As reported in The Tribune (Dec. 1), Bishop Kevin Rhoades has stated his objection to the decision of Saint Mary’s College to consider accepting transgender women on the grounds that one’s sexual identity is an either/or, black or white matter, determined by God as interpreted by the teaching authority of the Church.
As someone who identifies as female and Catholic, I am in awe of the diversity and complexity of God’s creation, apart from the labels we humans assign.
As a student at a Catholic women’s college 60 years ago, I first realized the broad spectrum of gender diversity among those labeled exclusively as “women.”
When I was a student, the hot button issue was race. Many considered it “unnatural” to mix races, and the admission of “colored” girls to residential “white” colleges caused a firestorm. It had that effect at Saint Mary’s in the early 1940s when then-president Sister Mary Madeleva Wolff admitted the first woman of color to campus. A single bishop spoke out in support of her, advising her to “stick to her guns.”
I’ve grown to see the violence done to God’s evolutionary plan when any one of us is reduced in the minds of others to a single facet of our identity. Learning to appreciate and accept the diversity and complexity of our God-given world and of ourselves is our challenge as compassionate human beings — and certainly as children of God and followers of Jesus. And so, I pray that our bishop, echoing another long ago, may eventually find it possible to say to President Katie Conboy and Saint Mary’s, “Stick to your guns.” Amen.
Gail Porter Mandell
South Bend
A third piece
Last week Indiana Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers penned an article calling for an urgent and swift change to the criminal justice system in the wake of violence around the state (Tribune, Dec. 3).He identifies two needs in this change: accountability and hope. I would argue that a third ingredient is necessary — pre-emptive reduction.
While law enforcement works on the accountability end of violence, we desperately need risk reduction as it applies to violence so that we can prevent it before it occurs. With this, I urge legislators to increase funding for Community Violence Intervention Programs at all levels of government.
These programs work with local community members to de-escalate situations before they become dangerous and harmful to local communities. Violence interruption programs will save lives, taxpayer money and reduce the burden and danger to our law enforcement officers.
I urge Hoosiers to advocate for these programs as a fundamental part of our societies and the solution to escalating crime in Indiana and the nation at large.
Kate Jackowski
South Bend
A positive impact
Several attributes give credit unions their inherently people-first structure.
Credit unions have been integral to the American financial landscape since the Great Depression. As the U.S. financial system faltered, people came together around the concept of cooperative community finance. What resulted was an entirely different approach to consumer and business banking that operates in peaceful parallel with conventional banks.
Customer owned — Credit unions are customer-owned cooperative institutions governed by a board elected from their membership. They have no outside investors, but instead serve the interests of their customer-owners.
Not-for-profit — Credit unions are not-for-profit institutions that return profits to members through better services, competitive rates and fees, and investments in community programs.
Relationship driven — Credit unions cultivate deep relationships with members and their communities, offering financial education and innovation efforts for those underserved by megabanks. Many also support communities through grants to nonprofits and volunteer efforts.
Credit unions have long had a positive impact on their communities and play an important role in this country. America needs both credit unions and local banks to support growing economies and thriving communities.
Jason M. Osterhage
President & CEO, Everwise Credit Union
