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!
Letters to the Editor
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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.
Remembering Father Gural
Dear Editor: I was a child of seven when I met Father Marion Gural. I think it was love at first sight! He was in charge of both my First Holy Communion and later my Confirmation classes.
Prayer for Terror Victims
Dear Editor: All affected by the pickup truck terrorist that struck on the bike path in Manhattan are in our thoughts and prayers.
Inspired by Father O’Connor
Dear Editor: I have known Father Chris O’Connor since he was a young airman in the U.S. Air Force. I can still remember him telling me about this very story that he wrote about in The Tablet (Oct. 28).
A Fan of Father Labita
Dear Editor: I read the tribute to Father Frank Labita (Nov. 4). He is a man who followed his heart and answered God’s call.
Relevancy of Eucharist
Dear Editor: God is not dead but too often we treat him that way. It is unfortunate that the Eucharist, which our Catechism states is “the sum and summary of our faith” too often is being treated as less than that.