Dear Regain:
This was sent to me by a lady whose daughter was in the R.C. school in R.I. for 3 years;
she uses this as an effective communication tool to get clerics unfamiliar with the L.C. to understand what the human element is.
The names that she uses (Al, Monica, Stephen, and Joan) are fictitious, but the people behind the names are very real. When you put this on the website, please note that the “names have been changed to protect the innocent.” I think it a very powerful statement which may speak to the heart of some; in any case, the message stands, as does the conclusion: We MUST believe that there is Truth, that GOD is TRUTH, and that the truth can set us free, to live in the truth and in love.
God bless!
BTW, you may want to mention that NACHE = National Association of Catholic Home Educators and TORCH=Teachers [?] of Roman Catholic Homeschoolers.
Yours, Sister Compassion.
A] The following is a copy of an e-mail message dated October, 2001. Al’s mom, Monica, has written a letter to the Legion of Christ superiors in response to their assuming that Al (age 18) has a cast-in-stone vocation to the priesthood, especially priesthood in the Legion; Monica sends a copy of her letter to Stephen’s mom, Joan. The following is an excerpt from Monica’s letter:
“Al is a young man discerning his direction in life, so his choice to explore LC does not shock me so much as the apparent misrepresentation in this letter from experienced men of Christian integrity. I’d also like to emphasize that Al has a passion for Jesus that cannot be so easily translated into a call by the will of God to your organization… ”
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B] The following is Joan’s response to Monica and to others trying to clearly communicate, but in vain, with LC leaders:
From: Joan
To: M
Cc: Others trying to discern God’s truth
Re: WHAT experienced men of Christian integrity????
Dear Friends,
I’ve had to drop out of the conversation lately because of the need to rebuild our relationship with our son Stephen, and because of other very pressing work. Even now, I cannot write what I long to write about this. Our son Stephen was like Al, as you describe him. That was ten years ago. Now, he is a wrecked personality, trying to rebuild a life he does not understand anymore. We did not know what YOU know, Monica and family, about the Legion; if we had, we would have fought for Stephen’s soul, as you are doing. We didn’t know the danger to him. If I’d fought harder and earlier, maybe we could have saved our son what he is going through now. Stephen is trying to construct a happy and confident persona; he smiles all the time, ear to ear: “I’m fine, I’m happy, life is just great!” That’s what he says. Then in unguarded moments, his face falls into greyness and the void…It’s spooky. He’s 30; I didn’t raise and live with him for 19 years to be so easily fooled, but there is no possibility for sincere conversation of any sort. Stephen is not sleeping but he’s coping; he is going to class at college and is teaching at a school, and he is beginning to play his musical instrument again. But he is closed, confused, haunted, angry– and silent and uncommunicative. In the early days after he left the LC, Stephen said– to his father and me– about the Legion, “This is my family; these are the people I want to spend my life with!” Monica, I hope you never have to hear these words, but don’t be surprised if you do.
I would say this to you: keep at what you are doing. But for heaven’s sake and the sake of honesty, get this clear, and try to get your daughter to understand, too: the Legion USES the appearances of “Christian integrity” as your daughter put it; it uses it as one of the many mirrors that are set up to reflect our Blessed Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and Our Lady– it is a Hall of Mirrors that appears to reflect the true things of God that we love, but is meant to deceive; there aren’t any “experienced men of Christian integrity.”
Please do pray for us, for all men and women of good will still within the Legion and those who are trying to sort out what is reality and what is illusion. There is a good and gracious God who reigns. This is His moment; in Him do I trust– and commend you all and all your intentions. Please of your charity, pray!
Joan