Catholic Diocese of Spokane, Washington

From the

Official News Magazine of the Diocese of Spokane

(From the Sept. 29, 2005 edition of the Inland Register)

The Inland Register welcomes letters to the editor. Letters should be no longer than 500 words. Letters must be signed, with address and phone number for contact, but names will be withheld upon request. Remember to be charitable.

Send letters to:

Inland Register
P.O. Box 48
Spokane, WA 99210-0048

E-mail: inlandregister@dioceseofspokane.org

Fax: (509) 358-7302

Editor:

Mitch Finley’s article, “Father John Rompa: ‘I pulled teeth and did work in the clinic … we were dealing with people in poverty’” (IR 9/8/05) read like a Gospel. Considering his service to the priesthood, Father Rompa’s advice to the newly ordained is wisdom shared. Stressing the importance of praying, meditating, and staying in contact with their fellow priests, he reminds them also to use their common sense in times when he sees the church getting too legalistic and heading in the wrong direction. Many of us tend to agree with Father when it comes to opinions on the status quo of our church today.

For years priests have been going about the business of carrying out rituals locked into proclaiming The Letter. Anything new the Spirit might want to effect is suppressed. So long as this condition persists Catholics remain inadequately prepared for the return of Christ. We are a people shackled to tablets of stone in our limited understanding of Sacred Scripture. We keep on as though we had not heard the news that Christ’s own blood caused his Spirit to be written on tablets of human hearts. (2 Corinthians: 3)

We are a loving people. We are strong in faith. We are peacemakers and nonjudgmental at best. We enjoy “contemplation in a world of action.” We are a rosary people made richer by its blessings. We glorify God at Mass, celebrate as a family, and are fed His heavenly food. Yet for all this we gather not the fruits Protestant ministers have given their families since the schism in hearing and digesting New Testament truths.

Christ’s Indelible Signature gives the Catholic Church its identity. Its character remains intact. There is nothing lost and all the more gained when we become enlightened to a clearer understanding of the Gospel. Through the glorious ministry of Moses we become promise keepers. Through a more glorious ministry of the Gospel we become harvest reapers. Priests must continue to feed us the “finest gifts of bread and wine” as they do, but in accordance with the Gospel they must distribute God’s most Holy Word so as to bind and set souls on fire by his love.

Connie Pomeroy, Spokane