The letters we publish here are edited for space and are representative of those we receive. We print only those letters referring to an article in the most recent edition of the magazine, not those responding to letters or commenting on issues not addressed in the recent edition.
Hope to heal the heartbreak
The powerful and vivid storytelling of the Annunciation Catholic School shooting in “A Sanctuary Shattered” was heartbreaking and raw. I think about that day daily. My family and I are friends with the Merkels. We attended Fletcher’s funeral and witnessed firsthand the close-knit community that exists within the school and parish. My husband and I also spent time at the Merkels’ residence. Seeing Fletcher’s bedroom with his school uniforms hanging in the closet, his books laid on his bookshelf just so, his plant he wanted to take to college with him one day, his toys dispersed about: “Heartbreaking” is the only word I can use to describe how it felt to stand in his room.
Several years ago, Fletcher and his family attended our wedding reception. There are pictures of Fletcher on the dance floor with his siblings and his parents; he is smiling and laughing in every picture. A beautiful memory of a child who experienced joy and laughter and the love of a mother and a father. We hold these memories close.
I appreciate the alumni who shared their firsthand accounts of the day and the weeks that followed. We can become desensitized to the endless tragedies we see on the news, but when an event as horrific as this affects our own, it hits differently. I hope the Annunciation community continues to feel the hope, support and love we extend to them.
Though on the periphery, I am forever changed by this event. Undoubtedly, having two young children also impacts my vantage point. For Fletcher, for Harper, and for the Annunciation community, when I pray, I will continue to move my feet.
Mandy Gonzales-Thompson ’09
Longmont, Colorado
Communities of saving faith
I read “Pillars of the Community” by Anthony DePalma with passionate focus and far more than a twinge of feeling. When I finished it, I spent time in meditation, recalling “This Side of Paradise” (Autumn 2020) by Miles Folsom, a student in the Moreau College Initiative at Indiana’s Westville Correctional Facility.
Prisons and inner cities are the places where many people find others they can despise, discard and forget. Prisons and inner cities are where one will find the lost sheep. I open my heart with deep gratitude to Our Lord that there are good believers who have found a way to evangelize the denizens of both places. They have introduced them to hope and community and have mastered the doctrine of St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, whether they know it or not.
Many of the Corinthians were also despised, discarded and forgotten. St. Paul melded them into a community of saving faith. There are others who are despised, discarded and forgotten. We need legions of evangelizers who are willing to look for lost sheep and touch them with love and feeling. Pray to the Lord of the harvest and do something!
Rev. Leonard Paul ’60
Suttons Bay, Michigan
Revealing — and concealing — history
James McKenzie’s “Selective Memory” was a trenchant story. We Minnesotans are proud of the 1st Minnesota, especially at Gettysburg (80-plus percent casualties). I never imagined this look behind the curtain — but even when our heroes disappoint us, they instruct us.
I was acquainted with neither John Gast’s not-to-be-missed 1872 American Progress nor the 1891 New Orleans lynching.
A pity there was not time or space to mention the Columbus murals. I was unaware that they were covered around 2020. Had I been paying attention, I might have suggested (and will now) that they be occasionally uncovered — because I found them instructive, and fear that selectively airbrushing our history is dangerous. The new kids deserve to see them.
Thanks for the good read.
John Wolff ’74
Seattle
Editor’s Note: The Columbus murals are periodically uncovered for instructional purposes, most recently for two weeks during the 2026 spring semester. Faculty whose course materials include the paintings are encouraged to bring their students to the Main Building to view them during those times.
Christian witness
“The Depths of the Heart” brought tears to my eyes, the thought of children living like that. The story of Jane, Sam and Esther — names among the thousands — really touched me.
I have sometimes wondered how news reporters and film crews keep going and why they don’t stop to help instead. I know documenting such terrible situations is critically important. The fact that in this case the author, Gerard Thomas Straub, could not just move on but instead brought food, water and medicine to these children shows the kind of action we would want to see from fellow Christians.
