Letters to the Editor

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Priest, youths embrace their faith through Homeland Mission effort

I am edified and blessed by the example of Father Jonathan Meyer, director of youth ministry in the archdiocese and Homeland Mission leader team, and the teens who gave a week of their summer vacation to serve the Indianapolis area’s poor and needy.

Our daughters have been fortunate to go the last three years to Homeland Mission, and they love it.

They have found joy with their leaders and peers assisting others in great need. What a positive way to channel the energies of a teenager!

In this environment, one can see that teens really can have a heart as big as Texas if challenged to move out of their comfort zone.

Father Meyer is a great leader for our youths. He has a wonderful ability to help our youths love God, the Church and sacraments, and embrace chastity as a way of life.

While he is able to do all these things, he knows how to play, encourage healthy interaction and enjoy good, old-fashioned, clean fun.

Thank you, Father Meyer, Homeland Mission leaders, and youths.

May God bless all of you!

- Pamela Proctor, Greenwood

Can a person be considered both Catholic and pro-choice?

I am writing in regard to the editorial titled “Abortion and Communion,” which appeared in the July 13 issue of The Criterion.

Editor emeritus Jack Fink tells us that Rudolph “Rudy” Guiliani was questioned about his views on abortion in a recent interview with Wolf Blitzer.

Fink further states that the reason that Guiliani—and none of the other presidential candidates—was asked this question is because “Guiliani is the only one of the candidates who is Catholic and pro-choice.”

It is my understanding that, in choosing to be Catholic, we commit to respecting life from conception to natural death.

Therefore, I wonder how a person can be considered both Catholic and pro-choice?

- Amy McClelland, Westfield, Ind.

We need to hear more of the pro-life perspectives

First of all, I want to thank The Criterion for printing the letter to the editor with the headline “Reader: Newspaper must cover full range of

pro-life perspectives” in the July 20 issue. The letter hit the nail right on the head.

Don’t you think it is about time to get beyond the “quality of life issues” and cover all pro-life perspectives?

We hear so much about immigration reform—and we do need that—but what about artificial birth control?

Is immigration reform more important to this country than welcoming new life (i.e., babies)?

Artificial birth control is a very serious problem. Actually, it is the root of many, many sins: promiscuous activity,

cohabitation, abortion, child abuse, weakened marriages and even divorce, to name a few.

The lay people need to know the Church’s teaching on contraception and that it should never, ever, be practiced.

Sound marriages are the secret to a strong country, and we’ll never reach that plateau if we don’t follow God’s plan.

Please, priests and laity, wake up.

- Al Scheller, Elizabethtown