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Contents © 1997
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.

LETTERS
SEPTEMBER 1997

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KUDOS

The Bay Area welcomes warmly another excellent lay Catholic newspaper.

Thank you for the inspiring story of Our Lady of Peace parish in Santa Clara and its outstanding pastor, Fr. John Sweeny [see "To Get Out of Sin", July/August].

Father Sweeny proves that it is really simple to be a good pastor. Just do three things: Adore the Blessed Sacrament; honor Mary the Mother of God; be loyal to the Magisterium of the Church. It is all here at Our Lady of Peace. Come and see!

--Rev. Raymond V. Dunn, S.J.
Palo Alto


KUDOS II

At Saint Anne Byzantine Catholic church in San Luis Obispo a friend shared her copy of the Faith with us. Keep up the good work!

We lived in the Bay Area until a year ago when we moved to the Central Coast. Our family is blessed indeed to be part of Saint Anne Byzantine Catholic church. About 94 percent of the parishioners there are like us, Catholics of the Western Rite who can no longer tolerate what the liturgical pirates have done in most parishes with silly nonsense and lack of reverence. Divine liturgy at Saint Anne is reverent, poetic, beautiful, and no gender-bender lingo, also known as "inclusive language."

Thank you for your publication which is much needed these days when so much in the Church makes us weep with sadness.

Your article on homeschooling was excellent [see "Study with Mom, Star at Harvard", July/August]. More and more Catholics and others are homeschooling their children since the pagan government schools called "public schools" are not to be trusted. Unfortunately, even our parochial schools for the most part, with their sex education and "politically correct" mentality, can destroy the faith of our precious children, who are God's gift to us.

On page 7 of your recent issue, you mentioned former Archbishop Quinn. We believe that the less said about him the better.

-- Mr. and Mrs. Constantino Santos
Atascadero


TOO LIBERAL

Please promptly remove us from your mailing list. You do not clarify whether you oppose or advocate the anti-Catholic practices which are the subjects of your articles (for example, Matthew Fox from San Francisco and Scott McCarthy from Carmel Valley). We, therefore, must conclude that you are of a liberal mindset.

We are traditional Roman Catholics and only peruse publications which are edifying; publications which properly instruct us in accordance with our faith. For instance, The Angelus may include an article on an anti-Catholic topic such as the New Age movement or environmentalism, but in doing so it always will inform and then instruct us according to the official Catholic position on these matters.

Again, we perceive your approach to be a liberal one, and therefore would respectfully request that you promptly remove our name from your mailing list.

-- Jean Bomberger
Los Gatos


TOO CONSERVATIVE

I came upon your paper after mass today and was appalled at the contents. Two items in particular caught my eye as I have knowledge of the priests mentioned.

Father Scott McCarthy [see News, July/August] served as the pastor of Our Lady of Refuge in Castroville from the mid-1980s until 1993. As a parishioner, I appreciated his kind and giving ways and his openness to others. I participated in hundreds of masses with Father Scott, often as a commentator or a lector. Believe me, traditional practices were adhered to at the masses I attended. Occasionally, special liturgies were included in the liturgy of the word and, yes, Father Scott feels a close kinship to the Native American culture. Have you ever attended a mass with Father Scott as the presider? Rather than pulling a couple of quotes from a newspaper one hundred miles from your "publication," perhaps you should investigate your stories more thoroughly.

Father Rudy Ruiz [see News, July/August] is the current pastor at OLR. Under his loving guidance our parish has doubled in size, new understanding and unity has been achieved between our Latino and Anglo faith communities and Jesus has never been more alive! Have you visited our parish? Have you seen the love and compassion come forth from the most active lay community I have ever witnessed?

By now, you have probably dismissed me as another "dissenting and wayward Catholic." I believe there is room in the church for your opinions and mine. My only fear is that your rigid, uncompromising and mean-spirited approach to the faith will turn others away from our Church. I was a practicing Catholic in the pre-Vatican II era and believe me that same mindless adherence to rigidity caused me and millions of others to leave the Church. In 1986, after an 18-year hiatus, I found a new, open, and compassionate church. I was thrilled! My spiritual journey continues to be enhanced by the loving and holy guidance of men like Father Scott and Father Rudy.

I will keep you in my prayers. I pray that our all-loving Holy Spirit might infuse you with compassion and love (and maybe a little truth in reporting).

-- Steve Hirt

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