Rash letter writer errs about priest

After reading the letter from Teresa Glackin Callahan ("Priest must accept responsibility," Dec. 10) I had to respond.

I am a parishioner at St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church, and I love the Rev. Thomas Peyton. I was very upset when I read about the incident in the paper ("Driver says priest slapped her," Nov. 24). The Sunday after the incident, he addressed the parish at each service. He admitted that he had acted inappropriately and apologized to the parish, his fellow priests and to the young lady involved. He said he is ready to accept any punishment that may result from his actions.

Clergymen are human beings, can lose their tempers and make mistakes like all the rest of us. To say that he has not accepted responsibility is just not true.

Patricia Howard, Martinez