Letters: Misquote and misperception

Misquote and

misperception

I am correcting a misperception and misquote attributed to me at the Hubbard County Regional Economic Development Commission (HCREDC) meeting held Oct. 10. I attended the HCREDC meeting because I have been very interested in the social and economic life of northwest Minnesota during my 36 years of ministry as a Catholic pastor.

I have served on various boards and commissions from Roseau to Moorhead out of a desire to promote the wellbeing of all people and all families. Topics of interest for these various groups and commissions have included:

* Increasing the minimum wage,

* Housing and transitional housing issues,

* Addressing the gap between the very needy poor and those with sufficiency of wealth, encouraging schools to be centers of continued learning and social life for all those interested,

* Updated rural telephone/communication service,

* The development and utilization of senior centers and youth centers,

* Coordinating emergency relief assistance among needy families and persons,

* Developing well-established violence intervention centers in all regions, etc.

With this in mind, I suggested that churches (and other neutral institutions) become centers of discussion regarding all the issues of regional economic (and social) development. We as church organizations are not to publicly support particular political parties or political candidates based on special preferences. But we churches and pastors could certainly encourage more open discussion and debate on all issues of social and human concern. In fact, the USA Catholic Church encourages its members to sponsor public forums on all issues pertaining to the family-life and the social and economic wellbeing of all citizens in a public society.

I made no specific reference to any issue or referenda.

Father Duane Pribula

Our Lady of the Pines, Nevis