For the sake of whole Valley, dumping must be stopped

For the sake of whole Valley,dumping must be stopped
EDITOR:
Our drinking water could be polluted because of the actions of a few. A Warren septic company was given permission to dump septic waste onto a field in North Jackson. This site is extremely close to Meander Reservoir.
The concern is not only about the wells in the area of the dumping, but also the water of the entire Mahoning Valley Sanitary District becoming tainted. There are nearly 250,000 people who could be affected if the dumping is allowed to happen.
Local officials said Tuesday night at their meeting that they are against the dumping and will do everything they can to stop it. But they can't do it alone. Everyone needs to get involved. Contact your trustees to make sure that they are getting involved in the fight to save your drinking water. Call or write the county commissioners, the senators, the representatives and the governor. Ask them if they're involved in the fight. If they're not, ask them why they aren't.
We need to stop this type of activity now and ensure that it doesn't happen in the future. Our elected officials need to know that the citizens are against dumping septic waste onto our fields. The officials then will have to take the proper steps to stop it.
JOHN RAGHANTI
North Jackson\
A little history will help explain church problems
EDITOR:
When Nero had the slums of Rome torched, burning Christians alive, or else feeding them to the lions, St. Peter wrote, "Do not be surprised, beloved, that a trial by fire is occurring in your midst. ... Remain calm so you can pray!" (1 Peter 4,5)
In order to understand the present crisis in the Catholic Church in America, a short historical overview may help. I would suggest consideration of three significant church events that are relevant.
1. The most significant church event of the last century was the four-year-long Second Vatican Council. Its theme and predominant message was (and is) the universal call to holiness. "Every Christian is called to be a saint." "This is the will of God, your sanctification," as Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 4:3. "You are to be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect," Jesus commands us in Matthew 5:48.
2. The most significant feature of the Jubilee Year celebration in Rome was the Holy Father's repeated confession of, and begging forgiveness for, the sins of church members who have failed Christ and his Gospel. The pope invited others to join him in this expression o repentance. Few did. Some ridiculed him.
3. The most significant event of this century so far would seem to be the purification of his church, which Christ has undertaken with the aid of the secular media. We should not be surprised. God used pagan Assyria to purify impious Israel (Isaiah 10:6)
I just returned from three weeks in Rome. During a week-long retreat with several hundred priests from all over the world, I was encouraged by the fine young -- and not so young -- priests from Africa, Asia, Oceania, the Americas and Europe.
"The American scandal," as one very high official put it, "is not only the terribly serious moral failure of relatively few clergy, which is most reprehensible, but the fact that the majority of the American clergy don't know their theology, nor follow the pope's magisterium." They haven't taken the call to universal holiness seriously.
Fear not, "God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him." (John 3:17) He is not finished with us yet. The tribulation of humanity and the purification of the church will be accomplished by the just chastisement of our awesome God of love and mercy.
The Rev. WILLIAM J. WITT
Pastor emeritus, St. Brendan Church
Youngstown