Cheers to Christine Persichette!
Dear Editor: I am so proud of our Christine (“St. Francis Prep Honors Currents News Anchor for Journalism, Faithful Service,” Oct. 11)!
She is an inspiration to all of us. This is a well-deserved honor. Thank you to our beloved St. Francis Prep.
Jennifer DeLuca
Port Washington
Father Lauder Column Reminds Me of Life
Dear Editor: Reading Father Robert Lauder’s column on Philosophy and Sports (“Academics and Athletics: The Dual Life of an SJU Professor,” Sept. 27) brought to mind a time when I worked on a project in San Antonio, Texas.
One day, when I ate at Luby’s restaurant and went to pay, I could not help but notice how sad the cashier appeared.
I felt compelled to ask how she was or why she was so sad. “The Cowboys lost,” she said.
Oh, good, I thought, the Giants beat them. Coincidentally, about a week or so later, when I was also about to pay, her happiness was very much apparent. Again, I was moved to ask the reason, “Texas A&M won,” she eagerly replied.
I could not help but think that if a person’s emotions are so influenced by any team’s win or loss, there will be a continuous fluctuation of moods.
As a former ballplayer who played three games and then spent 17 months in the hospital, ending my ball-playing career, I consider sports generally as a metaphor for life; you win some and you lose some.
Much more can be deduced from how a player reacts to loss than from a win, for it is far easier to be magnanimous in victory than to accept defeat.
This can be especially so, as sometimes happens when it could be attributed to a referee’s decision, as I’ve experienced both as a player and a coach.
Thomas C. Cullinane
Bayside
Language of the Mass
Dear Editor: Some time ago, several letters to the editor were published regarding the Mass being said in English or Latin. I read them with interest.
To the people who say that the Mass in Latin is more pious, I would like to say that piousness comes from the heart. One can attend either an English or Latin Mass and be very pious, or they can have their mind wandering about many other things than what is going on in the Mass.
As someone who only attends English Mass, I would like to go even further and see a change where we go back to saying the creed with “We” instead of “I.” I understand that “credo” is actually translated as “I believe.” However, when two or three are gathered together, we become a community of believers.
Jesus taught us to pray the “Our Father.” In the English grammar I learned many years ago, the pronoun “our” is in agreement with “we,” while the pronoun “my” is in agreement with “I.”
So, if we say “I” believe, then we should say “my” Father?
Dolores Shmitt
Middle Village
Thank You for Sharing Your Journey
Dear Editor: I don’t know what it took for Cecilia Cicone to write so openly about her faith and her mental illness (“Communion: A Lifesaving Balm for Mental Illness,” Oct. 11), but whatever it took, I thank her for taking it.
Her example can inspire and encourage others to do what she did to get the help available to her, both in the hospital and in the tabernacle.
Thank you for printing such vital information for so many people who have yet to get the help that Cicone found and profited from.
Father Michael Perry
Douglaston