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C o p y 2424 Gramercy Park Los Angeles 18, Calif. February 23, 1950 Mr.Donald McDonald, c/o The Commonweal, 386 Fourth Ave., New York 16, N.Y. Dear Mr.McDonald: Your article in The Commonweal of February 3, "The Status of the Local Catholic Press", was read by me with great interest. Your clear, candid and just analysis was corroborated by my own limited experience as a reader of Cath-olic papers. For many years, I have been troubled by the smug, negative editorial policy that characterizes too many of our Catholic papers. This policy generates cynicism, or at least apathy in readers of these papers. They ask themselves, " What is the use? " and they do nothing, or they cease to read Catholic papers. Our world of today is sorely troubled with the accumulated end results of unsolved problems brought to a head by the most devastating war in history. We are experiencing a crisis be-cause of years of inaction and unchecked social injustice.These problems can never be solved by negation, recrimination, denun-ciation and generally destructive criticism. What the whole world needs most of all is a truly constructive policy based upon sound Christian principles and applied prac-tically to the solution of present day problems, local, nation-al and international. Communism exploits this opportunity, while we spend our time blaming others. You are absolutely right when you put humility of spirit first. We can do nothing with the self righteous spirit of the Pharisee, but we can move mountains with the humility and faith of the Publican. After all, we all have a share in responsibility for present conditions." Let him who is without sin cast the first stone." It follows that we have a corresponding responsibility for so-cial reconstruction. We who have the fulness of faith have the greatest opportunity and the greatest responsibility. With my gratitude and my good wishes for your success, and with faith in God's help, believe me, Very truly yours, (Miss) Mary J.Workman