Jill Fahey Birkett
Stamford, Connecticut
The pride of Pikeville
I was pleasantly surprised to see the article on William Hambley ’39 (“The Man Who Moved a Mountain”). My twin brother and I grew up in Pikeville, Kentucky, with the Hambleys and spent a lot of time with the mayor, either hearing about Notre Dame or getting treated for sports injuries. He was the classiest man I’ve ever known, and so smart.
I vividly remember the Cut-Through project: the sirens, then the blast and the shaking of the earth. The large earth-moving equipment would take the dirt and dump it in a small valley until the valley was level with the main grade around it. Then new neighborhoods and businesses were built on the fill. It was a miraculous project that still draws attention today.
I’m so glad Margaret Fosmoe ’85 found this story and wrote about it. Pikeville is a little gem in the eastern Kentucky mountains. And Dr. Hambley is largely responsible for it. Kind of like a “What Would You Fight For?” episode. His vision and leadership reshaped an Appalachian community that is now an economic powerhouse in the state.
William Dawahare ’84
Naples, Florida
An inspiring writer
I wish to commend you for including Mel Livatino in your roster of regular contributors. Without fail, his essays leave me uplifted and filled with hope for humanity and sometimes with tears of joy. “Goodness Gracious” certainly lives up to those accolades.
In a previous essay Livatino wrote about the importance of storytelling and mentioned that he had composed a book through a company called Storyworth. He inspired me to do the same. This Christmas, after almost two years at it, I finished my Storyworth book of memories, stories and lessons and gifted it to my children and grandchildren. I am very proud of the work I did, and grateful to Livatino for the inspiration.
Michael Moore ’73
Halfmoon, New York
A capital letter
“Notre Dame Grows Its Mission in the Nation’s Capital” was of great interest to me as an alumnus who spent his career in government relations in Washington, D.C. Some additional historical context may be useful.
Long before establishing a permanent Washington office in 2012, Notre Dame exercised influence through a more personal and decentralized model. Father Ted Hesburgh, CSC, advised presidents and policymakers for decades, while Frank “Nordy” Hoffmann ’33 — later Sergeant at Arms of the U.S. Senate — served as a principal point of contact on Capitol Hill from the 1960s through the ’80s. Their efforts were reinforced by alumni in Congress and by influential alumni and friends in Washington and across the country.
When Hoffman died and Hesburgh stepped back from public life, that informal network naturally waned. Notre Dame’s voice was still heard, but institutionally the University chose to rely on contract lobbying firms rather than establish its own Washington office — a step many of us believed was overdue as peer institutions moved in that direction.
As your article suggests, the upgrading of Notre Dame’s Washington office represents more than continuity with the past; it marks a genuine institutional shift. With a full-time professional staff, the University is now operating in what is commonly understood as the lobbying business. This is not a criticism — it reflects the realities of modern policymaking and aligns Notre Dame with most of its peers.
Still, because “lobbying” can carry pejorative connotations, it is fair to ask how Notre Dame approaches this work. How are policy positions developed? What oversight and accountability guide the Washington operation? And how does the University sustain its commitment to nonpartisan engagement amid today’s deep political divisions?
Raising these questions does not diminish Notre Dame’s efforts. Rather, it underscores the seriousness of the responsibility the University has assumed. A full discussion of how this presence is governed would complete an important and timely story.
J. Denis O’Toole ’66
Alexandria, Virginia
Rock? Enroll.
Thank you for the photo of Decio Faculty Hall’s bulletin board (“Stillpoint”). I have not set foot on campus since I graduated. As a result, I study and enjoy all the photos of the campus and students. Both have certainly evolved. For instance, I never saw a female student in any of my classes, let alone a female professor, and could only dream of a Tuesday-Thursday class on “Rock Culture.” (Like, sign me up.)
Dan Wesolowski ’74
Goleta, California
