To the Editor:

Regarding the mass murders which continue in the United States, it is important to recall the counsel given by the mother of Jesus the Christ at the village of Fatima, Portugal, in 1917. The Blessed Virgin Mary counseled: "Pray the rosary every day to bring peace to the world and to end wars." This instruction given by the Queen of Peace has been ignored even by us Roman Catholics who are busy being busy.

This writer attended a Catholic high school called Chaminade which is located in Mineola, N.Y. During my years at Chaminade, a school operated by the Society of Mary, I do not recall the counsel of daily prayer of the rosary to bring peace being given. Maybe the brothers prayed the rosary daily in common but they never spoke of it. Then came the Vietnam War.

Violence is the result of the lack of peace. Jesus said, "My peace I give you!" We Christians do not take this counsel seriously. We have allowed human reason and its fruits and secular government and science to replace the offer by Jesus to come to him for peace.

We have sowed the seeds of violence and we are reaping murder. Jesus also said moments before he was violently killed, "If you live by the sword, you will die by the sword." America has ignored his wisdom and holds on to guns and nuclear weapons. Note Fatima was Mohammad's daughter.

Joseph E. Vallely

149 West Mountain Road, Washington Green                                            June 14, 2016