As Received - Our Readers

Praise, Incentive, and a Message of Hoppe
Readers tell us what they like (and don't like) about Envoy

Caught in our web (site)

I have reviewed Envoy magazine's website and I give it a hearty "thumbs up"! I design and build commercial Websites for a living and while some of the technology used at the Envoy site is not fully portable yet, the content is of extreme value. I am not a Catholic but I am considering converting from an evangelical Baptist background. My decision making process has been helped by having apologetic resources on the Web like Envoy. I have already subscribed and look forward to reading it over the next year. I enjoyed listening to Patrick Madrid's cassette tape that was included with the subscription. It was informative and entertaining. It is comforting to know that others who have converted to the Catholic Faith from the Protestant faith have gone through the same agonizing and painful process that I am currently going through.
Bob Dixon, via e-mail

The South rises again

I am enjoying the magazine immensely. I have been waging a minor war of apologetics for a short time. I believe being a convert from a Southern Baptist background, and a Southerner to boot, gives me a "one-up" in being cantankerous enough to take on the challenge. I believe in standing up for my beliefs. This is somewhat unpopular in today's secular-oriented world. Thanks for providing me with some great ammunition. I needed it badly.
Carl Allan Barnes, via e-mail

There's Hoppe for us

Splendid! Wonderful! I read my first issue cover to cover, and am recommending it to all my friends. I will also link Envoy's web site to our home page. Congrats on such an outstanding publication.
Kathleen Hoppe, Rockford, IL

An unfair example

In reply to [the Envoy direct mail] brochure, where there are listed "Six reasons to leave the Catholic Church," I probably have more than six reasons, but none of them is "I didn't know the Catholic Faith." You sound like you are on the wrong track. At a parish Mass this summer, there was an older woman crying out in pain on the fiftieth anniversary of losing her virginity to a rapist. The usher evicted her. She stayed in the lobby, hoping someone would talk to her after Mass. It didn't happen. She went home devastated because no one in that Church bothered to say good morning, much less ask her if anything was wrong. What would you do? Throw it in her face about Goretti? She was canonized because her would-be rapist couldn't function. An insult to every rape-victim, but it was especially meant for thousands of women who were raped by enemy soldiers during WWII. Yes, I think the Church is unfair to women. The Church dehumanizes women. The best example of this is that 1988 encyclical. Ordination is not the issue, and birth control is not the issue. This dehumanizing treatment is the issue. American women don't need to be compared unfavorably to some rich widow in the middle ages.
M.E. Theriault, Wheaton, MD

Maybe Madrid isn't a total nincompoop

Thank you for your ministry. I just finished Patrick Madrid's book, Surprised by Truth (I've given out five copies to Protestant ministers), and I'm just about done with his second book, Any Friend of God's Is a Friend of Mine. It's a great work. Many of the Scripture passages he uses to support the communion of saints I discovered as I was in the process of conversion. He did a masterful job of putting them all together in an air-tight arguement. You might be interested to know that in the middle stages of my conversion to the Catholic Church someone blessed me with tapes of a seminar Patrick Madrid gave here in Boston. Every point he made was a confirmation of what I was discovering. His arguments against sola scriptura helped me to better articulate everything the Holy Spirit had been showing me for months.
John DiMascio, via e-mail

Oh! J. Simpson speaks out

I really enjoyed the Premiere Edition of Envoy. What a wonderful tool you have given Mae and me, to express more clearly the true position of the Church on many different fronts in a modern tone. I work in a nondenominational Christian agency, and I'm the only Catholic. Last year for Christmas, I mailed the entire staff of 20 copies of Surprised by Truth. Only one even acknowledged the gift, but if even one seed was planted, what a wonderful return for the Kingdom of God. Lastly, I have always felt that Mary was a person we could pray to and in a sense take her hand as a child in faith as a sure path to Jesus. For me this is done most effectively bypraying the daily rosary, which is probably why the foundation of my faith is a sacramental life including fervent participation in daily Mass, monthly confession, fasting and a total consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I can't tell you what an impact this has had in my newly discovered reverence for the Eucharist. This I share with you as a foundation to my concern over the "Apocalypse Again" article by Paul Thigpen. It was through the reading of Mary's messages of Medjugorie, Conyers, Fatima, Garabandal and reading books on all the Church-approved apparitions since 1850 that my faith was awakened. That is why I was amazed to see a Catholic article written on what you might call "millenial fever," while only barely mentioning Mary's role. I was shocked, as I'm sure many other Catholics who read this article were, on the "head in the sand" attitude about what is actually going on in the Catholic Church today: an explosion of Marian activity and mystical events at the end of this century, such as confirmed bleeding statues, the Eucharistic miracles, apparitions, locutions, visions, stigmata occurrences, and the list goes on and on. The Bible tells us to look to the fruit to see if something is from God. Thigpen refused to even look at the fruit, the millions of conversions, the miracles, the healings. It seems self-evident by the sheer magnitude of confirmed mystical events that God is shouting with Mary as His megaphone that the end of one age (with a promise of chastisement) is near, while another, the Eucharistic Reign of Christ, is very near. And what about the experience the Pope had in either 1888 or 1898, appearing before God with Satan, where Satan tells God if he had more power for 100 years there would be no true faith left on the earth. So God gave Satan the 20th century to test His people, and when the Pope came to he wrote the St. Michael the Archangel prayer. And what about this 20th century? More martyrs than all other centuries combined! The carnage of WWI, WWII and the many other wars, the Holocaust, institutionalized abortions to the tune of between 50-100 million each year (not including the millions of babies killed by chemical abortion through use of the so-called birth control pill), Rwanda, immoral lifestyles running rampant, and on and on. Isn't it plain to see something incredibly evil is coming to a climax of some sorts demanding God's intervention? It seems to me Mr. Thigpen has missed an opportunity to share with Catholics and non-Catholics alike this wonderful grace from heaven which could help strengthen and encourage the faithful. Not to mention, a chance to help guide Catholics with a little advice on discernment regarding some of these events. I would liken this article to someone in John the Baptist's time, shortly before Jesus came on the scene, saying, "Don't bother me with this crazy nut calling in the desert. I'm busy studying and discerning about when the Messiah might come to save His people." Hello! The information, facts, arguments, or whatever you call it seems to be too overwhelming to all be hype. Please give us a Catholic perspective that takes into account what is actually going on. Why are you and other Catholic scholars so silent on such a critical issue and current mystical events?
Joe Simpson, via e-mail

