Religious, Not Racial Issue

Dear Editor: Ron Bayor, a former colleague at St. John’s University, quoted by the reader Paul Moses, quite rightly points to the anti-Jewish sentiment which persisted in the pre-Vatican II Church and among certain churchmen of that period.

However, as I indicate in my own volume “The Papacy, the Jews and the Holocaust” (Catholic University Press, 2006), this was largely motivated by religious divisions between the two faiths rather than the racial views expressed by the Nazis.

It is true that certain churchmen, including Father Charles Coughlin, moved from anti-Judaism to anti-Semitism, to the distress of Pope Pius XI (1922-1939), who made it clear that Coughlin expressed his own sentiments rather than those of the Church. Indeed, Pius XI commissioned the American Jesuit John La Farge to write an encyclical denouncing racism and anti-Semitism he could issue to all the faithful. Unfortunately he died before he could release it.

Nonetheless, following his death, the General Jewish Council published a booklet “Father Coughlin, His Facts and Arguments” (1939), quoting Pius XI to expose the fallacious arguments and anti-Semitic sentiments of this “radio priest.”

Dr. Frank J. Coppa
Jamaica

Editor’s Note: Dr. Coppa is a Professor of History at St. John’s University and an Associate Editor of the New Catholic Encyclopedia.

Appalled by PC Mentality

Dear Editor: I am a Brooklyn-born Catholic living in Arizona and a subscriber to The Tablet. I am appalled to read of pending legislation S 5829 and S 6045A designed to kill babies and perhaps even their moms under the guise of a “fundamental right.”

Who’s kidding who? People, wake up and realize that God is so angry that this once great country has gone the way of the evil one yet they still vote for those politicians that embrace Satan saying “equal rights” or any of their other PC platitudes.

Be aware we must account to God for our actions once we meet Him and I’ll bet He’s not into “PC.”

I may live in the desert now but I do not intend to spend eternity in the fires of hell. Be strong enough to stand up and say no to abortion, euthanasia, fetal stem cell research, human cloning and homosexual “marriage.” When you say no, be sure to tell others why you say no. Remember, in the end you will be in heaven or hell, period. Your immortal soul is at stake.  

Natalie F. Woolsey
Mesa, Az.                                                                                                                                               

Priests As Our Heroes

Dear Editor: The text of Bishop DiMarzio’s talk at the Holy Thursday Chrism Mass in The Tablet (March 29) began with a reference to a Mass celebrated on Iwo Jima.

My father had his three brothers in the Pacific, Marines Anthony and Vincent were on Iwo Jima and baby brother, Charles, was an A.A. gunner on a destroyer picket ship. My father, Michael, the oldest of four brothers, served in Germany.

Bishop DiMarzio quotes from a book by Steven O’Brien. “What matters is that we Catholics, once had priests who were heroes.”

Priest-heroes, to name them all I cannot do. However, Mom and Dad had their first-born while living on Carroll Street, four houses across Sixth Ave. from St. Francis Xavier. During World War II, we lived in St. Joseph, Pacific St., then St. Teresa on Sterling Pl.

In September 1946, we moved to Lincoln Pl. around the corner from Mike’s Fruit and Vegetable store owned by Dad on Fifth Ave., in St. Augustine’s parish. I lived there until I married Rosemary in 1965 in Sacred Hearts-St. Stephen’s Church on Summit St. The priest who married us was Father James Scott, who, during my growing up years,was a curate at St. Augustine.

When I was about to take my review for Confirmation, St. Augustine had a grammar school baseball game that day. Father Scott took me on the side and asked me to win one for St. Augustine and off I went.

Rosemary and I began our married life at Sacred Hearts-St. Stephen and in 1967 we moved to 54th St., St. Agatha’s where we still reside.

From the first, as a 12-year-old C.Y.O. baseball and basketball player, until today with Troop 22, B.S.A. at St. Francis Xavier, I have met many fine and wonderful priests, brothers and sisters, only now I am older than some of them.

