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’.'HE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
7
THE LATE FATHER JOHN S. MCCARTHY
By H. A. S.
It had been my privilege and pleasure to live
wih him for two years as assistant at St. Patrick’s
Church, Savannah, where he had been Pastor for
about twenty-five years. In this time I learned to
know the better I knew him the greater became my
regard for him, and so it was with all who knew him.
He was a man of exceptionally strong character,
fearless and kind; he, indeed, was a Proverbial Rough
Diamond, misunderstood by many, though kind to all,
yet neither friendship nor favor would deter him in
stern corrections of wrong doings. He had the highest
regard for his superiors and looked upon authority
with the greatest respect, not only from an ecclesias
tical, but also from a civil, standpoint.
He was a man of prayer, and in the fulfillment of
his many priestly duties he was ever faithful, even
at times when through ill health he should have re
lied upon a brother priest to perform them he would
say, “Oh, I can attend to it, why bother another?”
One of the most touching scenes of his life, no doubt,
was when he last appeared in his Church, at the Forty
Hours’ devotion, scarcely able to move along with
the assistance of a cane, he insisted on attending
those devotions and following the Blessed Sacrament
in the procession. Here, indeed, he demonstrated his
great love for our Lord in the Holy Eucharist. I dare
say this was only the climax of the great devotion
and piety he had been exercising throughout his forty
or more years of priestly life.
In his five years of sufferings, three of which were
intense, he would never complain, and refused to see
any except his nearest friends when in his greatest
sufferings.
Father John, as he was most familiarly known in
Savannah, had won the hearts of the children. No
matter in what part of the city he was seen you
would hear some one say, “There is Father John,’
or the childish greeting, “Hello, Father John.” He
was indeed a friend to all.
As a friend and adviser, not only the laity, but his
brother priests, were properly directed; in advising
he was always very thorough, thoughtful and delib
erate; as a man of business he stood alone among his
brothers, and many young men of high business rank
owe their success to the advice obtained from Father
John.
He loved his labors in the vineyard of his Lord,
and ever sought to do His will, ready at all times to
sacrifice friends, if need be, for His honor and glory.
May the God of mercy have mercy upon his soul,
and grant him the reward he had so faithfully labored
for.
POSITION OF THE CHURCH IN CONTROVERSIES
BETWEEN CAPITAL AND LABOR
WRITTEN FOR THE BULLETIN.
There are several kinds of controversies that arise,
one time and another, between capital and labor;
and different kinds involve different principles. The
position of the Church is always one based on prin
ciple and, therefore, to know her position in any case
one must know at least the main principles which she
recognizes as governing right relations between the
persons or classes involved.
The principles governing capital and labor are not
of an intricate nature, but rather simple. Such is
the complex nature of industrial life, however, that
the correct application of those principles is not al
ways clear. Scarcely ever, does the settlement of a
controversy turn on one lone principle. Even where
the issues involved in a given case are all reduced
to one, the facts bearing on this one issue most likely
occasion disagreement, and thus the application of
the governing principle is not perfectly clear.
This is but another way of saying, that without a
conscientious purpose underlying the conduct of both
capital and labor, no right settlement of their dis
putes is practically possible. Here, is the first prin
ciple recognized by the Church. Both sides in the
controversy must try to do justice. Both must be
guided by Christian motives, from which alone justice
flows. Nothing was ever settled right that was set
tled on a pagan basis. Paganism was tried for more
than four thousand years, during which the human
intellect proved itself again and agayi, as brilliant,
as profound, as keen, penetrating, deft, resourceful,
matchless—as ever since; and yet, after a hundred
generations had come and gone, the pagan world was
just where it started, so far as morality and justice
were concerned; so far as human rights were con
cerned; so far as the dignity of the human person was
concerned.
Here we find the second principle recognized by
the Church, namely, the dignity of the human person.
Not dignity consisting of pomp and circumstance, or
arising from possessions or attainments; but inherent
in a human being as such. Man is the lord of crea
tion. He is made in the image of God. The Son of
God suffered and died for him. The earth and the
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