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Two students write letters to the holy father

(Editor’s note: Following are two letters that were selected from Catholic elementary students who wrote to Pope Benedict XVI to congratulate him on his birthday and his third anniversary as pope. These letters were forwarded to the pope in Rome. The first was written by sixth-grader, Thomas Lugge, a student at Cathedral Grade School in Belleville. The second was written by eighth-grader Shannon Dowling of St. Teresa School, also in Belleville.)

Dear Holy Father,
My name is Thomas Lugge and I am in the sixth grade at St. Peter’s Cathedral Grad e School in Belleville, Ill., U.S.A. I am writing to you to wish you a HAPPY 81st BIRTHDAY! CONGRATULATIONS ON THE THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF BEING ELECTED POPE AND WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!
In my lifetime the Catholic Church has been blessed with two great popes. My parents say I am lucky because I have gotten to see both Pope John Paul II and yourself in person. I saw Pope John Paul II when he came to visit St. Louis in 1999. We have lots of pictures of his motorcade. Although I was young, his visit influenced my family and me greatly. We have a great love for Pope John Paul II.

I saw you in Rome in Oct. of 2005. I have many pictures of Rome and some of you also. One of which is hanging in the main entrance of my school. We also have a picture in our car to remind us of our inspirational trip to Rome and of the Leader of our Church. These pictures remind us that Jesus is with us through you as the leader of our Church, and encourage us to do our best in everyday life.

Over these last few weeks of lent and throughout the Easter Season my family and I are praying that your trip to the United States will inspire Catholics throughout our country to return to their faith and follow your leadership. We also pray that your visit will inspire all people of every faith to live better lives through Jesus Christ. We are fortunate to have a Catholic TV station in our area. We will be able to hear your messages during your visit and will follow them closely. We are getting very excited about your visit and wish we could be in New York to hear the words of Jesus through you.

In memory of your Birthday we are saying a special intercession for you. We pray that we may be blessed with many more years with you as our Pope. We appreciate your prayers for us and all your hard work and we will try to do the same for you.

Best wishes and God’s Blessings on you,

Thomas Lugge and St. Peter’s Cathedral Grade School

Dear Pope Benedict XVI,

I remember the day you were chosen to be Pope. It was only a few days before my birthday, so I remember it well. I went to a Catholic school at the time, so the entire school had been waiting for hours to see how our new Pope would be. Before Pope John Paul II had died, I knew almost nothing about who the Pope was or what he did. But after he died, we started watching documentaries on Pope John Paul II in school, learning the Pope’s responsibilities, and how he was chosen. I started really regretting not knowing anything about John Paul II when he was alive. He was a great man and I had missed out on his life. I didn’t know if anyone could be nearly as good a Pope as he had been. Then, finally it was decided that you would be our new Pope.

By coming to the United States of America, you have by far exceeded my expectations. It is wonderful to see that you are continuing Pope John Paul II’s mission to bring together all of the Catholics around the world. Also, in a world where Catholic teens are constantly faced with violent video games, movies and television shows containing sexual content, violent threats, drugs, and school shootings, your visit can help us remain true to our faith when many of our peers have become desensitized. In light of all this, I would be honored if you would keep all those throughout the world who, like me, are being confirmed this year in your prayers.

Thank you for visiting the United States of America and happy eighty-first birthday! I would also like to congratulate you on your third anniversary of your installation as pope. It’s quite a big year for you! And last, but certainly not least, I would like to wish you luck on your first of hopefully many visits to the United States of America.
Sincerely,

Shannon Rose Dowling
St. Teresa Catholic School, Belleville