Letters to the Editor | May 11, 2025

Last football season introduced Eagles fans who may have missed his Penn State days to a generational talent in Saquon Barkley. This year, we may have met the personal side of the young man who may be an equally exceptional human being (i.e., a genuinely good person). Really good people seem to be able to find something good in others. While I may not have seen much of the good in our current president, I ask myself, “What would Jesus do?” We know Jesus said, “render unto Caesar.” I’d say that is what Barkley did. Go Birds and go Saquon!

Hank Bisbee, Bryn Mawr, busybis@aol.com

The Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia were disheartened by The Inquirer headline, “The vanishing nuns of Delaware County.” While we appreciate the coverage and acknowledge the reality of fewer women entering religious life, we are far from vanishing. Our commitment and faith remain strong, and our ministries continue to thrive. The article was intended to spotlight a hopeful new documentary from Neumann University celebrating our 170-year legacy of service and spiritual leadership. The film raises important questions about the future — but affirms that our values and impact will endure. The sisters speak candidly about lives filled with love, joy, and service, and the ongoing relevance of our Franciscan charism in today’s world. Even as vowed religious life evolves, our legacy remains vital. Looking ahead, we continue to welcome women discerning a call to vowed life, engage young adults in our ministries, and share our charism through our Companions in Mission. We remain deeply involved in our sponsored and cosponsored ministries. Though fewer in number, we are not fading or vanishing. We are adapting, evolving, and moving forward with hope and purpose.

Sister Celeste Crine, congregational leadership, St. Francis of Philadelphia

Kudos to Justin Kates’s op-ed detailing his frustrations with a system he calls a “kludge” — an ill-assorted collection of parts trying to fulfill a purpose (in his case, trying to get a REAL ID at the Department of Motor Vehicles). While newscasters remain morbidly fascinated with the hours-long lines of frustrated customers struggling to obtain their ID, little attention is given to the fact that the commonwealth’s process exemplifies systemic flaws and inefficiency.

Just consider there are only three DMV sites in the Philadelphia metropolitan area where people can obtain “same day” IDs, with only one of these sites in the county of Philadelphia. It doesn’t require a seasoned system analyst to predict that, given the population being serviced, three sites might be insufficient. Ironically, the alternative is to visit a center that will process your documents and mail you the ID in 15 days. Ironic because it’s a kludgeocracy relying on another system plagued with quality and reliability issues. Perhaps a visit to the powers that be at the DMV — by any department of efficiency — wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Richard O’Connell, Philadelphia

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