Sir, - The utterly dreadful sexual assault and murder of that poor nun, Sister Philomena Lyons, is a crime which leaves us all speechless with horror. Here was a gentle soul who had devoted her whole life to the service of God, a true friend to the underprivileged. As I looked at her photograph in the newspapers with her kind, sensitive, gentle face and that lovely smile I asked myself: just what has become of this country? How could such an evil deed take place? How could anyone want to harm this frail elderly nun? Has this country really sunk to such levels of depravity and viciousness?
Indeed, there have been so many horrible killings in Ireland lately. Has human life lost its sacred value and meaning?
Hilaire Belloc once said that every encounter with evil demands a solution. Perhaps it is only the infinitely loving God, whom Sister Philomena served with such devotion, who will one day reveal to us the reasons for the existence of evil and suffering in the world. In the meantime, our prayers are with this poor nun and our deepest sympathy goes out to her community in the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. - Yours, etc.,
Anthony Redmond, North Great George's Street, Dublin, 1.