Letters to the Editor

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Pope’s call to memorize prayers in Latin is ironic

I just finished reading the July 1 issue of The Criterion. Is it just me, or does anyone else see something ironic about our pope urging Catholics to memorize our most common prayers in Latin in order to “help the Christian faithful of different languages pray together”?

Once upon a time there was such a gathering prayer, the highest form of prayer in our faith—the Catholic Mass recited in Latin. You could travel anywhere in the world, and that prayer would gather us as one. Now, the Church presents its own version of the Tower of Babel with the Mass in the vernacular.

Our family has celebrated Mass in many parts of the world and felt the “aloneness” of being outside the language.

I’ve read the documents of Vatican II, like many of us have, and still I wonder if the baby went out with the bath water?

-Roberta Caito, Indianapolis

Thank you, Father Eldred

Here at St. Thomas More Parish in Mooresville, we—like other parishes are experiencing change due to new assignments for some of the archdiocese’s priests. It is with heavy hearts that we said goodbye to Father Rick Eldred.

Our parish has grown not only in the number of parishioners we have, but in our spirituality and focus on our Lord Jesus Christ. Our adoration chapel is just one of many blessings that Father Rick brought to our parish family.

We personally are thankful that we had the privilege to be blessed with the time we had with Father Rick. He is truly the image of a priest and a friend that I wish every Catholic can experience. The people of Bedford and Mitchell will be blessed to have him as their spiritual leader.

Thank you, Father Rick.

-Kelly and Darren Cooper and family, Mooresville

The connection between catechesis and the priest shortage

Are you among those who are baffled by the recent announcement that a Marion County parish could be closing? Consider the following: I recently helped at my parish Vacation Bible School. The Christian Serengeti Trek left much to be desired. Yes, we talked about God, but there was no mention of anything that makes us who we are—blessed to be a part of the fullness of the faith in Christ’s one, holy, Catholic and apostolic Church.

Primary formation of the faith should take place in the home, and many Catholic parents are looking to their parishes to support and enhance their efforts to pass on the faith, not to water it down. With so much coming at our children from this modern culture, we need to work twice as hard to show them a Catholic culture.

If we present children with the faith and they reject it, that’s one thing. If we fail to teach them our faith, why even call ourselves Catholic?

The recent news has made it clearer than ever that the priest shortage is going to begin to affect us all. Priests don’t grow on trees. They come out of parishes that love the faith, embrace it and teach it for all that it is—a way of life and not just our religion.

-J. McAllister, Indianapolis