A clarification

I was interviewed for the article, “Cardinal Thanks Marriage Petition Supporters” (9/8). It was noted that I often attend Mass at St. Camillus Parish in Arlington. Further on in the article it said, “Regan said he personally met with a lot of opposition from those who support same-sex marriage.” From this, unfortunately, some people could jump to the conclusion that I met with opposition at St. Camillus Parish. Nothing could be further from the truth. From the time that my wife and I got involved in the marriage petition drive, St. Camillus Parish was nothing but supportive and encouraging. It is true that I have met with a lot of opposition with regard to defending marriage and other life issues, but it certainly hasn’t been at St. Camillus Parish. Let me end with a note of thanks to Father O’Leary and the parishioners at St. Camillus Parish as well as apologies to any who drew unintended negative conclusions. 

Richard Regan

Arlington, Mass.

Moved to tears

Thank you for the pictures and article on the burial of baby Frances Hope (“Stillborn abandoned at Brighton High receives Catholic burial,” 9/8). It brought tears to my eyes as I remembered the baby that was born very premature into our family and passed away just hours later. Sadly, “our” child was not given the benefit of a proper burial with prayers, song, flowers and those who loved him grieving. Rather, his mother was not able to deal with this, and left him to be disposed of weeks later by the hospital. I know the circumstances of [the] birth and death of these two children are different, but I pray for the mothers of these children that they will someday meet their daughter and son in heaven and somehow, explain their actions.

Name and address withheld

Double standard?

On Aug. 2, 2006, the Boston Globe published a sidebar story in the “B” Section about William G. Conley, a homosexual lobbyist who was arrested in Springfield for soliciting sex from a police officer posing as a University of Massachusetts student. There the story died. There has not been a word about it in the Globe since. What might the life of that story had been if Conley had been a Catholic priest? Would the Globe have sought comments from the Diocese of Springfield? From SNAP? From Voice of the Faithful? Based on the Globe’s history in these matters, the Globe would have kept that story alive for at least a week. With a homosexual lobbyist in the hot seat, the Globe chose to kill the story. Is it safe to say the Globe operates on a double standard? Naw! The Globe would never do that!

Ferde Rombola

Beverly, Mass.

Wrong reaction

After noticing a pleasing movement toward more openness and candor in recent months in The Pilot’s coverage and reporting of news, I was dismayed to see what appeared to be a step back to adversarial reporting in the recent coverage of the stem-cell announcement. I am referring more to the tone rather than the content of the article introduced on the front page under the headline: “Pro-life official dismisses new stem-cell announcement as a sham,” (9/1). The issue for me is the credibility of argument and comment from the Catholic community. The first critical remark in the article, that the fact that all of the embryos were killed was not mentioned, was somewhat mitigated by the acknowledgment of this fact in subsequent reports, and that this was done to expedite the procedure and not because it was necessary for the results. As regrettable and unacceptable killing the embryos was, the argument of the announcement remains: by this approach human embryonic stem cells can be generated without harming the embryo. The fact that this procedure has been used in pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, going on to implant the embryo producing a successful pregnancy, could argue against dismissing the procedure as a sham.

Ed Richards

Concord, Mass.

Regis in a downward spiral

The recent decision to transform Regis College into a co-ed institution for higher education is just another example of the downward spiral of not only Gospel values but the garden enclosed type of Gospel values that have vanished from today’s society and, at times, even our Roman Catholic existence. I’m a 1994 graduate of Regis College and a native of Framingham. My parents toiled to position me not only in a place that valued the intellect, but the well-formed Catholic woman. It’s distressing that the root of President Mary Jane England’s decision comes down to money. But does it really? I say it comes down to faith. Faith in God to provide the money and enrollment so as not to compromise, succumb to the world’s standard — it’s God that makes the way, not money. I believe God could make a way for Regis if she got back to basics. As Regis women, we were formed not only in the highest level of academia, but steeped in faith that makes up for the lack in the world. What defines Regis College as such a gem in the midst of otherwise ordinary higher learning is the fact that it fosters a Catholic education for women alone. Women and men learn in a radically different way and I contend that the formation of a woman apart from the distraction of a man is key to her security and great success in the world.

Alexis Walkenstein

Via Email