The Songs About Mary
Dear Editor: I very much enjoyed John Alexander’s “Tuned Into Faith” column in the Mother’s Day edition of The Tablet (“The World Glowed With Mary’s Sweet Smile,” May 13).
There were many beautiful songs that have been written about the Blessed Mother, and it was so nice to see so many of them listed.
There is one other that you may enjoy, which is not very well known but seems to be appropriate for Mother’s Day. It’s a song first released by Nat King Cole in 1960 entitled “A Mother in Bethlehem.” If you have not heard it, try it, it’s very beautifully done.
Thank you for all the good work you do with The Tablet.
David Buckmaster
Jamaica Estates
Immigrants Serving the Country
Dear Editor: There are Americans who are unemployed as well as homeless Americans who would also like to serve our country (“To Move or Not to Move, That is the Question,” May 6).
While we are helping other people who enter our country, couldn’t we find a way to take care of our own? Would a parent neglect their own child to help a neighbor’s child?
Edward J. Pisano
Dyker Heights
Celebrate Memorial Day
Dear Editor: Local Memorial Day parades have finally returned in full now that the pandemic has subsided, including the Little Neck-Douglaston parade, which is one of the largest Memorial Day parades in the nation.
Memorial Day is a time to remember all those who gave their lives to protect the freedoms we enjoy today and not just a day for sales in stores or having barbecues with family and friends. It is a time to remember those freedoms come with great personal sacrifice for those who leave families, jobs, and friends to serve the greater good.
I served in the United States Navy during the Vietnam era and was proud to have done so.
Please honor Memorial Day by attending parades in your local communities and saluting those who serve our country, including the men and women in the military, police officers, firefighters, first responders, and our doctors and nurses.
Also, if you know a veteran, call them to say thank you for serving our country and keeping us safe from tyranny.
Frederick R. Bedell Jr.
Bellerose
Human Composting
Dear Editor: Confronted with the proposed human composting legislation, I must say that, as a Christian, I am very offended by the way we treat each other.
Many young people (and not only the young) are already in the grip of depression, and this piece of legislation will worsen the situation for sure.
Who are we to decide “who” has to be reduced to human compost? Are the great leaders of the world, political or otherwise, going to be reduced to compost, too, or only the poor people, people who cannot speak for their own rights?
My prayers are for our religious authorities to vent our great disapproval of such a rule.
Gabriella Rahoy
Jamaica Estates
Editor’s Note: In January, shortly after Gov. Kathy Hocul signed a bill that legalized human composting, the New York State Catholic Conference expressed its regret and asserted that human composting ignores the “dignity due the deceased.” In March, the USCCB also came out against human composting, saying the “procedure does not show adequate respect for the human body”
Amityville Sisters
Dear Editor: Reading the article about the Amityville Dominicans (“Amityville Sisters Built a Legacy Starting From Brooklyn Origins”) in the May 20 edition of The Tablet brought back fond memories.
I owe both my academic education and, more importantly, my religious knowledge and faith to them. This started with St. Thomas the Apostle in Woodhaven, where the sisters managed classes of 50 or more students all by themselves.
One of my favorites was Sister Janet Marie, who later became the President of Molloy College.
When I went to the Pastoral Institute for three years in order to be helped in teaching in the RCIA program, my fellow classmates were surprised with the level of knowledge I had acquired about our faith. I told them that this was due to the sisters of Saint Dominic, who guided me throughout my life.
I pray for all the sisters who taught me and for the continued success of the wonderful Amityville Sisters of Saint Dominic.
Karen E. Smith
Woodhaven