Community outreach. (you may be right).

In Michael Kelly's article "Are progressives too old-fashioned for young Catholics?" (May), he relates a question asked of older progressives by young people: If you're unhappy with church policy and teachings, why stay? A good answer can be summarized in one word: community.

Community in the church does not depend on a comfortable harmony among its members, as many people seem to believe. What is needed instead is a commitment on the part of the members to stay with one another in spite of the discomfort that conflict brings.

Community means humbly acknowledging our need for others' gifts and viewpoints, and patiently trusting the Holy Spirit to find a path for the church through our disagreements to a deeper truth.

Hope for community (or communion) is the essence of our Catholic faith. Community-building is a tall order. Is either generation up for the challenge?

Name withheld
Portland, Ore.

Absolutely amazing. The entire mentality of this article seems to me wholly alien to anything recognizably Catholic. It simply confirms my suspicion that the self-described "liberal" or progressive element is no longer authentically Catholic in anything but name. They wish only to accept our Lord on their own terms, to force him into a condition of subjection to the spirit of the world.

They remind me of those who settle in foreign countries in "expat" ghettos, refusing to learn the language or otherwise engage with the culture. As a result, their view of it remains shallow, parochial, and undeveloped.

Name withheld
London, England