Letters

Breath of hope

Terry and Rosemary McDonnell

Contents - Aug 2007 - Buy a copy now Editorial: Census 2006: 'No religion' up, Christians down Lex orandi: Benedict XVI's liturgical armistice: 'Summorum Pontificum' - Fr Glen Tattersall Events: LATIN MASS CELEBRATIONS - Melbourne and Sydney University: Australian Catholic students' conference: 'an inspiring experience' - Br Barry Coldrey News: The Church Around the World World Congress of Families: grass roots ecumenism at work - Babette Francis Society: Defending faith and reason in public life - Eamonn Keane Catholics and the pornography epidemic - Bishop Robert Finn Why Catholic parents choose home-schooling - Leslie Sammut Obituary: Death of distinguished Australian philosopher John Ziegler - John Young Catholic students' joyful encounter with the Church's sacred music treasury - Gabrielle Walsh Letters: Vatican II infallible? - Frank Mobbs Letters: Stem cell 'debate' - Chris Hilder Letters: Breath of hope - Terry and Rosemary McDonnell Letters: Catholic politicians - Patricia Halligan Letters: Truth and courage - Errol P. Duke Letters: 'Staunch' Catholics? - Frank Bellet Letters: Study leave - Eamonn Keane Poetry: Shrapnel - Bruce Dawe Letters: Combating AIDS - Franklin J. Wood Letters: Education campaign - Henry Erftemeyer Letters: Fixing the schools - G. Brian Bibby DOES YOUR PARISH STOCK AD2000? Books: Jesus of Nazareth: Baptism to Transfiguration, by Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI - Tim Cannon (reviewer) Books: The World's First Love, by Fulton J. Sheen - Michael Daniel (reviewer) Books: Mother Angelica's Little Book of Life Lessons and Everyday Spirituality - Michael E. Daniel (reviewer) Books: AD2000 Books Reflection: The Assumption: how the Christian arts honour the Virgin Mary

I was pleased to read in recent editions of AD2000 about Cardinal Pell and Archbishop Hickey taking serious action as well as the article by Marcel White. What brave people to be finally doing what we all should have been doing for a long time now.

People have felt so helpless even to the point of hopelessness when appealing for the protection of innocent lives. They felt so distant from the mainstream, calling out to deaf ears.

It has been a war of attrition slowly wearing the good voices down to the point of futility. I had imagined that Margaret Tighe was the only one soldiering on when of course there are many others.

Now we have this breath of hope from the above-mentioned three. I cannot help but admire their courage, particularly that of the youngest one Marcel White. What a saint, what a brave heart, what a wise one. Out of the mouths of babes so to speak, and a convert too, saying all the things we should have been crying from the roof tops for so long.

On a personal note, St Thomas More had a daughter named Margaret and I have the good fortune to know and have worked with one of his and Margaret's descendants, Clement Robin Woodbine Parish 'Called Robin' (of Walcott Hall, Shropshire, England), who was a devout Anglican even at the age of 25 when I worked with him (he is now over fifty). He was in the habit of always putting God first and intent on living a good Christian life. He and wife Lucinda have four young children, Arthur, George, Nancy and Edward.

TERRY & ROSEMARY McDONNELL
Yarloop, WA

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 20 No 7 (August 2007), p. 14