Horror of prejudice

The discovery of 215 bodies of indigenous children at the Kamloops Indian Residential School in Canada is a somber reminder of the horrors that can happen when Catholics act with prejudices of the day. We have an obligation to treat our indigenous relatives better. There is no alternative. Some questions to consider: Am I placing my own comfort before another’s comfort? Am I acting with an open heart, or reacting from fear, hatred or prejudice? Am I reaching across boundaries created by humans, or building them higher? How can I use my gifts and privileges in service to others? To finish with a prayer: Creator God, let me see with your eyes instead of my own, let me hear with your ears instead of my own, let me reach out with your hands instead of my own, let me love with your heart instead of my own. Amen.

Lynnsey Plaisance
St. Timothy, Blaine

Vaccinate for others

Pope Francis received the vaccine and has encouraged everyone to do the same (re: “Vaccines shouldn’t have abortion ties,” Letters, May 27). No restrictions as which vaccine to receive. Important part, he said, is to do it for the community.

Esther Lenartz
St. John Neumann, Eagan

North Minneapolis reminisces

I enjoyed recent Catholic Spirit articles on north Minneapolis parishes. (“Maple Grove parish grew out of St. Joseph church in Minneapolis,” May 27). I received baptism, first Communion and confirmation and then graduated from Ascension, class of 1950. But I spent many days in the care of my grandparents, who lived a single block from St. Joseph’s. The pastor was Father Theodore, OSB, and the Benedictine nuns in their school wore a different habit than our Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet teachers. My cousins attended St. Joe’s. I distinctly remember two things about St. Joseph’s: the daily tolling of the Angelus during weekdays — “ding dong” from the left steeple, then “ding dong” from the right — and also the “Pieta” replica just to the right upon entering the church. I’ve been to both original and current structures of St. Joseph’s in Maple Grove, which added “the Worker” to its name when it moved, but do not recall seeing that Pieta there.

David Burke
St. Joseph, New Hope

Tell the truth

The 60% of Catholics that do not believe that the Eucharist is not the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ must be the same people that support abortion and homosexual marriage, the sins of murder and adultery. Those are two of the Ten Commandments that they want to eliminate. If they do not believe, then when they receive the Eucharist they are stealing the dignity, and honor of the sacrament and are not honoring God. When these people tell others that they are Catholic, they are lying about their faith. That looks like five of the Ten Commandments that they want to eliminate, thus making them Catholics with 50% fewer sins. The Catholic Church needs to stand tall and let these people know that they need to stop dishonoring God, stop encouraging others to kill, and stop encouraging adultery, that they are thieves and liars.

Greg Magnuson
St. Pius V, Cannon Falls

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