Welcome the wild man. (Letters: you may be right).

THANK YOU FOR TOM MCGRATH'S COVER ARTICLE ("IS men's spirituality out of the woods?" April). It's a difficult time to be a man in the Catholic Church. I often find myself feeling apologetic for being male. I belong to a parish that stays on the front lines of social outreach and change, attempting to address issues of injustice and prejudice. Often it seems that "male energy" lies at the core of these social ills, not to mention the power and relational problems in the church.

But as an individual believer who happens to be a guy, how do I nurture my own faith and spirituality? And as a father of two young-adult sons, how do I authentically show them that there is a place for them in the Catholic Church? McGrath's article certainly challenges me to be more authentically male and welcome my "shadows into the light of Christ." I know I need to connect with other men to do this.

I appreciate that McGrath also challenges the church, particularly at the local level, to welcome the wild man, explore effective initiation of young men, and provide an arena for masculinity to effectively and authentically contribute to the spiritual growth of the community.

Leif Kehrwald
Portland, Ore.

McGrath's article is well written and full of wisdom. I have been involved in men's spirituality for 11 years, and I am a leader in a yearly retreat for men. The last three years we have had 300-plus attend. We make it very masculine and present blunt facts about how we have failed and struggle to forgive ourselves and others. After each sharing by a man who has made the weekend, there are sharing groups of seven or eight that help each person work on his weakness and mistakes of the past. Many ongoing sharing groups have been formed by men who have made this retreat.

Men are looking for support and a deeper spirituality. My experience is, it will come by telling your truth, forgiving, and clearing a path for God to work in your life.

Name withheld
Arvada, Colo.

I was very impressed with McGrath's article. I found it very balanced, and it addressed important issues around men's spirituality and the Catholic Church's response.

There is a great deal of potential in men's spirituality, as McGrath indicates. Unless men, myself included, are willing to admit that the Spirit works in a variety of ways--and even outside the institutional church--there will continue to be tensions and distractions to helping men and their families experience the fullness of life promised by Jesus.

There is a need for reflective living. As men, we need to give ourselves permission to live reflectively, as opposed to competitively. Such an effort, I believe, will bring us to a deeper appreciation of God's creative genius and inspire us to be men of passion for the fullness of life, reflected in our relationships to our families, colleagues, and parishioners.

Bob Lecheler
La Crosse, Wis.