May 16, 2014

Letters to the Editor

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No letters were printed this week; here are the letters from last week:

Reflection offers insightful, thoughtful perspective that helps frame tragedy

Thank you for sharing Sean Gallagher’s reflection in the April 11 issue of The Criterion about Nathan Trappuzzano and finding meaning through faith in something so incomprehensible.

Gallagher helped provide some insight and hope while at the same time acknowledging the evil ugliness of this world in which we must make our way.

Thankfully, as he pointed out, those with “one foot in God’s kingdom” have some solid ground to stand on—though, as he pointed out, that can seem scant comfort in such unspeakably painful times.

Thank you, Sean, for your caring, insight and thoughtful words that helped frame something so many have struggled to frame.

- Linda Abner | Indianapolis
 

Our prayers, even to saints, ultimately go to God, reader says

In one of the April 11 Faith Alive! columns, Daniel Mulhall writes, “While the Church pays special homage to men and women who have been declared saints, we do not pray to saints. That would be idolatry.”

I think this is a little misleading, as Catholics have always prayed to saints (i.e. “Hail Mary, full of grace …,” “St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle …,” etc.)

And we pray to guardian angels, but most of us know that the prayers ultimately go to God.

I googled Father Kenneth Doyle (of the weekly Question Corner column) and, on his web page, he had already answered questions like this. He said that he has even prayed to his mother.

Do you think that this should be clarified? I think Mulhall was just trying to emphasize that only God deserves divine worship.

My apologies to him for offering a correction.

- John M. King | Greenwood

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