Role of Men

Over the past few months, accusations and admissions of sexual impropriety and sexual harassment have been all over the press, from Hollywood to Washington, D.C. Big name actors and producers in the entertainment field have admitted that they used their power and their influence to abuse both women and men and some have publically apologized for their actions.

The Informed Conscience

Dear Editor: I am glad we are not living in the era of Pontius Pilate who said: what is truth? We Catholics believe in absolute moral truths; unfortunately the secular world around us keeps eroding it and I am afraid “the smoke of Satan has entered the temple of God” indeed (Pope Paul II).

Secretary Will be Missed

Dear Editor: She wasn’t a nun or a priest or a deacon but Valerie Balsamo, parish secretary of St. Luke’s, Whitestone will be missed by all religious and parishioners. Valerie was an integral part of the fabric that bonds the parish of St. Luke as one tight knit family. Valerie passed from this earth on Nov. 1, 2017. How appropriate that day was All Saints Day!

Part of Catholic Culture

Dear Editor: Reading Father Lauder’s column entitled “Conversations with My Favorite Authors,” I was reminded of a work by James Joyce, “A Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man.”

Call to Limit Guns

Dear Editor: The President of the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops, Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, said, “A culture of life cannot tolerate, and must prevent, senseless gun violence in all it’s forms.” How true!

The Spirit of the Age

Dear Editor: Recent letters say Jesuit  Father James Martin merely seeks respect and compassion for gays. Yet Father Martin has avoided inviting them to repentance and reminding them of Our Lord’s, “Go and sin no more.” He rationalizes his attitude with the sophistry that because homosexuals don’t agree with Church doctrine, it means they haven’t “received it,” and therefore are not bound by it.

The Quality of Mercy

Dear Editor: I am so glad to see the article (Oct. 7) written by Father John Catoir.

Giving Thanks for Life’s Blessings

EVER SINCE I was a kid, this was a special time of year. I have always liked the brisk weather of fall and the magic of the leaves changing colors. Nature comes so alive at this time of year that its energy is contagious.

What It’s Like to Meet the Pope

Every now and then, I find in the offices of pastoral leaders and theologians, as well as in the homes of some families I know, a picture of them shaking hands with one of the recent popes.

Discover the Joy of God’s Salvation

IT IS ALWAYS a great joy and relief when a favor of something really needed shows up in the most unexpected moment. There is a sense of gratitude in the fact of being assisted and helped when you are trying to find out the best answer to your circumstances. Sometimes the best answer is that one that is according to God’s plan, and not what we have planned or thought.