Letter to the Editor from Dunwoody, Ga

Published: February 15, 2007

To the Editor:

I’d like to thank Archbishop Gregory for sharing “what he had seen and heard” concerning the widower requesting Masses to be offered for his recently deceased wife (The Georgia Bulletin, Feb. 1). This widower knew the importance of praying for the dead, which is one of the spiritual works of mercy. It reminded me about the Church’s teaching on purgatory and also prompted me to have a Mass offered up for someone who recently died in my family. When we remember that the poor souls can no longer pray for themselves, we can show a real act of charity toward them and have Masses offered on their behalf. How fortunate the man was to have two priests plus Archbishop Gregory praying for his wife, and how fortunate the deceased wife is to have a husband who remembers what she needs even when she is not around to remind him.

Arlene Gannon, Dunwoody