I have to tell you how I've appreciated for just about a year now all the  correspondence and the exchanges of Corpus on the internet, and how exciting  some of the letters have been and especially the one about the resolutions  that you shared with us this morning. 

Since my ordination to the priesthood in 1970 I've always talked openly and  promoted in my own way the married and celibate clergy option and the  ordination of women. I've had a few interviews on tv about these issues and  many on radio programs and for various journals. My bishop had to call an  island wide clergy meeting at one time because I had openly denounced some  of the  reasons for imposing celibacy at beginning of the 4th century as  totally irrelevant for our times and even unacceptable at the time it was  imposed, adding ....who is the church to tell me that I don't have the  right to certain sacraments (married clergy and ordination of women) when we  know that the sacraments are gifts from God through the person of Jesus and  equally powerful and given to us All as a grace to sanctify us... Needless  to say  there were wild group discussions and strong argumentations for some  hours among our 60 some priests who finally agreed ( 70 percent of them) we  should support the married clergy and study seriously the ordination of  women. The bishop had agreed to take these concerns to Rome while on his ad  limina visit to the pope.

I'm simply sharing this to let you know that here on Prince Edward  Island in  the diocese of Charlottetown there is an openness and I believe it takes a  stronger organisation like Corpus and a few others in the same vein to  advance the cause.  Once again it's very exciting to read your messages and sense the genuine  fellowship amongst the membership. I'm sure that Corpus is a powerful sign  of the times for desperately needed changes in the church. The Spirit is  definitely making things happen through Corpus and I wish to assure you of  my prayers and support. I thank Jim Noonan, I believe, who first sent me the  information re Corpus.

I'm sure that you know  there are a lot of priests thinking like me being  presently involved in active church ministry. I would hope that more priests  would be aware of the good work of Corpus. I've talked to many priests about  it especially at the deanery level, I also talked about the work and goals  of Corpus in my sunday homilies a couple of times and the reaction of people  was very positive. 

To sum up know that your very existence as Corpus and the work you're doing is very important to me and no doubt to a lot of active priests and laity in the catholic church. I truly believe that needed  changes will happen in the church through ground level bodies like Corpus. It will certainly not come  from the top, our established and powerful hierarchy.... 

United in prayers, Eloi Arsenault.