I want to thank 17-year-old Elizabeth Reynolds of Hudson, N.H., for her column “Stop Feeling Sorry for Yourselves,” which you reprinted in your letters section.

There is great hope for the future if we have young people of this caliber who are willing to speak out in such positive ways as she did on behalf of the good priests who are not defending themselves and the many bishops who might shout from the housetops about the many good things that the Church has done. She has some very powerful thoughts, and she articulated them very well.

MOTHER VIRGINIA MARIE, O.C.D.

Los Angeles

Headphones Off

Thank you for the great commentary & opinion page in your May 26-June 1 Issue. I thoroughly enjoyed your editorial “Going on Offense,” Alejandro Bermudez's column on dedicated priests (“The Church Is There Even for Those Who Despise It”) and, above all, Susan Baxter's column “The Teen Who Took Her Headphones Off.”

That one especially hit home, and reminded me we all need to “take off the headphones” so we don't miss a single word God speaks to our hearts.

FRED DI MARTINO

Mercer Island, Washington

Who Cares About the U.N.?

Regarding “White House Scores Pro-Life Win at U.N.” (May 19-25):

I congratulate the pro-life forces for deleting language from a United Nations document that could be construed to promote abortion.

But, in another respect, quite frankly, who cares what the United Nations has to say about anything? I suspect that if people paid less attention to the musings and meanderings of its self-promoting bureaucrats, with their secular, political solutions to the world's ills, the world would be a lot better off.

MATTHEW CAROLAN

North Babylon, New York

Gypsies and Nazis

Chuck Todaro makes in his article “Catholic School Brings New Hope to Romania's Gypsies” the following statement: “…they (the Gypsies) were the targets of Nazi genocide; close to 500,000 Roma from 16 different countries died in Hitler's death camps.”

Guenter Levy, Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst writes in his book The Nazi Persecution of the Gypsies (Oxford University Press, 2000) on page 222: “No sources or breakdown by country have been provided for this estimate (500,000), which renders it of questionable value.” On page 225 he states: “Most important, no overall plan for the extermination of the Gypsy people were ever formulated, and, as argued above, the evidence shows that none was implemented.” On page 227 he states: “The assertion, that a half million Gypsies died under Nazi rule is put forth regularly without any kind of substantiating evidence …”

Professor Levy has this to say on page 228: “Simplified accounts according to which ‘Gypsies … were persecuted and annihilated simply and solely on account of their biological existence’ are not only a distortion of the historical record but also a hindrance to progress in the relationship between Gypsies and non-Gypsies.”

Todaro writes: “About 6 million Roma live in Europe.” In reality, the number of Gypsies living in Europe in 1992 is more than 10 million as shown by the graph published by The New York Times on Sunday, Sept. 27, 1992 (attached).

Professor Levy mentions on page 222 “a prewar (Gypsy) population of close to 1 million.” Conclusion: There was no “Nazi genocide” of the Gypsies, no extermination of the Gypsies. There is just another anti-German propaganda exaggeration.

DR. OTWARD MUELLER

Ballston Lake, New York

Father Paul Weinberger and a young First Communicant.

Hail to the Priest

I wish to thank you for the wonderful article about our pastor, Father Paul Weinberger of Blessed Sacrament Church in Dallas (“Latin Americans Love the Faith, Busy Dallas Pastor Proves”).

At a time when there are so many scandals within the Church, and articles about the misdeeds of so many Catholic priests, it is refreshing to have the marvels of our joyful, dedicated young priest, Father Paul, extolled. We who attend mass at Blessed Sacrament (the oldest Catholic church in continued use in the Diocese of Dallas) know and appreciate Father's virtues. We are happy that you are introducing him to your wide readership.

Father Paul is not the only young priest in our diocese who is doing such a wonderful job of spiritual leadership, but he is the one we know best. Besides what is written in your article, your readers should know that the church is always adorned with pretty flowers and plants, inside and out. On special feasts, such as Christmas, Easter and the feasts of Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Joseph and St. Therese of Lisieux, there is a superabundance of flowers adorning altar and statues. These are always donated; there is never a collection taken up for flowers.

The parish is poor, located within the inner city. Many people live in apartments and can never enjoy flowers in their own yards. But at Blessed Sacrament Church, they can enjoy beauty in statues, flowers and church furnishings. The church is open every day from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m. Security is never a problem. Father makes sure there are always courteous, helpful, friendly men around to assist those coming into the church.

I believe every spiritual advantage that a church can offer can be found at Blessed Sacrament, thanks to the leadership of its pastor. Father Paul is an example not only to his parishioners, but also to the entire community.

He is very visible in his black suit and Roman collar.

ED AND ALICE NICHOLSON

Dallas