Positive message

His journey to the church via the University of Portland, his fiancee/wife and RCIA reminds us of good news despite negative worldly news.
Last instruction

The last instruction Jesus gave at the Garden of Gethsemane was, “Put your sword back into its sheath, for all who take up the sword will perish by the sword.”
It’s not Norway

I wonder, do the big houses of Norway have lots of Southsiders, Nortenos or Latin Kings in the prison mix? Does Oslo have sizable neighborhoods of Crips, Bloods or Gangster Disciples? Are the arctic regions home to neo-Nazis and white supremacists?
Spirit still here

To my mind, the Spirit moves through us and through time and followers of Christ need to be open to the Spirit’s voice in the present, not downplay its contemporary influence.
Is it a sign?

Now the dollars are flowing in by the millions to rebuild Notre Dame. But perhaps we are being given a sign — is it time to rebuild the one, holy, Catholic and apostolic church?
Note to president

But because I care about you as a fellow Christian, and because I care about our nation and those who turn to us for hope and relief and a better shot at life, I remind you now.
God’s sign

I believe it was God’s sign to trust in his loving care and his plan included the church who pray for me.
Mom’s song

For many years my mother told me a poignant story. Her mother, Jennie Parrott, a concert pianist in the 1890s, played only for family and friends after getting married. Four-year-old Ruth (my mother) especially liked to hear her mother play and sing the ballads of the time. My mother said one song always made her cry, but could not remember the name of the song.
Educate us

A solid program for adult religious education involving all our parishes would be the place to begin.
It’d be nice

It would be nice if we Roman Catholics would say: “I am privileged to go to Mass.”
You left it out

It was a wonderful article on the theology and church teaching regarding artificial birth control, but I find the lack of an allusion to the post-fertilization (abortifacient) effects of a great many of the currently available contraceptive methods disturbing.
No more hiding

It is difficult to ask a victim to forgive when abusers hide and are hidden.
Not afraid

We at Parents’ Rights in Education are not afraid. We are the group that stopped the infamous Adolescent Sexuality Conference held every year in Seaside right across from Our Lady of Victory Church. This Catholic will continue to support the goals of PRIE.
Not health care

Infanticide is a moral, not political, issue. This crime should be shouted down from the pulpits of every church in our country.
Come together

What appear to be “new” changes at Mass are causing a division within our church. There are two factions: pro-change who support our pastor, and anti-change who oppose our pastor.
Try the military

I think you overlooked one other avenue a person could take if he didn’t want to go to college. That would be the armed services.
Here’s to Hughes

Humbly, Patrick Hughes provided a harbor and springboard in Oregon for many immigrant Irishmen.
To bury the dead

Execution laws should remain on the books to give police room for negotiation with serial murders.
We have a duty

The horrific treatment of families along our border needs immediate attention.
Well-portrayed

I live and move among many who either are incarcerated or on the move on the outside. I thought you portrayed the realities with care.
It takes force

St. Pope John Paul II worked for social justice but he worked against liberation theology and communism. The modern usage of “social justice” seems to advocate redistribution of wealth and equality through totalitarian mandates.
Austerity affirmed

In the Middle Ages it was a common practice to observe the removal of the word “Alleluia” from the liturgy during Lent with some degree of ceremony and pageantry. The practice is returning in many places.
Magnificent gift

Did you know that after only eight weeks, an embryo’s organs are functioning, and at 12 weeks, it can smile and make a fist? How lucky we were to have our precious child at a time before it was legal for a doctor and parent to make the newborn infant comfortable while they collaborated on whether or not they would kill it.
Include laity

I believe that clergy sex abuse would have been greatly reduced if parents and married couples had been appraised of the magnitude of the misconduct decades ago and been given an opportunity to be heard.
Define them

Perhaps you could explain the words for our enlightenment.
A caring priest

St. Agatha Parish, you are very fortunate to have such a caring priest.
Little knowledge

Those who would welcome a return to Latin in worship would leave many of us as outsiders.
Not champions

These politicians and legislators think of themselves as champions of social justice. Clearly, they are not.
Train leaders

Unfortunately, the majority of bishops and priests are not educated or equipped to confront the foundational leadership issues inflicting great damage on our church. The leading and management of an organization requires specialized education the church does not currently provide.
Broke my heart

How can the faith which sustained me for 75 years not recognize the intellectual dishonesty of such “scientific” claims?
Total delight

I had the vision that our young Catholic and other children in our schools are getting prepared to make wonderful contributions in the years ahead.
Leave it to God

If we stand by as executions happen, then we, as Catholic citizens, must acknowledge that not everyone has a right to life.
Nary an apology

To anyone who saw the full video recordings of the Covington boys at the D.C. March for Life, it’s obvious that these Catholic high school students were lined up on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, waiting for their bus, when they were confronted.
Pray for leaders

Pray for our president and other leaders, asking forgiveness for our sins, fasting and praising God for his goodness and love. Yes, my continued prayer is for God’s sovereignty, divine providence and glory to cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.
In God’s eyes

Created in God’s image, we are all equal before God with human dignity and rights. Our church, communities and country benefit from the courage, skills, energy, aspirations and cultural diversity of newcomers.
Transformation

We need to remember and believe that altar bread and wine, once consecrated, has undergone a complete transformation into the body, blood, soul, and divinity of our Lord God, Jesus Christ.
Is it practical?

