Dear Editor,

The publishing of the editorial “Forgive Them Their Trespass” in the last edition of the Maroon is very disappointing. If the author had done research on this issue concerning New Orleans Catholic parishes, the facts would have proven to be very different then the portrayal given here.

Archbishop Alfred Hughes has made it very clear that he in no way wants to close down any parishes. He has given his life in service to God and to this community, so it makes sense that he would want to have as many Catholic parishes up and running as is feasible.

I would be interested to know if the author has heard or read any direct statements from the Archbishop concerning the closure of these parishes. If they had, the picture of the Archbishop would have undoubtedly been painted more accurately and would have portrayed the altruism of his motives. This has been an extremely painful process for the Archbishop, not only having to close down these parishes, but also seeing the difficult times the parishioners of his diocese are experiencing.

The bottom line is that the Archdiocese does not have the resources to keep all of its parishes open. Some of them have to be closed and consolidated. The comparison to big vs. small business is erroneous at best.  People aren’t being kept from worshipping (nor are “mega-churches” anywhere in the Archdiocese’s plans); they are simply being asked to worship in other neighboring churches so that the diocese will have the resources to sustain all of its parishes.

In no way am I trying to detract from the pain these parishioners are experiencing during this difficult process, but it needs to be said that the Archbishop is certainly not the enemy here. He has repeatedly explained the situation and the necessity of these actions to all who have been affected by these closures.

Instead of Catholics turning against each other, these are the times when we need to stand unified as brothers and sisters in Christ. Beyond that, the Maroon should not be jumping so quickly (and mistakenly) to turn Catholic readers against their Archbishop. The job of the Maroon is to report facts, not to create unnecessary controversy with ill-informed and ill-intended articles.

Social justice is undoubtedly a great cause, but the “social justice” being promoted in this article is skewed and not in line with the truth concerning this issue.

Sincerely,
Katie Zumo
A’07
[email protected]