Preserving the Gottscheer Community’s Past
Dear Editor: As the organizer of the recent Gottscheer Memorial Mass at Sacred Heart, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude for your recent story highlighting our Gottscheer heritage and the deep faith that has sustained our community through generations, (“Songs, Prayers, Heritage: Mass Unites Gottscheer Community,” Nov. 22).
The article not only honored the memory of those who came before us and their spirit of faith, resilience, and community, but also shone a light on the traditions, values, and quiet perseverance that continue to shape our identity today.
For many of us, reconnecting with our Gottscheer roots is more than an exercise in family history — it is a way of renewing the faith, culture, and sense of belonging that defined our ancestors’ lives.
The Tablet coverage serves as a meaningful reminder of how important it is to preserve these stories and to share them with our children and grandchildren.
In remembering where we come from, we strengthen who we are today and ensure that these gifts are passed on.
I hope your readers are inspired to explore their own heritage and faith traditions, whatever they may be. In rediscovering where we come from, we often find strength, gratitude, and a renewed sense of purpose.
Thank you again for giving voice to our community and for encouraging others to honor the legacy handed down to them.
To remember is a holy act. In the Eucharist, we hear Jesus say, “Do this in memory of me.”
Memory is not just looking back — it’s making the love that shaped us present again.
When we remember, speak, or hear the names of those we’ve lost, when we hear the hymns of our heritage, or see the candles burning at the altar, we make present again their faith and their love.
They are not gone; they live in the communion of saints — and they live in us.
Thomas Stalzer
Glendale
Honoring the Saintly Seven
Dear Editor: I wish to express my most sincere gratitude for your recent emphasis on the Saintly Seven (“Prayers, Power, and Purpose,” Nov.15) in print and on social media.
It is incredibly valuable and important for the history, contributions, and enduring faith of black Catholics to be highlighted and celebrated within our “Diocese of Immigrants.”
By dedicating space during Black Catholic History Month, you help to enrich the understanding of our Church’s diverse heritage and foster a sense of inclusion for all readers.
Michele P. Guerrier
Flatbush
Well-Done Tribute to Catholic Chaplains
Dear Editor: Thank you for the article acknowledging the contributions of Catholic chaplains in the military (“Celebrating 40 Years of Faith on the Frontlines,” Nov. 8).
The well-written story reminds us of the important role the chaplains played in reassuring the soldiers that their faith would sustain them.
I was pleased to see that Father James McInenly and Father Joseph McInenly were included in your World War II tribute.
Father Jim and Father Joe are my cousins, and I know they were proud to serve in World War II as Catholic chaplains.
Thank you again for a fine article.
Pat McCloskey
College Point