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This page last updated 7 April 2009
Anglicans Online last updated 20 August 2000

Letters to AO

EVERY WEEK WE PUBLISH a selection of letters we receive in response to something you've read at Anglicans Online. Stop by and have a look at what other AO readers are thinking.

Alas, we cannot publish every letter we receive. And we won't publish letters that are anonymous, hateful, illiterate, or otherwise in our judgment do not benefit the readers of Anglicans Online. We usually do not publish letters written in response to other letters. We edit letters to conform with standard AO house style for punctuation, but we do not change, for example, American spelling to conform to Canadian orthography. On occasion we'll gently edit letters that are too verbose in their original form. Email addresses are included when the authors give permission to do so.

If you'd like to respond to a letter whose author does not list an email, you can send your response to Anglicans Online and we'll forward it to the writer.

Letters from 30 March to 5 April 2009

Like all letters to the editor everywhere, these letters are the opinions of the writers and not Anglicans Online. We publish letters that we think will be of interest to our readers, whether we agree with them or not. If you'd like to write a letter of your own, click here.

Ex cathedra

I like the "Tale of Three Cathedrals" article. The story could have been about any small town here, with minor modifications. Both the Anglicans and the Catholics are the major denominations here and they have both the cathedrals in my town. But the Roman Catholics, with typical Latin exuberance, lay claim to the better location: their cathedral is not on a hill, but at the junction of the two major roads leading into the town, with the result that the first sight that meets weary travelers coming from the north and the west is the shiny dome of Assumpta Cathedral. Very uplifting, no doubt. The Anglicans on the other hand, DID build their cathedral on a hill. Good start. One can look up and feel uplifted (and out-of-breath) on attaining the summit.

But all the grand buildings of Christendom are nothing compared to the often dilapidated, leaky buildings where rural vicars and reverend fathers toil, sharing their parishioners' pain and keeping up their faith despite all. Those are the real cathedrals of Christendom.

Obi Udeariry
St Andrew's Church, Aladinma, Owerri
Owerri, NIGERIA
Netwalker55@yahoo.es
30 March 2009

Cathedrals: alive and well in Oz

I look forward to your thoughts about S. Peter's Cathedral, Adelaide (not least its to my mind stunning modern clerestory windows and well-attended services). But other cathedrals here include the finest — Pearson's magnificent St John's Cathedral completed last year in Brisbane after a century of prayer and persistence, love and labour.

John Bunyan
Church of St John the Baptist, Canberra
Campbelltown, NSW, AUSTRALIA
jrbpilgrim@bocnet.com.au
30 March 2009

'This is your church'

Two churches referenced in last week's Noted This Week have on their joint website one of the the finest welcoming messages I've ever seen for an Anglican Church. I wish more parishes would consider using it:

A welcome message on a parish website

I sent this email below to the bishop of he Diocese of Worcester and also to the parishes:

Just a short note to say that I was so impressed with the warmth of the welcoming message of St George Barbourne and Old St. Martin’s which I saw on Anglicans Online. If I lived in the UK and Worcester specifically, I would be genuinely interested in becomin an active member. Or alternatively if either church were near me in Los Angeles, I would also be interested. I also randomly checked some other parish sites in your diocese and your diocesan webpage with your comments and found the same honest and welcoming message. Frankly, I’ve rarely seen such a appeal to people of my own beliefs or questions from an Anglican church or diocese.

William Christiansen
Northridge, California USA
tovarichbill@msn.com
30 March 2009

The story of the Jerusalem Cross

I am a cradle Episcopalian. My father, also a cradle Episcopalian, just passed away at age 91 less than two weeks ago. A dear friend of mine just presented me with a Jerusalem Cross from the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. and I would very much love to have an accurate detailed description of the meaning and symbolism behind this beautiful and obviously special cross. Thank you so very much.

Helen Holliday
Pantano Christian Church
Tuscon, Arizona, USA
muggie452@yahoo.com
4 April 2009

(Ed. note: If you'd like to offer an explanation and background to the writer, send your email directly to her at muggie452@yahoo.com.)

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Earlier letters

We launched our 'Letters to AO' section on 11 May 2003. All published letters are in our archives.

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