BY CHRISTINA FARRELL
ONE inThought jar the Day's regular Catholic contributors has been unceremoniously dropped after 15 years of service.
Lavinia Byrne, a former Catholic nun, has provided a Catholic input to the religious slot on BBC Radio 4's flagship Today programme on a regular basis.
A report in The Daily Mail this week said she found out by chance that she had been dropped.
A source described her as -too Catholic".
Speaking to The Catholic Herald Miss Byrne said she was saddened at her treatment.
Miss Byrne said: "It concerns me that a number of Catholic names appear to have vanished.
"The troubling thing is that! discovered quite by chance as 1 happened to ring the department.
"After 15 years of contributing I was disappointed not to receive a thank you letter or some expression of gratitude. I know it's a 'don't call us, we'll
call you world' but I did think that was a poor return for what I had given."
Miss Byrne said that "as far as she was aware" Clifford Longley, the Catholic writer and broadcaster, was the only Catholic remaining on the prestigious slot.
Cristina °done. fanner editor of The Catholic Herald, has also been a regular contributor.
Last week The Catholic Herald repotted that producers were looking for a fresh Catholic input to the programme. A spokeswoman said two new Catholic broadcasters had been allocated to the slot but "hadn't yet signed on the dotted line" — she refused to name them.
A seasoned broadcaster, who declined to be named, said Thought For The Day demanded "someone with something to say and a good broadcaster".
The BBC was unavailable for comment.
Miss Byrne was formerly a member of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary.