Letters

Testimonies

Raymond de Souza

Contents - Mar 2002 - Buy a copy now Editorial: Selecting and forming future priests - Michael Gilchrist St Thérèse's relics make Australian pilgrimage - Mother Teresa OCDM News: The Church Around the World 'Conservation Plan' recommends changes to Toowoomba's Cathedral - Michael Gilchrist North American vocations summit overlooks orthodox success stories - Zenit News Service Former Anglican Bishop of London explains why he became a Catholic - Monsignor Graham Leonard Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration spreads throughout the world - Fr Douglas Harris 'Liturgiam Authenticam', ICEL and the need for improved Mass translations - Anna Silvas The Benedictine medal: a long history of devotion - Fr Fabian Duggan OSB Thoughts of a recent convert to Catholicism - Rett Peaden Letters: Watered-down faith - Teresa Martin Letters: Testimonies - Raymond de Souza Letters: Apology - Fr M. Shadbolt PP Letters: Last straw (letter) - Justin Kearney Letters: Human Rights (letter) - Sr M.B. Eanswythe OSB Letters: Courage Needed (letter) - Frank Bellet Letters: Sunday obligation - Leo Willems Letters: Forgotten teachings - Mrs Hiske Deschepper Letters: Nicene Creed - Ken Bayliss Letters: Parish libraries? - Bob Cotterall Letters: Indian appeal - Kevin L. Fernandes Letters: Teaching position - Robert Anderson Books: Freedom and Virtue: The Conservative-Libertarian Debate, George W. Carey (ed) - Alex Sidhu (reviewer) Books: Faith of the Fatherless: The Psychology of Atheism, by Paul Vitz - Bill Muehlenberg (reviewer) Books: Living The Catholic Faith, by Archbishop Charles Chaput - Anthony Cappello (reviewer) Books: Fatima Handbook, by Leo Madigan - Catherine Sheehan (reviewer) Books: Fr Werenfried - A Life, by Joanna Bogle - Michael Daniel (reviewer) Books: New Titles from AD Books Reflection: John Paul II: St Joseph's renewed significance for the Church - Br Christian Moe FSC

We wish to commend Mavis Power (February AD2000) on her excellent initiative to collect testimonies from lay people of all walks of life expressing their concern about young people's widespread loss of faith and drift from the Church.

She has encapsulated in a few words what most Catholic parents who care about their children's salvation believe.

Archbishop Barry Hickey has recently stated that "from a human point of view we have to admit that if we simply continue to do what we are doing we will get the same outcome. The drift away from the Church will continue. We must therefore look closely at what we are doing and see what still needs to be done. New initiatives that we have not even thought of yet, need to come from our common consideration of the problems the Church is facing" (Knightlife, February March 2002).

Mavis Power's initiative fits in very well with Archbishop Hickey's desire to see the laity becoming more and more involved in the apostolate of the Church.

It is encouraging to see Australian Catholics respectfully making use of their sacred rights, enshrined as they are in Canon Law ( 212:3). This states that lay Catholics "have the right, indeed at times the duty ... to manifest to the sacred Pastors their views on matters which concern the good of the Church" and to communicate their views to other people.

In this context, we have agreed to be the co-ordinators for Western Australia in this most timely initiative.

WA Catholic parents, whose children have drifted away from the Church in spite of having frequented Catholic schools, are cordially invited to write down their testimonies (one or two pages) and post to: Raymond and Theresa de Souza, St Gabriel Communications, PO Box 111, Forrestfield, WA 6058, or e-mail to: SaintGabriel@bigpond.com

Perth Catholics can also have their say on this issue in WA's very own Catholic talk-back show, the Layman's Hour (Radio Fremantle, 107.9 FM, every Sunday at 7:30pm) in the segment Vox Populi, Vox Dei, every 4th Sunday of the month.

RAYMOND DE SOUZA Perth, WA

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 15 No 2 (March 2002), p. 13