Mary Lovato
Editor:
I am writing in response to a letter signed by Carla Henson published in the Rio
Grande SUN Sept. 3, 2009 (page A7).
I am not acquainted with Ms. Henson but I do know Father Terry Brennan. We are very
lucky to have him as our priest here at Saint John the Baptist Church. He works untiringly to help not just people from our parish but the community as a whole. People from all the surrounding communities call him at all hours of the day or night to administer the last rites to their family members who are sick or dying and he goes without hesitation.
If you need someone to talk to, Father Terry is like a best friend. He is there to offer you guidance and enrich your faith in God. That is his job as a priest and he takes his job very seriously.
For this reason he sometimes has to tell people in the congregation to throw out their gum, turn off their cell phones, stop talking and dress appropriately. Isn’t this proper church etiquette? I don’t think he is being rude or sarcastic.
And yes, it happens more at weddings, baptisms, and funerals as mentioned in the letter, because that’s when a lot of people who don’t otherwise attend church are present. Some people act like they are already at the party instead of in church.
I don’t know the facts about the goats and chickens but I do know that Father Terry would not “senselessly allow animals to starve.” On any given day you can go by the office or rectory and you will see six or more stray dogs at his front door that he feeds on a daily basis.
It saddens me to hear that some people are unhappy with Father Terry. I am sure that if you wanted to discuss your concerns with him he would address them.
Mary Lovato
Ohkay Owingeh