I was interested in Edward Stourton’s article on English Catholics (“Through thick and thin”, 16 May) who retained their faith. One hears a lot about the famous names of prominent people who did so. But many of us, such as myself, coming from an English Catholic family, miners and mill workers, Culshaws from Wigan, Lancashire, would like to hear of the struggles of ordinary working people to hold onto their faith. Like myself, I suspect many will have married into Irish or Polish families but I still wonder about the courage or obstinacy which caused such people to stay with the Church.Mary Moran, Solihull, West Midlands While Catholic Lancashire was mentioned, the general tone of Edward Stourton’s piece suggested that the recusants were drawn from the upper classe