A smart Christmas shopper

Thank you for the Premiere Issue of Envoy! It is a masterpiece. I just can't tell you how excited I am for you and for this magazine! It is so beautifully done "coffee-table" quality! The pictures, the layout, the shiny pages, and bright colors, the great articles and the humor! I'm putting gift subscriptions to Envoy on the top of my Christmas list and will tell others about this great magazine! I am very impressed with all the people you have involved in it, too. I am so thrilled to see that article by Kris Franklin, especially since we became online friends while she was going through the process of discerning God's will for her and her family and the whole "Catholic Problem!" Kris and I have very similar faith backgrounds. I rejoice in all that God has done in her life. I am on an online list for about 144 Catholic mothers. I will right now write a plug for your mag to send to all of them. The lady who started this list is Maria Hernandez. She runs "The Catholic Mothers Internet Connection" and has just written a book called The Catholic Mothers Resource Guide. Her e-mail is catholic@oz.sunflower.org and her website address is www.sunflower.org/~catholic.
Tami Paladino, via e-mail

Should we give a one-two punch?

I just wanted you to know I received the magazine and read it cover to cover and think it is absolutely great! I may even be giving out some blind gift subscriptions. I only have one suggestion that you may want to consider. I thought it may be more effective if the "Nuts & Bolts" and the "Faith of Our Fathers" departments could address the same subject. Tim Staples could give the biblical apologetics response and Fr. Barbour could give the historical evidence. This is just a suggestion. I enjoyed all the departments and found "At Ease" to be really amusing! Thanks.
Michelle Rodgers, via e-mail

Readers, please let us know what you think of this suggestion. Should we keep these two departments on separate themes, or have them focus each issue on a single theme? E-mail us at envoymag @ aol.com.
The Editor

Thou art Peter and thou hast rocked!

Thanks for an even better second issue! Congratulations! A couple of observations: Perhaps the "Satellite Snapshot" could be expanded and kept as an online bulletin board with regular updates. This is a great resource. Also, Dr. Peter Kreeft ROCKS! I love his engaging, incisive writing. He is truly a treasure in our times. Thanks for bringing him on board. Keep up the good work, and God bless you.
Phil Amalong, via e-mail

Did Lowery miss the boat?

While Dr. Mark Lowery's article, "The Knot That Can't Be Tied" (Premiere Issue), draws some pertinent conclusions based on the well thought out logic of his approach, he and most others fail to address the issue of homosexuality in its proper context. The real problem is this: Most people in the gay lifestyle feel that their condition is "natural" to them. They also assume that the condition and feelings that go with it are unchangeable. Both facts need to be challenged. Dr. Lowery's points are well taken by those of us who believe in an objective reality, but may too easily be discarded by someone of the subjective frame of mind. This is the very person who needs to be reached: the individual struggling with the complex issues of an apparently "homosexual" orientation. The use of logic alone does not wash for someone either immersed in the homosexual lifestyle or struggling to overcome the incredible irony of not being able to express the deepest longings and feelings of his heart while following the teachings of the Church he loves and knows to be true. The Truth About Homosexuality, by Father John Harvey, is subtitled "The Cry of the Faithful." At last the dawn is breaking on a long night of misunderstanding that homosexuality is not an unchangeable problem in and of itself. Rather it is a symptom of a very complex psychological condition which can be treated and healed when understood for what it is. Try telling the compulsive overeater not to head for the refrigerator for the umpteenth time today, or the alcoholic to see the healthy logic behind refraining from indulging in the bottle. The objective truths that should dictate proper moral behavior can often only be seen once the subjective blinders of emotional brokenness have been removed. God bless the laborers in this field like Father Harvey, along with the support group he founded, Courage. These individuals are not only rebuking the error of a homosexual lifestyle, they are offering to the homosexual person hope for real healing and deliverance.
Chris Polak, via e-mail

