene Creed)
• Why does the priest wear special clothing for Mass?

Other Topics

• The Koran

Fun & Interesting

• Catechism Song: "12 Days of Christmas"

Fr. John Noone was born in Ireland in December 1941.

He was ordained on June 10, 1967, at St. Patrick's College, Carlow, Ireland, and came to the United States shortly after and served in the diocese of Natchez-Jackson 1967-1970.

He received a Master's Degree in Social Work from Tulane University in New Orleans in 1971 and became a citizen of the United States in 1972.

He received the following appointments: 1967-1970 Assistant Pastor of Our Lady of the Gulf, Bay St. Louis, MS; 1970 Assistant Director of Catholic Charities; 1977 Director of Catholic Social Services for the newly established Diocese of Biloxi, MS; 1983 Pastor of Holy Trinity in Columbia, MS and St. Paul in Tylertown, MS and St. Mary's Church, Sylvest, Ms; 1990 Pastor of St. Charles Borromeo in Picayune, MS; 2002 Pastor of Annunciation Church in Kiln, MS; 2014 Retired.

And he continues working on his call to get the truth out to all who are looking for it.

Fr. John Noone has compiled information for several CDs and Books through the years of his priesthood from various sources and from his parishioners. All of his apologetics works are available on his website Fr. John Noone Books.