March 19, 2010
Our Readers
Tribute offered to Carole Sitch
Carole Sitch, a 2009 Bruté award recipient, was an angel here on earth for those people who were graced by her loving presence in their lives. She helped countless people through her kind words, prayers, and genuine concern for others. I truly believe she lived as a saint, always doing what she felt God called her to do as a Christian. In addition to her work as a wife, mother and educator, she was actively involved in many ministries at Holy Redeemer Church.
I first met Carol in 1990 shortly after I became the principal organist for Holy Redeemer. Carole and her husband, Chuck, often took the time after Masses to tell me how blessed they were by the beautiful music at the liturgies. Her kind words of encouragement meant a lot to me as I had recently moved from Dubois County and did not know many people in Evansville.
After her retirement from her career as a special education teacher at David Turnham School in Dale, Carole offered to tutor my daughter, Christina, who has special needs. She did not ask for money. Instead, she insisted on volunteering her time to tutor Christina because she felt that God was calling her to do so.
Christina had learning disabilities in both reading and written expression, which were two of Carole’s specialty areas as a professional educator. She taught Christina how to better organize her thoughts and be able to express them on paper. Her kindness and genuine concern was a blessing to our family and to those other families who like us, benefited from her unconditional, Christ-like care to children.
- Ann Nagy | Evansville
Careful Catholic listening required at Right to Life banquet
To the editor:
Catholics, especially those ignorant of their own faith, may fall easy prey to those who wish to lead them astray. These dangers can be found almost anywhere, and we must be prepared not only to protect ourselves, but also our sometimes struggling Catholic brothers and sisters.
No one was more thrilled than I, a Growing Pains fan who grew up along with Mike Sea-ver, to see that Kirk Cameron is going to be the speaker at the Right to Life Banquet in Evansville on April 8. I have attended this banquet nearly every year for the past eight years; it is a cause that I am passionate about on many levels. However, a fellow Catholic (and former Protes-tant) friend quietly mentioned to me that she was discouraged about the event because of Cam-eron’s attitude toward Catholi-cism. I didn’t want to assume anything, so I attempted to educate myself.
I read his autobiography, read much about his ministry, and even exchanged pleasant emails with Cameron himself. Much about Cameron is commendable. As a teen on the show, he stood up to the producers on many occasions when he felt that they were having his character act in a manner harmful to his young audience (for example, a scene where Mike was in bed with another girl, even though it would later be re-vealed to just be a scene from a play). He has a solemn promise to his wife that he will never kiss another actress for a script, even going so far as to have her stand in for a scene that required a kiss. Cameron, whose own wife was adopted, has six children, the first four of whom are adopted. Again, there is so much to admire especially when you consider the fate that has come to so many young Holly-wood stars.
However, Catholics need to be aware of a key element in Cameron’s life. Cameron is heavily involved in a Funda-mentalist Evangelical ministry called The Way of the Master. The ministry has a television show, radio program, and an Evangelism Training Academy in which they “teach Christians how to share their faith effectively and inoffensively. Learn how to speak with your un-saved family and friends.” Sev-eral objections, clearly directed toward Catholicism, are raised such as faith alone vs. works, Bible alone vs. Tradition, and saved vs. not saved.
Have no doubt about it — the intentions of this ministry are inconsistent with fundamental Catholic teachings. The website even provides in its FAQ directions on how to witness to those who do not have a “saving knowledge of the Gospel.” The Way of the Master, then, apparently operates under the assumption that Catholics will not know salvation, and thus does not hold the more benign Protestant view that “Catholics have their ways and we have ours.” This ministry is a systematic, insidious effort to lure Catholics away from the Truth.
In a book he has co-authored with Ray Comfort, Cameron attacks Catholicism. He notes that, “Trying to earn forgiveness through practices such as empty repetition of words or ‘good’ works is not only not endorsed anywhere in the Scripture, it is condemned by the Bible.” Also, “The Bible states that justification is not by works, but by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.” These views are, of course, either misrepresentations or contradictions of some of the most basic tenets of the Catholic Church. The intention is to lure people away from Catholicism, where he believes they are “unsaved” and will face damnation unless they turn away from a Church they be-lieve to be heretical. To do so, the ministry’s program is attractively packaged with well-produced videos and a website that appears to have all the right answers for anyone looking.
I believe that the Right to Life cause is one that must be ecumenical in membership. The fight is too big and too important for Catholics to think they can do it alone, and it is encouraging to me that people of all faiths are there that evening. However, we as Catholics must be on guard — that evening and always — against any attacks on our faith. If Cameron uses the time to talk about adopting four of his six children, applaud! If he talks about his Hollywood marriage of eighteen years or his work with Camp Firefly, cheer enthusiastically. If he discusses the pro-life activities that he’s been involved in making a difference in California, that is worthy of a standing ovation.
If, however, Cameron chooses to use any of the time to further his evangelical ministry, we must not be enticed by the charm or fame. If he chooses to celebrate the way he is bringing people to Christ, we must consider that some of those he speaks of may be our own Catholic brothers and sisters who have turned away. If his ministry’s materials are on sale that evening, do not purchase them — no matter how appealing they may seem.
In fact, The Way of the Master’s website has an article celebrating the fact that a lifelong Catholic who had heard Cam-eron speak in Ohio suddenly came to question his faith. This person wrote to the ministry, “You see, I’ve never been hit that hard in any Catholic service I’ve ever attended. [. . .] I’m full of questions on what to do next . . . [. . .] I’m going to end here and start reading my book I purchased this morning!!”
As Catholics, we must be prepared with the real answers when our faith may be challenged. The devotional in the “Little Black Book” that my parish gave out for Lent stated, “Those who have left the Catholic Church outnumber those who have come into the Catho-lic Church nearly four-to-one.” We need to have the right answers for those asking questions, lest they be led astray. In another person or another church that seems better produced, better directed, and with more special effects, they might just like what they see.
- Maria Janney | St. John the Baptist, Newburgh
Reader counts words of bishop’s comments
Normally, I have more interesting things to occupy my time in retirement. But I could not help but notice in our bishop’s two columns in [the Message March 5] the persistent, recurring references to himself. So I started counting all the references to “I, me, my,” and “your bishop.” An unbelievable 62 — and I may have missed a few. It struck me as inconsistent with a leadership role that should em-phasize “a servant of the people” to continually call attention to himself. I suppose high positions in the clerical structure of our church can have the tendency to elevate one’s self-importance. At least something has happened to change the once affable, non self-aggrandizing young man I knew in the seminary years ago.
P.S. You encourage letters to the editor, so here’s my small contribution.
- LeRoy Dilger | St. Theresa, Evansville