Sharings

Dear Editor,

I enjoyed reading about Sarah Hall’s windows (26:4). The words spoke well of the experience of death and what it means to those left behind. Her artwork is superior in conveying the tranquil message that all need to experience when entering such a place. Congratulations to the people at Mount Pleasant who had the foresight to see this need. Cemetery owners in this country can learn a lesson from them. I look forward to seeing more of Sarah Hall’s works published, especially in cemetery magazines.

Donald Samick
Lamb Studios
Briarcliff Manor, N.Y

Good balance

Dear Editor,

My compliments on Myrna Rios-Forestiere’s article (“Balancing Gospel Values and Business Practices” [26:7]). She gave a superb overview of what an administrator does. I’ve been the administrator of a 4,500-member parish for almost nine years. My biggest problem is the lack of networking with others to share ideas, etc. I’d welcome any thoughts on what other parishes are doing in this area.

Steve Kerchner
St. Paul Catholic Church
Highland, Ill.

Ed. Note: The following letter is part of the discussion already taking place about the article “Leadership Skills for Catechists,” which was posted on the ML web site for readers to preview and comment on. The article is in this issue starting on page 14 of the printed edition of ML. If you would like to preview upcoming articles, go to www.rpinet.com/ml/.

Unpacking catechesis

Dear Editor,

In my commenting on the article “Leadership Skills for Catechists,” my biases as a liturgist may be perhaps too evident, but the notion that all catechesis is evangelizing catechesis needs to be unpacked more. Examples of different contexts or situations might have been helpful for illustration.

The penultimate paragraph which speaks of all of the different aspects of the Christian life (liturgy, justice, family, community), all of which are modes of catechesis, omits the most critical aspect of how these are effective modes of catechesis: mystagogy, the reflection on how God and God’s reign are disclosed in these experiences. The focus of the article seems to be limited to catechetical instruction and faith sharing, omitting mystagogy as a catechetical opportunity.

Participation in the liturgy is perhaps understood as a norm for all the baptized, which may be why this is only implied in the article.

Stephen Obarski
stevelit@worldnet.att.net

ML

What do YOU Think?
Send an e-mail to ML Editor
or post an entry on the ML Current Issue Discussion Board. (All submissions become the property of RPI and may be edited for length.) 

—ML