I applaud the directives as pointing us toward meaningful worship but wonder how it will be worked out in the real world.
Know the science

If we truly want to end the scourge of child sexual abuse — and I believe the church does — then we must understand pedophilia, hebephilia, and ephebophilia, otherwise the changes we institute will miss the mark with devastating consequences.
Proof in pudding

Acupuncture was a great influence and I am thankful that God sent me there or I wouldn’t be writing you this missive today.
Which is better?

Which political philosophy is better for religious freedom
Truth is truth

Despite what some argue, the teachings of the church do not change.
A letter instead

Do you realize how many people will not have medical services because of this recommendation?
Can we kill?

Oregonians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty hold the viewpoint that a death penalty represents more violence. In fact, the death certificate on an executed person lists the cause of death as “homicide.”
No obligation

The first principle for immigration in Catholic understanding is that people have a right to migrate. However, the responsibility to find a place to migrate to is theirs, and no individual or country has an obligation (moral or otherwise) to provide this.
Fear clericalism

The new handbook for the liturgy which is described as adding “mystery and awe” is an example of what Pope Francis referenced as a basic problem in our church. The pope stated that sex abuse in our church stems from “elitism and clericalism, an inability to be near the people of God.”
Love handbook

The Archdiocesan Liturgical Handbook addresses most of the issues that I have been praying about for many years.
Mugs of love

In what they call “Mugs of Love,” wonderful students from St. Mary’s Academy in Portland brought boxes of mugs to the St. Francis Dining Hall before Christmas.
No limits

Labeling all preachers of the prosperity gospel as hucksters is convenient, but inaccurate.
Praying it will end

An even greater concern than the terrible school shootings are the 30,000 people in the U.S. who die needlessly each year from gun violence including suicide, accidents and domestic disputes.
It’s a keeper

What a joy it was to read Michael van Der Hout’s remembrance.
Cloaked attack

Archbishop Sample should continue to work diligently to stamp out clergy abuse in this archdiocese as he did in the meeting with our young people. And he also should work with American bishops and the Holy See to incorporate lay commission review as “a universal and consistent practice in the whole worldwide church,” which the archbishop admits is the pope’s goal.
Challenge us

The Sentinel’s most-read articles seemed to be more “feel-good” stories than “do-good” challenges.
It’s ideology

Readers of the Catholic Sentinel would have been better served if the writer had either restricted the article to simply reporting on Dr. Hruz’ presentation or written a full-length exposé of the transgender issue.
Ask them

Holding a workshop to make decisions about how a marginalized group will be treated, without inviting members of the group, is exactly the kind of arrogance Pope Francis has criticized.
Wills not magic

The court has to consider the best interests of the child regardless of the wishes of the parents. The court could find that the parents made a poor choice.
Earth needs care

I wish this editorial could be published more widely so more people could read his ideas on the care of God’s planet. We all need to take this as a plan for care.
Knowledge unites

Why does division exist regarding immigration within our Catholic community? It’s because of a lack of understanding of Scripture and Catholic social teaching.
In need of touch

As the new year begins, I wonder how many people are in real need of a human touch.
I like El Centinela

Members of St. Anne Parish like El Centinela not only because of the information you provide but especially because it is in Spanish.
No celebration

An armistice is the final thing Jesus asked for at the Garden of Gethsemane, “Put your sword back in its sheath, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Mt 26:52).
Trust the Lord

Whatever happened to giving to the Lord — from the top of our income?
Accusers investigated

So much for the suggestion that ‘Believe women’ is a remedy for allegations of misconduct. Instead, the old reliable presumption of innocence until proven otherwise must remain our guide.
You missed it

Labeling all preachers of the prosperity gospel as hucksters is convenient, but inaccurate.
Protecting life

On behalf of Councils 1594 (Medford), 11258 (Central Point), and 13407 (Ashland), a letter from our Supreme Knight Carl Anderson was read and checks adding up to $24,101 were presented to Beth Sheets, executive director of the Pregnancy Center.
The right man

Pope Francis is the right man in the right place at the right time. I hope he is not discouraged by “old wineskins” from taking actions he sees fit.
Be with them

Unless we lead with compassion for the women who feel like they have no other choice but to abort, hearts will never change.
Futility of war

There can be no celebration of bravery occasioned by war. With Jesus, we can only agonize that we still continue to condone the futility of war.
With the other angels

