Friday, June 03, 2005
To Cardinal Sterzinsky (Mrs. Araceli C. Jimeno)
May 13, 2005
Your Eminence,
My family and I are former parishioners of All Saints Parish and for three years volunteered as greeters and altar servers. We left Berlin in August 2002 when my husband, Joselito Jimeno, Consul General of the Philippine Embassy, Berlin assumed his new assignment in New York.
We recall a closely-knit community in All Saints where a lot of us felt most at home. We are therefore saddened to learn that the Chapel will close down on June 23, and hope that this letter will help you to reconsider this decision. We believe that even if they worshipped in different locations, the English-speaking Catholics in Berlin could remain unified. There are other means to build unity among members as we all know. For example, celebrating special occasions together like Christmas, Easter, First Communion, Confirmation; or holding regular group interactions with the Pastors and religious leaders; even sharing newsletters. What is more desirable and definitely less drastic than closing down the chapel, is the unconditional involvement and encouragement of religious leaders.
Thank you, Your Eminence, for your time in reading our humble letter, and hope that you will heed the growing clamor to keep All Saints open.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs. Araceli C. Jimeno
World Bank, 1818 H Street N.W.
Washington D.C. 20433, U.S.A.
http://www.all-saints-berlin.de/
Your Eminence,
My family and I are former parishioners of All Saints Parish and for three years volunteered as greeters and altar servers. We left Berlin in August 2002 when my husband, Joselito Jimeno, Consul General of the Philippine Embassy, Berlin assumed his new assignment in New York.
We recall a closely-knit community in All Saints where a lot of us felt most at home. We are therefore saddened to learn that the Chapel will close down on June 23, and hope that this letter will help you to reconsider this decision. We believe that even if they worshipped in different locations, the English-speaking Catholics in Berlin could remain unified. There are other means to build unity among members as we all know. For example, celebrating special occasions together like Christmas, Easter, First Communion, Confirmation; or holding regular group interactions with the Pastors and religious leaders; even sharing newsletters. What is more desirable and definitely less drastic than closing down the chapel, is the unconditional involvement and encouragement of religious leaders.
Thank you, Your Eminence, for your time in reading our humble letter, and hope that you will heed the growing clamor to keep All Saints open.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs. Araceli C. Jimeno
World Bank, 1818 H Street N.W.
Washington D.C. 20433, U.S.A.
http://www.all-saints-berlin.de/
