We Share in a Rich History

Dear Editor: Thank you, Ms. Powell (Why Am I Still A Catholic?, The Tablet, Sep. 19). Your rhetoric on this subject is excellent. As members of the Church, the laity have the same potential as clergy to live the Gospel and be a light for others. We need not think of ourselves as holy in the sight of God, but if we strive to practice living the Beatitudes and Commandments, including loving our neighbor as ourselves and maintaining a humble and honest life we can continue to deepen our faith and enjoy a deep connection with the Triune God while experiencing true spiritual joy.

Church and Media

Dear Editor: Well, Mr. Lancucki, that was quite a letter! (“An Anti-Catholic Bias.” Readers’ Forum, Sept. 26) I hope no one agrees with you regarding the media’s attention to criminal activity within the Church as a cover for Democratic politicians and the party itself.

The Conversion Experience

Dear Editor: While writing my current novel, I arrived at a crossroad when trying to describe a ‘conversion experience’ (Father Lauder’s column, Sept. 26), not from an evangelical point of view, but from a metaphysical one. The protagonist in my work experiences it in these words….’It was the presence of something deeply intimate beyond the bounds of his mortal self, like a crack in the unreachable understanding of all that is, and which rose uncalled for from within.’… Father Lonergan has clearly helped me understand the intellectual, moral, and spiritual stages of this transcendence of the human spirit.

Laudato Si’ in Brooklyn

Dear Editor: Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament and Sacred Heart Green Teams were happy to read about the initiative that Bishop DiMarzio has undertaken to develop a 100 unit affordable senior housing with solar panels, sustainable technologies, rooftop gardens, and the use of environmentally sustainable materials in our own Brooklyn Diocese.

To Know Right from Wrong

Dear Editor: People never miss a chance to throw stones at St. Peter. They constantly forget that St. Peter would have died that day with Jesus. It was Jesus who took the sword away and told Peter that is not the way. So, Peter stood as close as he could and had to deny Jesus, so he could live to carry on the work Jesus wanted him and the other Apostles to do.

The Vigano Letter

Dear Editor: Thank you John Allen Jr. for trying to make “sense of McCarrick cover-up charges.”(The Tablet, front cover, Sept. 11). Sadly, your article is not convincing. True, Archbishop Vigano made several allegations in his 11-page memo. If but one or two are true – it is explosive. Did Pope Benedict ever place McCarrick in “time out.” That should be easy to prove without finding or reviewing documents. Just look at his lifestyle between the alleged time out and Pope Francis giving him a “get out of jail card.” Change? If so – guilty.

Christ and Class Warfare

Dear Editor: I was exasperated reading Mary Geraghty (Readers’ Forum, “Catholic Values, Sept. 8) reducing the life of Christ to a leftist proponent of class warfare. She calls Him a radical when He was the exact opposite, the perfect reactionary, an enemy of the very revolutions that interpret humanity as a dichotomy between the powerful and the weak.

Papal Visit to the Baltics

Dear Editor: I would like to thank The Tablet for your interesting article in the Sept. 29 edition about Pope Francis’ visit to the Marian shrine in Aglona, Latvia. The Lithuanian community of the Brooklyn Diocese was particularly thrilled by our Holy Father’s historic visit to the three Baltic nations this past month. In addition to his visit to Latvia, our Holy Father also spent two days in neighboring Lithuania, as well as a day in Estonia.

The Roles of Lay People

Dear Editor: I take issue with the statement that “a lay person is supposed to serve in only one function at Mass” in the letter about deacons written by “name withheld” (Readers’ Forum, Sept. 1).

No Time for Pity; Just Pray

Dear Editor: During these dark times, and especially today for me, I want to thank Carol Powell for her powerful and comforting article in last week’s Tablet (Sept. 22), “Why Am I Still A Catholic?”