Campbell phenomenon: Yes, miracles do happen
Campbell phenomenon:Yes, miracles do happen
EDITOR:
"How beautiful you are, O Virgin Mary, shining forth like the sun among the saints!"
For decades Campbell has had a mixed reputation. While it boasted of being a "city of churches and champions," it was known as a place where gambling games went on around the clock, and where gambling moguls were regularly eliminated by car bombings and drive-by shootings.
Dirty money regularly greased officials' palms to ensure that arrests, prosecutions and convictions were rare. Such crime/sin abounded. Pulpits were silent about it.
Now it looks like grace may more abound (Romans 5:20).
Is it a miracle -- the phenomenon of the shining eyes and heart of Mary's statue on the church tower and the vast crowds below? (Hold what you will; the evidence is obvious.)
The cause is on the tower above. The effect is on the people below. A distinction between cause and effect is in order. That it is miraculously caused is possible, but not necessarily.
If it is not caused by a miracle, is the effect a miracle? If the signs of devotion taking place result in a genuine renewal of faith, we would have a work of the Holy Spirit that is wonderful, even perhaps miraculous in character.
The crowds of people and the traffic jams have resulted in the cancellation of the weekly bingo game. In view of the history of "the city of churches," anytime a scheduled gambling game (legal or illegal) is canceled, you have a first-class miracle!
Now the fear is mouthed that the Virgin's luminosity is bad for business ("Our bingo is suffering"). The plea that gambling, bingo and lottery help educate youths cannot be denied. It helps educate youths -- and adults -- in the gambling culture; the belief that "big money" can be had without working; that time and money spent in devotion to Lady Luck is more profitable than time spent in church or in the works of charity for God's poor. It is the "idolatry of greed," as one Catholic bishop terms it.
Maybe Mary wants to cure us of our addiction to this idolatry! Praise the Lord!
Father WILLIAM J. WITT
Pastor Emeritus, St. Brendan Church
Youngstown
Paper seems to be selectivein using names of juveniles
EDITOR:
When does The Vindicator decide to print a juvenile's name? And why?
Why is it that Poland High School can have a major drug bust and no juvenile names appear in your paper? Fights at high school parties get busted and still no mention in the paper of the students who are involved. But, when the 16-year-old son of a man who is suing Poland village has trouble with the law, it is emblazoned on the front page of the Local section in The Vindicator.
I find it very suspicious that this made the newspaper at all, let alone on a section front. And not only is the juvenile's name included, but all the information about a lawsuit that his father has pending against Poland village is also there?
We are dealing with Poland police here. They of the "Barney Fife" like speed trap that used to exist on 224 running through the village. It was infamous. I know of it first hand. "Barney" nailed me one night in 1990, had me get into his car, and when I questioned the speed (he claimed I was going) he proceeded to say I was cocky. And invited me to do something about it!
I was only 20, and I proved who was the man that night by shutting up and accepting a ticket. I swallowed my pride and let "Barney" feel like he was a man. Sometimes young people can't show such restraint. When "Barney" pushes, they shove back. In the end, "Barney" wins. That could very well be what happened here.
Why would I write in about this article in your paper? Yes, I know the Bucci family. And, let me say they are some of the finest people I know. Why trash a family name over something that a juvenile member of that family is ACCUSED of? Shame on The Vindicator for allowing this to happen.
GARY RUSSELL
Youngstown