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‘Worship’ used incorrectly

Your photo and caption of St. Aloysius school children praying at the shrine of St. Francis Xavier in 1947 stated they “worship” at the shrine. Catholics do not worship saints and it greatly saddened me to see this word used incorrectly. God and God alone is worthy of worship.

Catholics venerate saints and ask them to pray for us, just as we would a friend on earth. The practice of praying to a saint is in the context defined in the Merriam Webster dictionary: “to seriously ask someone to do something; to entreat, implore, or plea.”

Saints are people who led holy and heroic lives and often died for their Christian faith. Saints are wonderful role models and their prayers on our behalf are powerful. St. Aloysius Gonzaga was a young Italian aristocrat who became a member of the Society of Jesus (Jesuit). While still a student at the Roman Collage, he died as a result of caring for the victims of an epidemic. He is the patron saint of young students.

Mary Shannon

Moses Lake

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