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Voices Online Edition
Vol. XVIII: No. 2 - Pentecost 2003
VOCATIONS ISSUE
Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor are not published online. Below
is a sampling of letters received. For information on receiving
Voices, please see the Join
Page.
About Letters ... We are very glad to get your letters,
and we read each one. We print as many as we can, and give preference
to those of widest interest. We encourage questions on issues
concerning Catholic women and welcome all comments you have about
Voices and Women for Faith and Family. All published letters
may be edited. Please include your name and address (which may
be withheld on request). If your letter is not intended for publication,
please tell us. Letters may also be e-mailed: Editor
Sample
Letters to the Editor and Editor's response:
Agnus Dei Prayer Card -- Monastery of Saint Jude
-- Spreading the Word -- Whose
Voice? Which Faith? -- Ethics Students
Use Bioethics Watch Column -- Saint Maria Goretti --
Lent-Easter Voices -- Joanna Bogle on EWTN -- Why
Do We Need a "simplified" Catechism? -- True
Art Truly Evangelizes -- V-Monologues
Update -- Passover Seder -- Happy to Find WFF
Letter
Spreading the Word!
Thank you a thousand times over for your prompt service, especially
for sending copies of Voices.
I have been overwhelmed by all the effort and time you have put
into the publications.
God is with you in your endeavors. With prayer you will be surprised
at your accomplishments.
One copy I have channeled to the Oblates of the Virgin Mary,
their Headquarters in the US, another to the campus minister
of the Archdiocese of Boston and one for myself. I will be able
in more than one way to help support your Christlike activity
in my communications with religious and laity throughout the
states.
God bless you now and always all the way.
Sister Mary Theresine, OSF
Hyde Park, Massachusetts
Response
We thank you for your help in spreading the word about Voices
and Women for Faith & Family. If others would like extra
copies to distribute, or packets containing a sample of all of
Women for Faith & Family's and Adoremus's publications (including
prayer cards and novenas), e-mail us or phone us at 314-863-8385.
Letter
Ethics Students Use Bioethics Watch Column
I have just read your current issue, and it is even more wonderful
that usual!
The article "Faith of the Eldest Daughter" by Mary Jo Anderson
is very timely in what is perhaps an unexpected way -- when feelings
about France are so confounded these days, her very gracious
article renews interest, sympathy, and affirmation for the people
of this country.
In particular I am writing about Nancy Valko's excellent column, Bioethics Watch.
I am particularly eager to have this article available through
your website. Every semester I require students in my Introduction
to Ethics course to deal with two problems as we complete work
on each philosopher. I select one, they the other. I always assign
euthanasia; they select randomly. I would very much like to send
them the link to Bioethics Watch. Not only for the article,
but also because it would introduce them to your web site, which
can do nothing but benefit them in myriad ways.
Providing links to other sites as Valko does in her notes serves
as an excellent resource for readers.
As always, thank you for the work you do. I pray God will bless
you and your work.
Shannon McIntyre Skousgaard, Ph.D.
Philosophy and Religious Studies
George Mason University
Response
We are
delighted that you have found the WFF web site useful (and thank
you for your prayers). For those readers that would like to stay
on top of Bioethics Watch, and other Medicine and Morality
topics, please visit: www.wf-f.org/MedicalMoral.html.
Letter
Why Do We Need a "simplified"
Catechism?
I recently read that there will be a simplified version of the
Catechism of the Catholic Church coming out. Why?
My sixth grade Parish School of Religion class each has a copy
of the Catechism and they love it. One student commented that
she can't put it down. Some said it was sometimes hard to read
and understand, like the Bible.
Can you comment on this new project?
Name Withheld
via e-mail
Response
It is encouraging to learn that the Catechism -- Pope John Paul
II's great gift to the Church -- is being successfully used in
a classroom!
Considering the many defective catechetical texts now in use,
there is reason to be concerned that a "simplified"
Catechism might result in a "dumbed-down" version.
As your sixth-grade class demonstrates, children really are attracted
to truth -- and are not averse to using their minds.
Letter
V-Monologues Update
As President of the University of Portland, I am alarmed and
angry that you are listing us as showing the Vagina Monologues.
It misrepresents the facts, and maligns the name of this Catholic
University.
(Rev.) David T. Tyson, CSC
University of Portland
Portland, Oregon
Response
We are very glad to learn that the University of Portland is
not showing the play Vagina Monologues. Thank you for
informing us. We are relieved and pleased, since the play misrepresents
and maligns women, and undermines Catholic moral teaching.
We were also edified to learn (from the Cardinal Newman Society
web site) that you had read the script yourself, and announced
to students that, "In conscience, I cannot approve of its
performance on campus. The play is offensive, questionable
in its portrayal of violence, and not in keeping with the respect
accorded the human body in this institution's religious tradition".
We strongly agree with these comments, and applaud your forthright
handling of this matter at the University of Portland. We regret
the distress the outdated information on our web site has caused
you.
We now provide a link directly to the Cardinal Newman Society
[www.cardinalnewmansociety.org] so that the list of
Catholic colleges and universities where this play is performed
will reflect current information and updates.
**Women for Faith &
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