Our Readers Respond-Feb. 22, 2012

Msgr. Hurley’s students recall his caring ways
Editor: On February 15, Msgr. Daniel Hurley, pastor emeritus of St. Rose of Lima, Massapequa, passed away (see page 8). As former students of Father H. who taught us Latin for three years at St. Pius X Prep Seminary in Uniondale, we have many fond memories of him.

We were some of Father Hurley’s slower students. We attended his extra help classes. He used creative teaching methods to help us understand the grammatical rules of Latin, like the “magic stick” which was a way to remember the verb endings for the different declensions. Many of us went from F’s to A’s, because of Father H’s kindness and patience.

Father Hurley was literally a legend in his own time. We formed an unofficial club in his honor. Remember the Mouseketeers? We called ourselves “The Merry Hurleteers” and would begin each Latin class by singing, “Who’s the leader of the club. ...”

On Wednesday’s, when we had Latin both in the morning and the afternoon, to the tune of “The Ballad of the Green Berets,” we sang “Father Hurley twice today, Time for fun, and time for play, Magic Stick both night and day, Latin’s fun the Father Hurley way. ...”

What makes a bunch of 14 and 15-year-old boys write silly songs about a teacher who teaches a subject like Latin, not the most interesting subject in the world? There were teachers at Pius more dynamic than Father Hurley. There were others who were funnier. But no teacher cared more about his students than Father Hurley did.

In a time when scandals have shaken the Church, it’s easy to get discouraged about our faith. When that happens, remembering priests like Father Hurley can bring everything back into proper perspective.
The Merry Hurleteers
Pius X, Class of  ‘69

Congratulations and prayers for Cardinal Dolan
Editor: All Long Island and New York gives thanks to Our Heavenly Father and our Holy Father for Cardinal Timothy Dolan. Indeed this man, this priest, this cardinal has much to offer to New York. It will be a daunting task to lead the City of New York back to God, but if anyone can do it, he can. I believe that I speak for many when I say New York desperately needs this man. Let us pray for his success in the difficult job that our Heavenly Father has given him.
Paul McDermott
Glen Cove 

Kellenberg gives Catholic education a good name
Editor: As with all forms of evangelization, actions speak louder than printed advertisements, posters and open houses. The quality and character of our Catholic schools was eloquently displayed recently when Bishop Kellenberg Memorial High School hosted the Nassau Regional Science Olympiad. I am sure that the students and teacher chaperones from the 38 participating schools were as impressed as those from my school with the warm reception and continuous help provided by the volunteer students and staff from Kellenberg. The focus on the mission of the school as a place of faith, service, and learning was evident at all times. Thank you, Brother Nigel and the Kellenberg Community.
Ernest W. Kuehl, Jr.
Physics Teacher, South Side H.S.
Rockville Centre

Act of conscience or grandstanding?
Editor: The revised HHS mandate might not go far enough to resolve First Amendment concerns. However, the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act introduced by Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., is nothing but right-wing election-year grandstanding and has no hope of passage, the enthusiasm of Catholic bishops notwithstanding.

An “ironclad law simply saying that no administrative decrees of the federal government can ever violate the conscience of a religious believer individually or religious institutions” would mean that I can withhold the percentage of my federal taxes that funds the U.S. military and the CIA. As a practicing Catholic, opportunistic wars that destroy millions of civilian lives to advance American imperialism under whatever stated guise does rather violate my conscience.

You see the problem here.
Mary Ann Murphy
Hauppauge

Use of contraception irrelevant to discussion
Editor: As the debate regarding the HHS contraception mandate in the new national health care plan has raged in the last few weeks, it has been widely reported that only 3 percent of Catholic women refrain from the use of artificial means of contraception. While I am unsure how this statistic was calculated, I do know it is irrelevant to the discussion. The U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights do not state that the freedom of speech and religion can be removed from a group if a majority of their members disagree or do not follow its doctrine.

We could argue that every member of the American Heart Association pay for the saturated fat content in the diets of their patients. Why not? The majority of patients aren’t following doctor’s orders anyway. We know this because of the obesity and heart disease epidemic in society. If the patients refuse to obey, and want their access to desserts and butter fat, these cardiologists and health professionals should recognize the will of their clients and subsidize their choice, even if it goes against the Hippocratic oath. Isn’t that what is being said to the Catholic Church?

Humanae Vitae was written by Pope Paul VI as a teaching to the Catholic faithful of the beauty of sexuality within marriage and the fullness of God’s divine purpose fulfilled when the act of intercourse remains open to procreation. This teaching was intended to protect the diminishing of sexual behavior to the status that it now occupies in many sectors of our society; a casual hook-up or even worse, the intentional exploitation of young women for sexual pleasure.

Fortunately the Church also teaches reconciliation and forgiveness to all when they realize their actions have been less than the ideal. The Church does not look with disdain on 97 percent of the women in the pews. It merely encourages 100 percent of the faithful, men and women alike, to strive for the divine plan in its fullness as they live out the call of the sacrament of marriage.
Kerry Scott
Southold