Newspaper did right thing in spotlighting church plans
To the Editor:

I have to disagree with the good people who wrote last week to complain about the Dorchester Reporter releasing information about the Catholic Church's plan to close some parish schools in Dorchester. Although the Archdiocese has responded that the plans were merely half baked ideas, the sad truth of the Archdiocese's relationship with Dorchester parishes is that decisions have been top down with largely sham processes designed to lead to previously determined results. This was certainly true for the "suppression" of St. Margaret's and St. William's parishes. It is my view that the Dorchester Reporter did Dorchester a great favor by releasing the information given to them by a priest who participated in discussions around the plan. With the knowledge of the archdiocesan plan now available to the community, it would behoove the affected parishes to come up with their own plans to preserve their schools. Had it not been for the Reporter exposing the plan, our communities would have been left reacting in the not too distant future to a fully cooked plan.

Bill Walczak, Savin Hill

Info on school planning needed now, not later

To the Editor:

Congratulations to the Reporter and Father Vincent Von Euw for the courage to "out" the planned closings of parochial schools in Dorchester and Mattapan no matter what schools are on the final list.

I must confess I am biased. I retired from St. Margaret's Parish when the Archiocese chose to close St. Margaret's Parish and St. William's Church and Parish, two ridiculous choices among many.

You would think that people would want to be told the truth NOW. If the Archdiocese, pastors and principals have been "working on this for 18 months," as it was stated, why not inform parents? Give them that much respect.

Hasn't there been enough secrecy in the archdiocese to last four lifetimes? Have we not learned any lessons in the past ten years? Don't they always say the truth will set you free?

Shirley-Mae Sullivan
Dorchester