LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Essays or opinion pieces can be submitted by email ([email protected]) or by mail (40 N. Main Ave., Albany, N.Y., 12203)

DAY OF REST AND RENEWAL

In Bishop Scharfenberger’s May 25 reflection, “All the lonely people,” he speaks of the loneliness, fears and anxieties that “plague human beings.”

Our “sea of troubles” and tragedies can darken our life path and divert us away from our God and our life purpose. Recognizing that we have been created by love and for love, he points our hearts to “communion with Christ in the sacramental life of the Church.” Not only do these encounters within the liturgical life of the Church sustain us along with our personal encounters with the Lord in prayer, but I believe we need the encouragement and companionship of fellow Christians to live out our own mission in following Christ.

During the past few years, it has been difficult for those serving in Pastoral Care Ministries to maintain a consistent connection with the bereaved, hospitalized, homebound and those struggling within their parishes and their communities. Some ministers experienced their own personal difficulties, while others found mountains of obstacles blocking their way.

It is time for all of us to be renewed and refreshed in this essential ministry and reach out to those our Bishop is so concerned about.

I invite The Evangelist readers to join in the diocesan Pastoral Care Ministry Day of Rest & Spiritual Renewal on June 14 from 9:20 a.m.-3 p.m. at St. Edward the Confessor Church in Clifton Park. Father Richard Gielow, a priest of the Congregation of the Mission of St. Vincent de Paul, will direct our hearts and renew our spirits. The $35 admission fee includes a light breakfast fare and a complimentary lunch for the day.

Often, we have heard the Lord’s question echoing in our hearts. Like Peter, Jesus asks each of us, “Do you love Me?” Now He pleads, “Feed My Sheep.” We can no longer spin our wheels, but must eagerly respond to the Spirit’s call to minister with pastoral care.

As Pope Francis has encouraged, let us walk together in “closeness, compassion and tenderness” with the vulnerable and ill, always revealing God’s love to one another.  Let us come together for the RCDA Pastoral Care Ministry Day of Rest & Spiritual Renewal and let the Spirit guide us to new life within the Church.

Jeanne T. Pitkin
St. Stephen’s Parish, Hagaman

(Editor’s note: Register online at https://webapps.rcda.org/ParishFaithFormation. Or call (518) 641-6823 to register. Any questions? Email Mary Fay at [email protected].)

ARTICLES WERE BETTER THAN EXPECTED

Thank you for the Thursday, April 27 Evangelist. Thank you especially for the articles on pages 3 and 5 through 9, including (the editor’s) and the Bishop’s. They were better than I had expected. Thanks again!

Joel Nelson
Schenectady

FOUR SURVIVORS

Your April 27 edition of “Four survivors share their stories so that we may listen and learn” was a compelling presentation. I was impressed with their courage in sharing their experiences.

The tips and words of advice that each person conveyed were realistic and authentic.

Thank you for educating us about the dilemmas these four faced, and for helping us learn how to approach and respect those who have been abused.

Grace Dechant
Ballston Lake

SPREAD THE GOSPEL

Thank you to everyone who works so hard to make The Evangelist the wonderful paper that it is. I look forward every week to reading about what is going on in our Church and, in particular, to Bishop Scharfenberger’s column. He has a gift for focusing on the Gospel and relating it to our struggles of today. The Bishop does exactly what Thomas Cronin referenced when he wrote in (one recent) column that “there is no mission on the face of the earth as important as spreading the joy of the Gospel.”

That seemed to be the message as well in the article “A Call for Inclusion” (April 20) and the harm that polarization is having on North American Catholics. Bishop (Daniel E.) Flores referenced the negative impact polarization is having and seemed to indicate that it happens when politics gets mixed into the conversation. I could not agree more. Whenever the message of the Church strays from the words of Jesus, we get a little further away from the mission of spreading the joy of the Gospel.  

It was with some dismay, therefore, when I read about the U.S. bishops getting involved in politics (again) by calling on Catholics to contact their congressional representative to support a measure over transgender athletes in female sports. My message to our bishops is please just preach the Gospel! Our pews are empty and our Church is still hurting because of an abuse scandal that happened under your watch. Please act like preaching the Gospel is the most important mission on earth instead of rallying support for any political issue or cause.

James Conner
Athens

Letters are subject to editing and should be 100 words or less, concern topics covered in The Evangelist and include your town and telephone. Essays or opinion pieces, 700 words maximum, are also welcome. We prefer submissions by email ([email protected]) or by mail (40 N. Main Ave., Albany, N.Y., 12203)