I'm writing in response to Daphne Caruana Galizia's article in which she states her views about Sunday Mass (TMIS, 3 September).

I truly appreciate her honesty about her experience of Sunday Mass. Her experience of it as “a meeting point, a social occasion and not a religious one – full stop” is truly valid and possibly an extremely common one at that. Also valid is the second reason she gives why people attend Mass – because they aren't daring enough to break an obligation they find meaningless.

But perhaps it is exactly this experience (which I am sure is very common) that is further evidence of the fact that the Church has failed in very important ways, although I disagree with her that this soul searching exercise by the Church to evaluate its ways to reach the hearts of its people is a “waste of time”.

Indeed something needs to be done – sooner rather than later! I say this perhaps because I am still one of those dreamers who would like to believe that there is still some hope – the hope that the Church can grow, to make Mass become more than a habit or social gathering for its people; a means that is effective to help them transcend themselves, experience the Divine and give deeper meaning to their life: and I still wish to believe that dreams sometimes can come true.

Louisa Houlton

ATTARD