Returning Catholics FAQs: The Sign of the Cross

On Mondays, I answer questions frequently asked by those considering a return to the Catholic Church. How do I know this stuff? I was away for more than 30 years myself, and am the co-author of When They Come Home: Ways to Welcome Returning Catholics , a book for pastors and parish leaders interested in this ministry.

What’s the significance of making the Sign of the Cross, and why do we do it all the time?

Catholics cross ourselves before and after we pray (for example, when we say grace at me...