LETTERS

ARTICLES

NEWS

FOLLOW ME

ROAMIN' CATHOLIC






Contents © 2000
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.

LETTERS
DECEMBER 2000

---

TRACKING LEGISLATION

There was a letter-to-editor asking about finding out about legislation [November Faith]. Our Right to Life web page has a legislative report for state and fed legislation, as well as two other reports on the history of abortion legislation and on family planning/SBC legislative history: http://www.calright2life.org.

Camille Giglio
Walnut Creek


MANY MARIANISTS NOT CHARISMATICS AND VICE VERSA

Although your coverage of the Sacramento event seemed extensive, you failed to mention a number of things [See "Marketing Medjugorje", October Faith]. Fr. Faricy is a Jesuit who has taught at the Gregorian University in Rome for many years, and has been a national leader in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal -- which has received the blessing and praise of the present Pontiff many times during his reign. I have been involved in this movement for about twenty years and I know it is true that many in the renewal have a strong devotion to the Blessed Virgin. I have never been to Medjugorje, nor do I want to go; I know some charismatics and/or Marianists who have gone and feel that they received tremendous blessings in the form of inner healings of past traumas or physical healings, or just a complete change of heart, spirit and mind.

There is a kind of crossover here that you fail to recognize in your haste to condemn the Sacramento Diocese as a "shill" for a travel agency. There are many Marianists who are not charismatics, and many charismatics who are not Marianists. Fr. Faricy happens to be a charismatic who is a recognized authority on Marian apparitions and has written at least one book on the subject. I know nothing about the travel agency connection, but I do know a number of people whose lives (and their families lives) have been changed for the better by going to Medjugorje. In my view, it is wrong to knock down and denigrate something that appears to bear good fruit for so many. "By their fruit you shall know them". Is this type of article the fruit of your work?

Joan E. Burke
Sacramento


THE FRUITS OF MEDJUGORJE OBVIOUS

I have never written to any newspapers before, but I have to as a result of your article on Medjugorje in the October issue [See "Marketing Medjugorje", October Faith]. I was absolutely appalled at the whole article. Has anyone on your staff ever gone to Medjugorje? The fruits of Our Lady's visits are obvious. The peace, love, faith there are everywhere to be seen. There has been no official notice from the Vatican that we can't believe in the apparitions. In fact when I was there, I saw the miracle of the sun. That just doesn't happen everywhere. I am enclosing an article from one of my children of Medjugorje newsletters. If you can, please read it with an open heart. I have enjoyed your paper until now. But this was horrible and I am praying for Cameron O'Shea. What he has written is not from God! As to Lynn Hoffman, you all owe her a GIANT apology. She is so loving, kind and a devoted, devout Catholic. What terrible slander. I went to Medjugorje on one of her trips and have been touched forever by it. I can't imagine going anywhere else in Europe and doing so much as we did for the price we had.

You have let me and so many others down by that terrible article and may have done incalculable harm. I feel sorry for you all who were part of it. I couldn't help wonder how O'Shea went to the conference and came away so cold and untouched by God's tremendous graces and His mother's love. There was nothing but goodness and beauty there. Even out beloved holy father has expressed a great desire to go to Medjugorje and has talked personally to the visionaries who are precious people. May God's hand guide you in your great responsibility -- you were DEAD WRONG on this!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Virginia Felago
Los Altos


VOICE OF THE DEVIL -- FAITH A TRUE PROTESTANT PUBLICATION

RE: "Marketing Medjugorje" by Cameron O'Shea [November Faith]. This has to be one of the lowest, most underhanded, negative, needlessly wordy disgusting anti-Catholic publishing I have had the displeasure of reading. As a matter of fact, I could only stomach a little over half before throwing it away. A true Protestant publication. Cameron O'Shea description sounds like she [sic] did not attend, probably due to her dislike of the Virgin Mary, Medjugorje or both, but gathered as much information as possible, added many (too many) personal negative comments and asked you to publish it. Sounds to me just like the voice of the Devil -- he tries in so many ways and here he found Cameron.

She call Medjugorje a "cult" in her third paragraph. Obviously she had never been there, does not understand what the six children went through in a Communistic country, what they stood for (and stand for to this day) or what revelations they reported that the Virgin Mary related to them. My only comment on this to Cameron is to take one of Lynn Hoffman's tours to Medjugorje and stay with one of the "seers". Maybe then she will see the magnificence of the Medjugorje concept. Cameron: your trip will not be free either.

The article denounces repeatedly the promotion of Medjugorje trips, of selling books, of charging an entrance fee to the Marian Conference and anything else that asks for money. Does she not understand that all conferences, publications, trips and the like cost money to promote and handle. Why so many comments on costs of everything? I would guess she also dislikes donations at church.... She even degrades Lynn Hoffman on quoting East Coast pricing. Has she never traveled? It certainly is standard procedure to quote New York for overseas travel when passengers come from all over the United States. It is a simple procedure to add travel costs from home to New York. Cameron must be a true novice writer, traveler and commentator. I mentioned previously that it seemed to me Cameron is "anti-Catholic". She is down on all priests, Seers, Lynn Hoffman, Father Corapi and even our Catholic television: EWTN -- she missed Catholic radio -- but supports bishops that have never gone to Medjugorje, but have big mouths about it. Last I heard, the pope supports it, but cannot take action until the apparitions end (Cameron probably does not know this).

Her negativity continues with the little comments, like: "makeshift Book store", name tags that were "plastic," "...in what was referred to as a 'Religious Goodie Bag.'" I do not understand why one has to be negative about a meeting where the emphasis is on the Virgin Mary. Who cares about a few dollars? It is the Virgin Mary that counts. What dirt she throws in her column. Again how anti-Catholic. I finally tossed this trash away when she denounced the idea that the Virgin Mary may effect our lives and "calls" us to Medjugorje. Yes, I now know why Cameron has not gone to Medjugorje (or if possibly she has, it was with a closed, negative heart) for she was never "called". I would hope Mary would not want her, but knowing the Virgin, she would want everyone, even the voice of the Devil to meet her in Medjugorje.

Bill Bolling
Via email

More letters on the Medjugorje story will be published next month with an update from sources in the Vatican on the state of their investigation into the alleged apparitions --ER

TOP