WCR Letters to the Editor

Fr. Rooney was a man of vision

He not only started the camp, he started the first youth group at Lacombe parish, the CYO and the church that was built and used today was built when he came here by his hard work and good management.

When he started the camp the Red Deer Knights, who were really Central Alberta Knights at the time, helped, as did many people from the same area.

The main hall was built as a lot of buildings as cheap as we could, so one winter of a lot of wet snow, it caved in, so that set the camp back. Father had left here about that time.

Father Mike Heffernan, another Father Rooney who was chaplain of the Red Deer Knights, with their help and many other lay people rebuilt the hall and as time went on other buildings as well.

Father Mike with the help of many lay people and many young people looked after the camp and have seen it grow as long as he was at Sylvan Lake.

There was a few years it slowed down but always kept going, financially. The Knights made it one of their main projects.

As time went on Father Sylvain Casavant took over, a young priest and, with the help of Father Paul Moret, they now have one of the most active and well-run camps in the region, thanks to the vision of Father Pat Rooney.

Tom Alexander
Lacombe

Jesus' mercy, justice are one

Jesus died on the cross to appease God's infinite justice. On several occasions in Scripture it is said that man a creature could not satisfy for man's sins. It needed to be a spotless lamb.

So Jesus took pity on humanity and became a man. Theologians claim one single drop of Jesus' blood would have satisfied God's justice in reparation.

But Jesus wanted to give more. He wanted to identify with mankind. That is why the second Adam did not appear as a virile man and take a second Eve as a perfect wife.

No! He came as a helpless baby with a compassionate mother. He died on the cross so no one would be able to claim, "If you had to suffer like me then you would understand." God's mercy and justice are inseparably intertwined.

Johann Sacher
Morinville

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