Schools not missing a beat

We’re so glad The Catholic Spirit highlighted distance learning in archdiocesan Catholic schools in its April 23 edition. However, the headline “A work in progress” suggests that Catholic schools are still figuring it out. On the contrary, Catholic schools have been nimble, creative and excellent in executing distance learning for about 20,000 preschool-through-eighth-grade students in our archdiocese. (Yes, even preschool!) Certainly, school communities have had to work through common issues, but ultimately, Catholic schools have risen to the top. Students continue to learn on and off screens, and communities remain connected with school-wide virtual game nights and weekly virtual school Masses. Catholic school students aren’t missing a beat in distance learning. We at the Catholic Schools Center of Excellence, which supports the 79 Catholic grade schools in the archdiocese, commend the remarkable accomplishments of principals, teachers, parents and students. Because of their faith and hard work, Catholic schools will come out of this pandemic even stronger.

Annemarie Vega, director of enrollment
Catholic Schools Center of Excellence, Edina

Get serious about abortion

Why is the Catholic Church leadership (priests, bishops, archbishops) so weak-kneed and mamby-pamby on their follow-through of enforcing standards relative to abortion. Last year another 800,000 U.S.A. babies were dead because of abortions. Yet fewer than one excommunication per archdiocese for parishioner-support of this practice took place. A Catholic diocese is complicit by its woeful in-action. Misconduct exists within a supportive spiritual environment! Meanwhile, business owners, executive directors, principals, doctors, senators, civic leaders, congressional members and even presidential candidates profess to be Catholic, all the while openly and blatantly giving voice and money to the pro-choice abortion machine. Through their misconduct, these leaders fail to give witness to the Catholic Church’s teaching on abortion. Some church ushers, church council members, eucharistic ministers, Knights of Columbus members, etc. are all allowed positions of honor and respect, all the while the parishioners know of their “unchecked” support of abortion. Someone in Church leadership needs to go into the temple and turn over the tables!

Greg Schoener
St. Joseph, Red Wing

Sacrament not just for dying

I am responding to your article written for the April 23 edition, “Priest team in works for COVID anointings.” A beautiful idea, really! Taken “in context” or “out of context,” I arrive at the same conclusion for something that Auxiliary Bishop Andrew Cozzens is quoted: “If it’s very clear that the person is not going to die, but they do have COVID, we would probably recommend that they not be anointed until it is clearer they’re going to die.” What an alarming statement! Consider how this would play out in a typical priest sick call. Someone is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, but is doing well, but not knowing when he or she will become really sick. No anointing at this point, you don’t appear to be dying yet! I recall when the Church dropped “extreme unction” and changed the term to “anointing of the sick.” The point of this blessing with oils is to bless and comfort the sick, always with the hope and intention that maybe, just maybe, the holy oils and blessing from a priest may change the outcome of the illness. It seems a very compassionate plan to set up a priest team and hopefully, it will be of great assistance to all who ask for anointing with oils. The role of the priest in this endeavor would seem to be to provide the blessing, and not determine who receives it or who is not worthy to receive it.

Katherine Smith
Rice Lake, Wisconsin

Divine correction?

Are we experiencing a global reality check? Traditional marriage is now at an all-time low. Human unborn abortion is now at an all-time high. Holy Mass attendance is now at an all-time low. Depiction of media violence and anti-family values is now at an all-time high. Defection from God and the Mother Church of Christendom by Lucifer and Luther, is now at an all-time high. Belief in the real presence in the Eucharist memorial, continuous since his “Last Supper” is now at an all-time low. The accelerated splitting of Christianity is now at an all-time high. Throughout biblical history, a divine correction became necessary to a people gone astray.

Everett C. Dehmer
Cathedral of St. Paul, St. Paul

Gender questions

I believe there is a profound question underlying our thinking about gender identity. That question — does our spirit have gender separate from the body? Take from me an arm or a leg and I would still be me with all the attributes of my mind, my personality. Likewise, take from me my corporeal genitals and I would still be me with the mental attributes of a male. Finally, take from me my body entirely. It is my Christian hope that I would yet be me — eternally. Will this include my sense of gender? Should I be defined by the eternal me, or by the body which shall molder in the grave? Should a person’s sexual identity then be defined by their eternal spirit, or by the attributes of the flesh? When attempting to express his thoughts on the meaning of gender a priest once said, “A bird does not fly because it has wings. It has wings because it flies.” If you can understand what he was trying to say, then I think you will understand what I’m trying to say.

Gary Mayer
St. Peter, Forest Lake

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