Letter to the Editor
New York Times
September 26, 2004

To the Editor:

We were pleased to see your editorial ''Hear Their Voices'' (Sept. 19). As members of Long Island Voice of the Faithful, we know that paid advertisements submitted to The Long Island Catholic newspaper have been refused and that pastors have been directed by the diocese not to print any Voice of the Faithful meeting notices in parish bulletins. So we are glad to read the facts in a newspaper.

Two committees of five people, representing the diocese and Voice of the Faithful, met two times before the diocese abruptly declared severe preconditions for further meetings. The tone was ''Take it or leave it!''

Added to this is the strategy the diocese seems to use in dealing with the more than 40 sexual abuse lawsuits in state court, and the uncooperative attitude toward the advocacy group Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests when it recently opened a Long Island office. These actions were preceded two years ago by the prohibition of the use of parish facilities to the 2,000 members of Long Island Voice of the Faithful. The use of power is in a static state, with the laity not consulted.

If Bishop William F. Murphy were to attend a Voice of the Faithful meeting (we've invited him), we think that he would be pleased to find prayerful, committed, faith-filled Catholics concerned about their church.

Harriet Garzero
Edward Garzero
Center Moriches