Letters

Just Asking Re the Signs of the Times item “Church Membership Trends Downward” (9/12): Total births from 2000 to 2009 in the United States did not fall, but rose slightly during the first decade of the century to 4,131,019 from 4,058,814. But the statistics are not broken down according

‘Howdy, Podner’ What a pleasant surprise to find in Of Many Things on Aug. 1, by Drew Christiansen, S.J., two great reviews of westerns. I am a fan of western literature, but I never expected to find an article about it in America. I have already read Doc, one of Father Christiansen’s re

Not Just Catholic I thank you for David O’Brien’s “Learning From 9/11” (8/29). Of all the horror we witnessed that day, this brings hope and assurance that we are a nation that cares about one another. I’m grateful that O’Brien followed God’s call to be an A

The Deficit’s Real Cause Wow! I am glad someone said it, and I am not surprised that it was your editorial, “The New Americanism” (8/1). I have noticed the disturbing presence of Catholics lining up on the side of privilege entrenchment—that is what this whole manufactured &l

Vietnam and Afghanistan I could not agree more with your editorial, “Out of Afghanistan” (8/15). A Vietnam veteran, I graduated from eight years of Jesuit high school and college and spent three years on active duty. While in Vietnam I had a clear conscience about our involvement in that

Taking Part in the Body Cynthia Reville Peabody’s article, “Staying Power” (7/18), found me asking myself once again, why do I stay in the Catholic Church? My answer to this question is, quite simply, the Eucharist. Coming together as the body of Christ, we women in the pews give t

Maryknoll Memories “100 Years of Maryknoll,” by James T. Keane, S.J. (6/20), stirred memories. My uncle, Joseph Connors, was a Maryknoll priest in Korea until the Japanese imprisoned him after Pearl Harbor. Eventually released, he headed two Maryknoll seminaries in the United States. Whe

Facts About Drinking The editorial “How Old Is Old Enough?” (5/30) ignored the facts on why lowering the drinking age is a dangerous and irresponsible proposal. Moving the age to 18 is popular with lawyers seeking to reduce college liability for the more than 1,800 deaths, 100,000 rapes

The Kids Ruined Everything. In response to your editorial “How Old Is Old Enough?” (5/30): Massachusetts lowered the drinking age to 18 in the early 1970s. It was a disaster. Instead of 18- to 21-year-olds drinking moderately, they drank more and bought it for those under 18. Night clubs

On Bishop Morris The outrage over the removal of Bishop William Morris from his Australian diocese (Signs of the Times, 5/23) is not limited to Down Under. Almost 100 priests from 33 U.S. dioceses and five religious orders have sent a letter of commendation to the National Council of Priests of Aust