Jaime Soto

Agustin Gurza's column on July 24 [detailed] the heart-wrenching pastoral decisions before the pastor and people of the mission church of St. Isidore in Los Alamitos. It neglected to mention the many noble and heroic efforts of Catholic communities that within a single generation have created some of the most dynamic multicultural communities to be found anywhere in the county. Many parishes have become home to a variety of cultures and languages, the Hispanic community being the most prominent in more than 30 of these parishes.

As a resident of the 46th Congressional District, I agree with my good friend Msgr. Jaime Soto's plea ("Vote Fraud Debate," Letters, Nov. 17) to focus on the issues facing the neighborhoods here. Too long the rhetoric and heat has been about extraneous party jockeying for a better position in the next election. I do disagree with Msgr. Soto and his analysis of Rep. Loretta Sanchez's position on a woman's right to an abortion. I believe this congressional district mirrors the nation in wanting women to have the final say about if and when to bring a child into the world.

With the beginning of November, we can anticipate another year of political campaigns, candidates running for office, and propositions being supported and opposed. In the midst of the coming fury, there is little doubt that the race for the 46th Congressional District will be one of the most highly contested and closely watched. My question is whether it will be fought on the basis of the issues and concerns of its constituents or whether this race will be about who won the previous round.

What an uplifting and refreshing story on Msgr. Jaime Soto ("In Good Faith," July 31). In contrast to violent, pessimistic stories on man's inhumanity to man, an article featuring a Roman Catholic priest, committed to his goal to help those in need, remaining unyielding to popular sentiment that may be in contrast to his sense of duty, gently in a steadfast way, is laudable. Articles that tell of the good people are wonderful. Thank you. NANCY J. ROW Orange

The man who is likely the most visible and influential Latino Catholic in Orange County got his first lessons in social responsibility at the family breakfast table, listening to Spanish-speaking strangers. His father would regularly bring them home from daily Mass at St.

Even as hundreds of Catholics gathered in an air of festivity to honor the patron saint of Mexico, the Orange County diocese's top Latino leader warned parishioners Sunday that a rising tide of violence and hatred are threatening "the soul of our people." "We are profoundly hurt by the vicious cycles of violence that rob our communities of our young people and our hope," Msgr.

In January, 1989, the Orange County Human Relations Commission published a report entitled "Zero Dollars Per Hour: A Report on Labor Exploitation in Orange County." It outlined the brutal business reality when the reckless pursuit of profit and competitive edge disregards what workers are due for their labors.

A high-ranking Catholic priest has resigned from a committee considering the idea of a health clinic at an elementary school, because information on contraception and abortion might be given out. "I couldn't have my name associated with that and risk the confusion, so that prompted my resignation," Msgr. Jaime Soto, liaison to the Latino community for the Diocese of Orange, said Thursday. Soto resigned from the 20-member advisory group to the Santa Ana Unified School District last week.

I resolve to celebrate Mass and hear confessions at the central jail once a month during 1991. I resolve to make a difference in the effort against gangs and drugs in the county. I resolve to help Hispanic families meet the challenges of sharing their faith and culture with their children. I resolve to continue working with voluntary and public leadership to build an Orange County that cares for the least among us.

A bilingual Mexican-American priest from Stanton, who has headed the Catholic Church's efforts to help immigrants in Orange County, was named Friday to minister to Orange County's burgeoning Latino population. Father Jaime Soto was appointed by Bishop Norman F. McFarland to be "episcopal vicar of the Hispanic community," a position that oversees the concerns of an estimated 300,000 to 400,000 Latinos who are Roman Catholics--about half of the Catholics in Orange County.