Sunday March 28th, 2004.

Dear Sister *****************8,

My name is Katie Williams and I have been a parish member since summer of 2003 when I moved from Indiana. I have been teaching REF and proclaiming the Word of God on Sundays. I’ve very much enjoyed the REF teaching and Sunday homilies; however I do not feel as if I am fitting in well with this parish and am going to move my faith to another parish. I would like to write about a few of my grievances against you.

Today before the 11 am mass, I came early to prepare for the second reading. The pink lector forms, in my opinion, did not clearly communicate the information they intended. I had politely asked you for help, after you were done socializing with other parish members. As usual you were reluctant to help, and then you criticized my fault in reading the lector schedule. Am I not human? I have noticed on previous occasions that when I come to ask you a question, I get criticized and disrespected because of my human errors. You point out quite frequently that “I need to read things better” after I ask my questions. Well, could it be that you need to “Write things better?” or better communicate? !

And today during mass, the physical “shoving” was what made me angry. Before the procession, the first lector did not appear. Previously, I was not informed that all lectors, including the second, need be present at the back of the church proceeding mass. I did look for the first lector multiple times, and got worried when I did not see her. As I spotted you walking in search of the first lector, I got up, as my duty to volunteer for the first lector. I was once again criticized for not being at the back of the church, and then ROUGHLY told to get in line. The procession line was already half-way towards the altar and I would have willingly gone to the front of the church to get in line, except you had PULLED MY ARM and DRAGGED ME to the front. How about asking someone to do something, before dragging them somewhere? Ok? I would not do that to an adult!

In short, you have hurt my feelings on numerous occasions. Frankly, I do not think you even respect me. I may look like I am 16 yrs old and a child, but I AM NOT! I am a 23 yr old adult, who works full-time, pays money into the parish, herself, goes to grad-school, lives on her own, supports herself, and above all, I think I am quite mature and should be respected as an adult. I will move on to a parish has staff that can do this.

Sincerely,




Kathleen E. Williams