Mark Lowery responds

I appreciate the comments Mr. Polak provides; they are a fine addendum to my article. The only point I'd quibble with is when he says "The real problem is this . . ." There are many legitimate angles from which to deal with the phenomenon of homosexuality. Different approaches answer different types of questions. For a person struggling with homosexuality, iron-clad arguments won't (usually) do the trick. For someone wondering whether we can legislate against homosexual marriage in a nation respecting freedom of religion, a careful argument based on the natural law shows that we are not legislating someone's religion when legislating against homosexual marriage. Still others will wish to know how to build an argument using the data of Revelation. My article intentionally focuses on one aspect of the larger picture; such focusing never suggests that the rest of the picture doesn't exist. So, Mr. Polak, why not say, "Another aspect of the problem, which I consider especially important, is . . ." From there, we're in complete agreement, and I thank you for your contribution.
Joseph William Nixon, via e-mail

The the the the that's all, folks

I am currently finishing off my M.A. in theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville, and also serve as its full-time media relations coordinator. It is in the latter capacity that I bring to your attention a minor PR pet peeve with which we often contend: the pesky "the" that sometimes appears as a definite article before the name of the University. While "the Franciscan University of Steubenville" sounds okay, we prefer if the "the" were dropped. I noticed the appearance of the "the" on your homepage in the blurb on our mutual friend Curtis Martin. That being said, allow me to congratulate you on a thrashing job on Envoy magazine. Bravissimo!
Patrick Coffin, Steubenville, OH

Great taste in magazines, poor taste in speakers

Congratulations on your outstanding first issue! I obtained my trial copy here in Australia and loved it so much I promptly bought six more copies to give as Christmas presents. I plan to buy the tapes of Patrick Madrid's recent speaking trip "Down Under."
Peter Harrison, Dungog, NSW, Australia

Three cheers for orthodox pubs!

Congratulations on your new magazine! I will definitely be subscribing. It is great to see so many orthodox pubs on the market: Sursum Corda, Latin Mass, The Catholic Faith, to name a few. The problem now is to find time to read them all! Keep fighting the good fight, and thanks agains for the premiere issue of Envoy.
Joe Strada, Fairfax, VA

Sic, sic, sic

You sent me a flier for your new publication, which I did not need to begin with. I came across a new book which beautifully refutes the armchair theological gymnastics of Mr. Madrid. I am enclosing the chapter. You people really need to WAKE UP (sic). I've studied your religion and there is simply NO WAY (sic) that the all-encompassing truth is found in the Roman Catholic Church. If for no other reason, no Catholic I have ever spoken to has been able to tell me how one gets to heaven. It's all been, "I hope so," or "Maybe my good deeds will outweigh my bad ones," etc., etc., etc. (sic). How sad! Only rarely does Jesus enter the equation, and even then, the comments end along the lines of, "Well, He's done His part, now I have to do mine." Check your pulpits! The gospel of salvation is definitely not being preached there.
Yolanda Salazzo, Tempe, AZ

His pagan days are over

I got my first issue of Envoy- it's wonderful! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Ever since my conversion to the True Church of Christ I have been eaten up with zeal for His Church. I want to thank you for the materials and the ammo we need for the reconversion of the world to the Catholic Church! By the way, I have one of the more unusual conversion stories. I used to be the forum manager for the "Pagan" forum on America Online. I was involved in Ceremonial Magick at one time, Wicca for a short while, and was working on the re-creation of the Pagan religion of Ireland at the time I had my conversion experience.
John Gibson, via e-mail

Ex tenebris lux

I just subscribed to Envoy and can't wait to receive it! [Patrick Madrid's] book Surprised by Truth has changed my life and given me a renewed love for God. It has also brought healing to me. I was raised in a Fundamentalist home, and now I see new light in the darkness.
Timothy Burgess, Seattle, WA

An after-dinner treat

I just received the January/February issue, which is the first issue of my subscription. What a great magazine you have. After dinner I was reading the "I have a question" section to my husband and we were both very impressed by the responses to the questions. I am in the Legion of Mary and many of these same questions have been posed to us on door-to-door visitations. I don't want to miss a single issue of Envoy. God bless your great work.
Helen Palmer, Centreville, VA

Your wish is our command

We are really excited about Envoy. It looks great, reads great, and is very upbeat. Loved it, except for one thing. I can't stand the question marks. They look like they are upside down, and every time I come to one, it throws my concentration off. Minor point, but it's the truth. We laughed till our sides ached about the "skunk hair shirts" in the "Top 10 least popular medieval pen-ances!" The only other complaint is that Envoy is only bi-monthly. I don't know if we can wait for the next issue.
Teresa and Paul Tillotoson, via e-mail

A couple of people have mentioned they don't like the goofy question marks, and we agree. So, you'll see in this issue that the change has been made. Who could ask for anything more?
The Editor