Today, their ranks may be thinner, however, their hearts are large, their efforts for the people of our diocese is never ending and at times overlooked and taken for granted.

We might listen to the request Bishop DiMarzio made on Holy Thursday to spend a 10-minute period of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament and pray one decade of the Rosary for religious vocations and peace throughout the world. For is not our Blessed Mother not the Queen of Peace?

We can never thank the fine and dedicated priests, brothers and sisters for the sacrifice they make on a daily basis for us. However, we can always pray for them and for vocations. They always pray for us.

I try to watch every time Iwo Jima is featured and have several books on the battle. I do not believe that Father Suver’s Mass was ever mentioned.

Sam (Buddy) Repole
Sunset Park

Call for St. Michael’s Players

Dear Editor: Please give us a couple of hints about how to reconnect with some of the friends we made at St. Michael’s during the Father Cumming’s days.We are most interested in the whereabouts of the St. Michael’s Players’ folk, circa1940s-50s.

Betty (Tiernan) and Gene Galvin  
Woodstock, Va.

Would ET Have Immortal Soul?

Dear Editor: Your March 15 article by Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk regarding “ensoulment” was most interesting and shed a somewhat different light on this subject. I found my own beliefs in accord with his viewpoints in all but one area. Father stated: “. . . . Indeed, no other entity in the universe can receive this gift.”

The antecedent for the pronoun “this” in the phrase “this gift” would appear to be “an immortal soul,” from the previous sentence.

His Ph.D. notwithstanding, I beg to differ! If, as so many in science believe, there are other sentient beings out there somewhere, how can they not be a part of God’s plan (having been created by Him) and, while not endowed with a “human soul,” how can they not possess an “immortal” soul? Could there really be other beings . . . probably as much or more “advanced” than we are, who have been short-changed on eternity? (Not able to aspire to eternity with God.) Somehow, I find the prospect of meeting up with such a being threatening and inconsistent with the “hope” we preach.

Lou Milisci
Brooklyn

Al Barbarino’s Mission

Dear Editor: I wish to thank Father Jamie Gigantiello, pastor of Mary Queen of Heaven parish, for inviting Al Barbarino to offer the parish mission retreat in March.

Mr. Barbarino is a lay Franciscan of the St. Padre Pio Shelter in Manhattan.

These two nights were filled with a great excitement and awareness of our beautiful Catholic faith. Everything he said was presented in such simple words that everyone understood. He spoke about who we really are and our relationship with God. He reminded us about the phenomenal gift that the sacrament of reconciliation is and how the majority of Catholics today fail to see this.

He equated the sacrament to taking a “good shower” where one feels so much better afterward. On the Eucharist and the Mass, Al explained that we all need Jesus in our lives and that’s the best way to have Him and be with Him. He reminded us that Jesus said, “I am the Living Bread from Heaven and I am always with you until the end of the world.”

It is through the Eucharist that Jesus is with us. Therefore when we attend Mass, the greatest event takes place. Jesus comes before us and when we receive Him, He dwells within us and we in Him. People must attend Mass with total faith and prayer-filled hearts.

He also spoke on life eternal in such a simplistic manner that gave so much comfort to the people in attendance. Al explained that we try to understand everything in life and if we don’t understand then we tend to ignore it. However, in our relationship with Jesus, don’t worry yourself about trying to understand, but rather just trust in Jesus’ promise.

When he spoke about Our Lady, his deep devotion was obvious. He reminded us to comply with her requests to pray the Rosary every day for world peace.

The two nights could perhaps best be described as a crash course on our Catholic faith. It was great! I failed to mention that there was beautiful singing as well which accompanied his talks. The congregation sang along and enjoyed it.

These sentiments are also shared by my dear friends who also attended.

God bless Al for making our faith so alive, real and meaningful. Again, thanks to Father Jamie!

Concetta Gamelaso
Mill Basin