The Catholic Register - Readers Speak Out

Written by Catholic Register Readers,

Sale is no surprise

I have followed with great interest your coverage about St. Basil’s and the present parking controversy. Those who are making the most noise do not know the long history of the St. Michael’s campus. Fr. Jean-Mathieu Soulerin, the first Basilian superior, was sent from France to found a college. It was a wise move on his part to include a place of worship on campus.

St. Basil’s has never been a separate entity but was built as part of St. Michael’s and was actually attached physically to the first collegiate building. It has always been considered the collegiate church of St. Michael’s.

When the new governing structure of St. Michael’s became law in 1958, all properties, some of which were in individual Basilian names, were legally transferred to the newly constituted governing board, viz. the collegium of the University of St. Michael’s College. St. Basil’s is not an independent parish even though it operates in many ways independently of the college. Nor is St. Basil’s owned by the archdiocese of Toronto. It is owned by the collegium.

The land in question today is also owned by the collegium, not St. Basil’s. St. Basil’s is fortunate all of these years to have had free parking provided for its parishioners. What other Catholic Church in the downtown core has such a parking arrangement? Certainly not St. Michael’s Cathedral, St. Paul’s Basilica, Lourdes, St. Patrick’s, St. Mary’s, to name a few.

The decision to sell the land for residential development was not sprung on St. Basil’s at this late date.

Back in 2005, a meeting was held at St. Michael’s where all interested parties participated in the discussion to sell the Bay Street property. No one likes to sell land. But when the reasons for doing so were presented, and no reasonable alternative forthcoming, there was not a single objection raised.

Fr. H.B. Gardner, C.S.B.
Toronto, Ont.

Defending Dorothy

I would like to defend the writing of Dorothy Cummings. Her columns thus far have entertained me with intelligent and witty observations on human nature and religion. Letter writers Steve and Norma Parrotte, however, accused her of being rude, “condescendingly judgmental and totally self-absorbed” (“Poor girl on the bus,” May 25). Unfortunately, it is clear they have come to expect staid and predictable political correctness from The Catholic Register, and find distasteful the sort of expressions of personality last seen in these pages, in slightly milder form, in the writings of the endearing Fr. Raby.

If the Parottes cannot handle the sort of common sense and realism so refreshingly displayed by Ms. Cummings, then I imagine that the Catholic world-view must hold many difficulties for them, and I suggest they look into the more comfortable approach of our Protestant brethren who are currently suffering such enormous internal disarray and division.

Joseph Jalsevac
Scarborough, Ont.

No offense meant

The letter from Norma and Steve Parotte really surprised me (“Poor girl on the bus,” May 25) and was the impetus to finally write to say that, in my opinion, Dorothy Cummings is a great asset to The Catholic Register.

Her columns are always both provocative and humourous; a good way to put her point across. And, thank you for printing her picture; one of her first columns made me think she was much older. Perhaps those who misunderstood the May 18 column should reread it.

She did express compassion for the Jehovah Witness “girl on the bus.” Using the term “despised J.W.” was only a quote, not her personal opinion, which was quite obvious from what she wrote.

I just hope that your readers will keep this J.W. “girl on the bus” in their prayers, so that the talk with Ms. Cummings about seeking truth and verifying so-called facts will make her rethink her ideas of the faith she is now following.

Carolyn Cole
La Salle, Ont.

Concordia’s Jesuits

Regarding the June 1 article, “Jesuits donate $1 million to Concordia University,” how many members of the Jesuits are still teaching or on staff at Concordia to enjoy the “finer dining and talk”?

Reilly Watson
Ottawa, Ont.

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