Home Page Home Page
Front Page News Digest Cardinal George Observations The Interview MarketPlace
Learn more about our publication and our policies
Send us your comments and requests
Subscribe to our print edition
Advertise in our print edition or on this site
Search past online issues
Site Map
New World Publications
Periódieo oficial en Español de la Arquidióesis de Chicago
Katolik
Archdiocesan Directory
Order Directory Online
Link to the Archdiocese of Chicago's official Web site.
The Catholic New World

August 20, 2006

Keep ’em coming

The many words of concern received by Cardinal George during his recent hospital stay were comforting; the many prayers certainly heartfelt. All were appreciated.

And now that he’s returned home for rest and recuperation following bladder cancer surgery he’ll have some time to appreciate them even more.

As he left Loyola University Medical Center Aug. 15 smiling but still with apparent discomfort, he said he was “especially grateful for those who remembered him in prayer” during more than two weeks of confinement.

During his treatment perhaps hundreds of people shared their prayers for his health. Many, of course, were from the friends and colleagues Cardinal George has made over his more than 40 years as a priest. But many others were from ordinary Catholics, the people in the pews whom he serves as archbishop of Chicago. I suspect those are what gratified him the most.

Letters and cards and even a few gifts came in to his office by mail and many other people took advantage of the “electronic post office” set up on the archdiocese’s Web site to share greetings and prayers.

While the cardinal continues to recuperate at home, well-wishers can continue to share their prayers with him. There is no doubt he’ll continue to appreciate them, too. For information, visit www.archchicago.org.

u u u

Being “confined” is, well, confining. Which is why none of us really likes it all that much.

Some confinements—like Cardinal George’s recent hospital stay—are therapeutic if not completely voluntary. Other confinements, like those imprisoned for various crimes, are neither voluntary nor necessarily therapeutic.

Consider, if you will, a prisoner named Ken whose current “home address” has bars on the windows and locks and guards.

“I’m a Catholic and an inmate … at Stateville Correctional Center. Before my incarceration I was a member of the Archdiocese of Chicago. I was given a copy of The Catholic New World [and] found it to be very instructive to our faith and informative about the ongoings within the archdiocese.”

A little farther down in his letter, Ken requests a complimentary subscription because, “as you can probably guess, I’m the poster child for indigence because of my current status.”

In support of his plea for a free copy, Ken quotes some Scripture:

“Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners.” (St. Paul) And, “I was in prison and you came to visit me.” (St. Matthew)

There are several truths in life. Among them are these two: Inmates write lots of letters, largely because they have little else to do. And inmates write lots of letters to journalists.

I don’t know what Ken did to earn a stay at one of the nation’s premier prisons. It probably wasn’t very pretty but, yes, even Catholics can turn out to be criminals. Nor do I have any illusions about Ken’s motivation for writing the letter. It might have been boredom. He could just be being a smart-aleck.

Or it could be legit.

It doesn’t really matter. We’ll send Ken his free subscription because he’s right: our faith encourages us to consider even the criminal. That’s why there are several very effective ministries that visit and assist inmates. We’ll never know what fruit this subscription—if any—might bring. But it’s worth it.

Maybe you can’t visit prisoners. But you can help us build up a small fund to provide newspapers to inmates. Each subscription costs $25. If you want to contribute, drop a check to Remembering Prisoners, The Catholic New World, Suite 390, 640 N. LaSalle St., Chicago, IL 60610.

Consider yourself thanked by St. Paul and St. Matthew.

Tom Sheridan
Editor and General Manager

> Front Page

Advertisement