This is Love!
Dear Editor: Your story (“ ‘With God, Nothing Is Impossible’: How Faith and St. Joseph Guided One Mother Through Tragic Loss,” Dec. 6) is such a powerful testimony.
Praying for the sweet Rappa family — everything that has happened, what God is building, and all the blessings still to come.
Gracie Martinez
Sugar Land, Texas
Excellence in Catholic Storytelling
Dear Editor: Thank you for keeping our story — Catholics of African descent — current and not just historical events!
Your videos on Currents News and print pieces in the Tablet are impeccably written and crafted.
Barbara McFadden
West Hempstead
Catholic Students in Diocese Shine
Dear Editor: Congratulations to Our Lady Queen of Martyrs on the outstanding performance of their students in the recent statewide math and English exams (“Diocese Schools Outperform in Statewide Math, English Exams,” Nov. 29).
They outperformed their counterparts in the public schools.
This begs the question as to why the Catholic students do a better job. I believe it is because of parent involvement.
When you are paying tuition, you are invested. I hate to make it about money, but I believe that is one of the factors.
Another factor is the dedication of the teachers and administrators in the Catholic schools. They are there because they believe in the system and want to see it prosper.
Of course, the biggest factor is that they are guided by the principles of the teachings of Jesus, and you can never go wrong with that.
I believe that all of these elements contribute to the success of the Catholic school.
Maria F. Mastromarino
Manalapan N.J.
Thank You, George Weigel
Dear Editor: I enjoyed reading George Weigel’s stories on sportsmanship (“Sportsmanship & Our Season of Discontents,” Nov. 22) in The Tablet.
Having iced in London for many years and as a spectator at football and soccer games, I too witnessed some good old-fashioned sportsmanship.
Seeing a player from an opposing team make a spectacular move or play could earn applause from the opposing team’s supporters. Security then consisted of three or four police on the sidelines. Now there is a row on each side looking toward the spectators.
I remember always being intrigued by seeing Bert Trautmann, the Manchester City goalkeeper, a POW and former German air force paratrooper, come out of the tunnel leading to the field and be accepted by the Tottenham fans. Many had had their homes bombed by the Luftwaffe.
There was no outward display of insane emotion when a player scored a goal, seeing as it was many times he was the one who did the least — it was a team effort.
Of course, it may have been different times, audiences, or cultures. On one occasion, when I visited Molloy College on Long Island, I spoke with the women’s soccer coach. In the course of our conversation, I mentioned that I had been a Tottenham supporter. He immediately extended his condolences.
Thomas C. Cullinane
Bayside