I wrote it in this space already. Richard John Neuhaus is
dead. We've lost some big ones in the last year. Many
of you will not realize how big this one was. I pray Jody
Bottum and some of the others in the First Things
(Neuhaus' hugely influential journal) world can carry on his
legacy. Though Neuhaus' death leaves a chasm to be filled,
I think Dr. Bottum is the right man for it.
Anthony Sacramone is a former managing editor of First
Things. He is also one of my favorite writers.
So, I'm happy to bring you
his wonderful tribute to Neuhaus. Here's a taste:
Woody Allen said that 90% of life is just showing up. Richard
John Neuhaus showed up. Whether it was at civil-rights marches
in the 1960s or pro-life marches of the 1980s, Richard John
Neuhaus showed up. Whether it was at the altar as a parish
priest or at the bedside of a dying friend, Richard John
Neuhaus showed up. As writer, lecturer, editor, raconteur,
counselor, teacher — Richard John Neuhaus showed up. Every day.
Until today.
And by the way,
the New York Times didn't do badly, either. I
give them credit, particularly since Father Neuhaus spent part of
his last column writing about how his desire to read the
NYT had continued to slip.