The phrase “A child doesn’t have to be biologically yours for you to love them like your own” fits our daughter-in-law perfectly.
Nix your bias

Here is another modest suggestion from a reader: Discourage gender bias.
Formation needed

Aside from RCIA, sacramental preparation, and an infrequent series of not particularly useful DVDs without a qualified instructor, there really isn’t any adult education answering adult questions about even basic church teachings.
Christmas love

Many gifts were given and received over our long marriage, but this one, more than any other, says, “Christmas is love.”
Only 4 percent

The actions of specific priests who abused children, as well as the priests and bishops who helped to cover up the problem and move these priests to other parishes, are corrupt, immoral, illegal, and a grave sin. But we must remember to hold the individual priests responsible for their actions, not the priesthood as a whole.
St. Michael pride

Archbishop Gross provided land for the building of a parish to take care of the needs of the Italian immigrants coming to the archdiocese at the end of the 19th century.
Threat is real

The threat is real, not the object of a phobia.
Illuminating story

Look at 19th-century anti-Catholic pamphlets. Swap the word “Muslim” for “Catholic” and “sharia” for “magisterium,” and you’ll have something that could have been written yesterday.
Facts defeat lies

The Quran does not say what some think, but actually is a guide for good living. It shows reverence for Jesus and Mary.
Teachings change

That was changed at the time of the Second Vatican Council to: “The non-Christian may not be blamed for his ignorance of Christ and his Church."
Great community

Because of strong deaf leadership and archdiocesan commitment Portland has long been one of the best places to be for persons who are deaf and Catholic.
Aunt Gen's fruitcake

In her column last month, Heather Renshaw wrote this: "While this time of year is jam-packed with more nutty goodness than Auntie Gen’s famous fruitcake, Holy Mother Church, in her wisdom, encourages us to observe one day at a time by following the liturgical calendar."

Well, we heard from Aunt Gen.
I felt confused

The church is already fighting evil in the sexual assaults and cover-up accounts, but the bigger fear should be of a schism due to the faithful taking sides rather than praying to the Holy Spirit for truth.
Bravo, El Centinela

I am grateful to El Centinela for always shining a light on the challenges we face, responsive solutions, and ways in which our diverse community can come together in service and support of one another.
Do you aspire?

Do Catholic media aspire to an oversight role? Will it develop independent and informed sources? There has been a dearth of consequential, independent Catholic reporting.
Fill the cracks

There are cracks in the current church policies on sex abuse of children.
We follow Jesus

The recent broad emergence of scandal in the Catholic Church has undoubtedly caused many Catholics to evaluate their devotion to their faith. Rather than leave the church, however, perhaps it is God’s timing for us to reflect on what we can learn as Catholics, and how we can show solidarity to be better.
Complete picture

How can we as a state claim rationality when we refuse to accept abstinence-only sex and think we are providing the complete sex-ed picture?
It was anti-man

God forgive you for this disgusting display of vulgarity.
Buy fair trade

When you buy fair trade products you know where they come from; and you can be sure that the people who produced them are paid a fair price for them.
There is a limit

The United States can hardly be faulted for lack of generosity to the people of other countries and even to illegal immigrants. However, there is a limit. If we love our country and want to preserve our way of life for ourselves and our children, though, how is this immoral?
Measure 105 backers lack specificity

Regarding “Catholics on both sides of Measure 105,” Oct. 19, Page 6: Some of the proponents for 105 seem to be presenting their views on the entire immigration issue and are not specific to what the measure actually proposes.
Obey the laws

Pope Leo XIII, the pope most cited for his social concern for workers, wrote an encyclical “The Origins of Civil Society” that declared Catholics must obey the laws of nations in which they live.
Misused taxes

Last year we Oregonians funded 3,700 abortions with our taxes and Gov. Kate Brown signed a bill to increase our funding of abortion. Don’t miss this opportunity to block this misuse of our tax dollars.
Terrible Cartoon

I think it’s terrible that you put an anti-President Trump cartoon in our Catholic newspaper.
Need a process

Had church leaders in the past asked parents for advice, child abuse would have been been openly discussed and most assuredly curtailed. Those abused would have received tender ministry. The abusers, along with their silent enablers, would have been called to account for their actions or inaction.
On nonviolence

Here’s some good news for Catholics. Pax Christi and other Catholic organizations have an exciting new effort, the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative.
A better nation

Undocumented people cannot access much public aid. Even when households do benefit, it is not always the head of household who receives assistance, like free school lunches.
The Heart – Our Spirit – The Most Holy Spirit

Finally I spoke up and I said, I do not know what you fellows have, but I want it. They pulled a chair up, gathered around me and started praying over me with hands on my shoulders and head.
I love Rockaway church

Back in the 1970s, my in-laws lived in Rockaway Beach and my family and I spent many weekends there.
From Jesus?

This directive outlawing artificial contraception seems more like a church rule than a rule from Jesus.
Padre Pio and the Holy Hour of 50 years