Tag: civil war

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Bill Dagnon

Americans must remember our founding beliefs

To the editor:

Thank you for your editorial, “We’re better than this!” in the November 1 Catholic Herald. The vision that all men are created equal anchors our respect for each other and inspires our behavior toward each other.

This belief moved our country’s founders to break away from the British Empire, to declare independence, and begin the process of developing a workable self-governing system. Neighboring Canada, for instance, did not have such an inspiration and remained a part of the British empire for decades.

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Heather Close, Catholic Herald Staff

Fr. Bruce Hennington embraces life, retirement

Many people embrace their retirement years as a time to reflect and experience life as more free individuals. Some people travel, some take a nap every day. Still some golf and spend time with family and friends.

We all know people who keep working or explore new work as a second calling. But, what about priests? Are their experiences of retirement any different? Is it once a priest, always a priest?

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Remembering the past: It is important to celebrate and to learn from history

Several articles in this week’s Catholic Herald made me think about the importance of history and why we should pay attention to it.

Many people today take life one day at a time. They don’t want to look back at the past or even think about the future. The here-and-now is all that counts.

The 18th century Anglo-Irish statesman Edmund Burke said,  “Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it.” By learning about previous mistakes, we can try to avoid them.

However, I’m not sure I totally agree with Edmund Burke. Not all history is bad. There are many good things that happened in the past that are worth remembering and celebrating.

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Religious roots of Thanksgiving: Let’s not forget that we are one nation under God

Editor's View by Mary C. Uhler

Just as may be happening with Christmas, the religious aspects of our Thanksgiving holiday may also be fading in the United States with a growing secularization in our society.

That’s why it is important for us as Catholics to reflect upon the religious roots of Thanksgiving and perhaps to bring them up in discussions during our holiday observances at appropriate times.

Facts about the first Thanksgiving

It might be good for all of us to review facts about the first Thanksgiving. Most of us know that the Pilgrims and Native Americans celebrated the first Thanksgiving in Plymouth Rock in gratitude for a good harvest.

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Thanksgiving Day: Following in the footsteps of President Lincoln

Editor's View by Mary C. Uhler

We usually think of Thanksgiving Day as hearkening back to the story of the Pilgrims and Indians in the 17th century. Certainly the observance of a day of thanksgiving in our country does trace its origins back to the harvest feast held in Plymouth, Mass., in 1621.

However, what many of us may not know is that the official proclamation of Thanksgiving Day as a national holiday happened in the middle of the American Civil War. Perhaps with our own “civil war” of sorts happening in 2012, in the aftermath of a contentious election, it might be worth noting what President Abraham Lincoln said at that time.

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