Dear Editor: Hooray for Father Ray Roden and the people of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Corona (March 4). I worked at the parish school several years ago as a teacher and I have never met people who are more kind and generous. They might not have as much money as some of us, but they are always willing to give and give and give. This is the spirit of America that should give all of us heart.

I support Father Roden and the people of Our Lady of Sorrows in their struggle against “the grave sin of nationalism and religious persecution.” When the pastor says, “The decisions of our government with regard to immigrants and refugees since Jan. 20 have been despicable. Catholic support for those decisions has been embarrassing…”

As a politically active Catholic, I too am appalled by the Catholic support of these policies. Being a politically conscious Catholic means that we must have respect for life. This does not end at the voting booth where we consider the abortion issue. If all that we concentrate on with our votes is the nine months when life is forming in the womb and neglect everything that comes after, then we are not following the Gospel. Respect for life means all life: unborn life, the life and well being of the person sitting next to you in the pew on Sunday, and the life of your neighbor across the way. We mustn’t ask, “Where are they from?” before we care enough to help and respect them.

St. Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis challenge Catholics to respect life, all life. This must extend to refugees, immigrants, LGBT, the unborn as well as the people who look like us.

Father Roden mentions Dorothy Day near the end of his article. It is a life like hers that we Catholics must strive to imitate during these days when our core Catholic tenets are being challenged as being anti-American. Being an American Catholic means we must value the lives of all people. I stand firmly with Father Roden and the people of Our Lady of Sorrows.

MICHAEL DONOHUE

Maspeth