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THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN'S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
5
THE FIRST LAYMEN’S RETREAT IN GEORGIA
Twenty Catholic men, representing four Georgia
cities, gathered at St. Stanislaus’ College, Macon,
Thursday, July 7, to make the first retreat for lay
men ever conducted in the Diocese of Savannah, or,
for that matter, in any of the Southeastern states.
Sunday morning, July 10, these twenty men left St.
Stanislaus’ College, resolved not only that they
would come back for the second retreat next sum
mer, but would see to it that the twenty of 1921 will
be doubled and tripled twelve months hence.
The retreat was conducted by Rev. J. J. McCreary,
S. J.. president of Immaculate Conception College,
New Orleans. From every point of view, it was a
huge success. The Georgians who have had expe
rience in retreats in other parts of the United States
declare that the Macon retreat was the finest and
most profitable one they ever attended. Father
McCreary was an ideal retreat master, one whose
eloquence was not his only asset. The Jesuit Fath
ers, especially Rev. J. M. Salter, S. J., Master of
Novices at St. Stanislaus’, left nothing undone that
would add to the comfort and convenience of the re-
treatants.
One half of the men who made the retreat came
from Macon. Augusta was second, with seven. At
lanta, with two, was third, and Milledgeville sent one
retreatant to swell the total. Those present were:
Jack J. Spalding and D. J. Hayes of Atlanta; Pat
rick H. Rice, Mathew S. Rice, James B. Mulherin, T.
P. Kearney, Hugh Kinchley, Stewart Cashin and
Richard Reid of Augusta; J. G. Weisz, G. E. Marsh,
Jas. L. McCreary, W. T. McCreary. F. A. Huthnance,
M. L. Ryan, Martin J. Callaghan, F. K. Scull, Albert
E. Sheridan and Ed. A. Sheridan of Macon, and R.
W. Hatcher of Milledgeville.
The retreatants entered the College Thursday eve
ning, Julv 7. From that time until the end of the
retreat Sunday morning, silence was observed, ex-
cent for two hours a day, one after dinner and an
other in the evening. There was a regular order of
religious exercises daily, meditation and Mass in the
morning before breakfast, meditations, conducted by
Father McCreary at 10 o’clock in the morning, 5:30
in the afternoon and at 9 o’clock in the evening, and
at other times in the day private devotions, Benedic
tion, the Stations of the Cross, Recitation of the
Rosarv. and other devotions. At meals extracts from
a work by the great Cardinal Manning were read.
There was an earnestness about the retreatants
that increased with the hours. They had banished
from their minds all thoughts of the troubles and
cares that are part of their life in the world. Their
thoughts were of their Creator and of the end of
man. They returned to the world better men mor
ally. mentally and physically for it.
The retreat ended at breakfast. Sunday morning.
After the meal, on motion of Mr. James B. Mulherin,
Mr. Jack J. Spalding of Atlanta took the chair, and
resolutions thanking Bishop Keiley for his assistance
and interest in the retreat movement, and Hie Jesuit
Fathers for making it possible for the retreat to be
conducted this year, were adopted by an unanimous
vote.
Mr. Spalding voiced the thoughts of all the men
when he told how the retreat had affected him. He
said that it was but the beginning of greater things,
merely the foundation. “I never had so much work
to do at one time in my life before, it seemed to me,
as the day I left for Macon and the retreat.” he
said. “I just shut up the desk and came, and I can
not tell how pleased I am that I did.”
Mr. Spalding has for years been advocating re
treats in the Diocese of Savannah. Mr. R. W.
Hatcher of Milledgeville, who also delivered a short
address at the breakfast, has been another staunch
advocate, and he expressed his pleasure at being
able to be present at the first one.
What the men themselves thought of the retreat
is best expressed by the following resolutions, adopt
ed at the meeting, with instructions to the secretary
to send copies to Bishop Keiley, Father McCreary,
Father de Potter, Father Salter and Father Ryan:
July 10, 1921.
We, the undersigned beneficiaries of the first
Laymen’s Retreat ever conducted in the Diocese
of Savannah, wish to express to the Fathers of
the Society of Jesus, who made the Retreat pos
sible, our sincere and lasting appreciation. We
wish also to thank
Rt. Rev. Benjamin D. Keiley, D. D., our be
loved Bishop, for his interest in the movement,
and his valuable assistance.
Rev. Father de Potter, S. J., President of St.
Stanislaus, for the use of the college building
and numerous other courtesies.
Rev. Father Salter, S. J., for the elaborate
preparations made for our comfort and enter
tainment and for his untiring assitance in other
directions.
Rev. Father Ryan, S. J., for his generous ef
forts in behalf of the promoters of the Retreat.
The young men, Novices and Scholastics of
the Society of Jesus, who saw to it that our
every want was satisfied.
The Brothers of the Society, who labored un
ceasingly in our behalf during our stay at St.
Stanislaus.
The pastors and priests of the Diocese of Sa
vannah, for the generous publicity they gave
the announcement of the Retreat.
We are particularly indebted to Rev. Father
McCreary, S. J., who conducted the Retreat. His
spiritual guidance and his eloquent, scholarly
instructions have sent our souls soaring to
heights never before reached by them, and have
given new vigor to the spiritual life within us,
a vigor we shall endeavor to nourish by the con
stant practice of the exercises recommended bv
him.
Our sojourn here has convinced us that speech
is not "Hie medium of communication in Heaven,
for words are powerless when summoned to ex
press the gratitude that is in our hearts this
morning. We shall try to express our thanks
rather in action, and therefore pledge ourselves
to return to St. Stanislaus twelve months hence
if it be God’s holy will, and in the meantime to
acquaint our fellow Catholics, not by word alone,
with the great and salutary effect of the 1921
retreat on us, to the end that our number may
be doubled and even tripled when we gather
again.
Signed:
Patrick H. Rice
Jack J. Spalding
J. G. Weisz
Denis J. Hayes
G. E. Marsh
Jas. L. McCreary
W. T. McCreary
F. A. Huthnance
James B. Mulherin
Stuart A. Cashin
M. L. Ryan
T. P. Kearney
Martin J. Callaghan
Mathew S. Rice
F. K. Scull
Hugh Kinchley
Albert E. Sheridan
Richard Reid
R. W. Hatcher
Ed. A. Sheridan.