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8 THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA THE BULLETIN The Official Organ of the Catholic Laymen’s Association of Georgia. Published Monthly by the Publicity Department, 409 Herald Building, Augusta, Georgia. Subscription Prices—$2.00 Per Year ASSOCIATION OFFICERS FOR 1920-1921 P. H. Rice, Augusta President Col. P. H. Callahan, Louisville, Ky Hon. Yice-Pres. J. J. H;averty, Atlanta.., + .....First Vice-Pres. J. B. McCallum, Atlanta Secretary Thomas S. Gray, Augusta... Treasurer Richard Reid, Augusta....Editor and Publicity Director Miss Cecile C. Ferry, Augusta....Asst. Publicity Director YOL II. AUGUST, 1921 No. 9 The Heart of Georgia The Acworth Progress, a paper published in North Georgia, and which boasted the motto: “Swat the Pope,” is no more. Its editor, Rev. Lon Davis, pastor of the Baptist Church there, has been debarred from his pulpit, following charges that he was convicted in Wise County, Texas, some time ago of forgery and embezzlement, and that he left his wife and children there to go away with a woman who was supposed by his congregation to be his wife. He has left the state. The Progress started publication in April. It repeated the old myths, termed President Hard ing a tool of Rome, just as Wilson had been,, etc., etc. The Laymen’s Association believed it would be out of existence from lack of support by next Christmas. . The action of the congregation of the Acworth Baptist Church and the downfall of Mr. Davis indicates that it is not possible longer in Georgia to guarantee success for a paper by making it an- ti-Catholic. There is a growing spirit of fairness in the state. The disease racking its body will wear away. The heart of Georgia is sound. Archbishop Curley The elevation of Rt. Rev. Michael J. Curley, D. D., Bishop of St. Augustine, to the archiepiscopal see of Baltimore, is of particular interest to Geor gia and the Catholic Laymen’s Association. Archbishop Curley, as Bishop of St. Augustine, was actively interested in the work of the Catholic Laymen’s Association of Georgia. He followed its growth with interest and encouraging eyes, and he later invited the first publicity director of the Laymen’s Association, the late James J. Farrell, to come to his diocese to organize a similar associa tion there. The work of the organization was go ing along successfully when Mr. Farrell died. Rt. Rev. Bishop Keiley of Savannah was one of the six Bishops who met with the late Cardinal Gibbons in Baltimore in 1914 to consider the ques tion of a successor to Bishop Kenney of St. Aug ustine. The new Archbishop of Baltimore was se lected. He was consecrated by Bishop Keiley of Savannah. He was present at the consecration of the Cathedral of St. .John the Baptist at Savan nah in June, 1920. These and other considerations make Georgia Catholics the more interested in his elevation, and gratified because of it. Bishop Curley was born October 12, 1879, at Athlone, Ireland, also the native place of his boy hood companion and lifelong friend, John Mc Cormick. He was educated by the Marists at South Kensington, the Jesuit Fathers at Mun- gret, near Limerick, and the Royal Irish Univer sity of Dublin. Although yearning for a mission in the South Sea Isles, he was assigned to the Diocese of St. Augustine, and was sent to Rome for his theological studies. Ordained on the Feast of St. Joseph, 1903, and coming to the United States and Florida, he was appointed by Bishop Kenny pastor of the Church at De Land. As soon as possible, he became an American citizen, and he remarked at the time that he was born an American citizen in Ireland, since there was no government there a decent Irishman could recognize. At the time of his consecration, Bishop Curley was the youngest Bishop in the United States, just as he is now the youngest Archbishop. His departure from Florida will be deeply regretted by his people and by thousands of Protestants many of whom he has turned, since coming to Florida, from determined opponents of the Church to staunch friends. Bishop Curley has accomplished an almost un believable amount of work during his seven years as head of the Diocese of St. Augustine. The Catholics of Florida and Georgia, who know him best, know that his work as Archbishop of Balti more will shrink his former accomplishments into comparative nothingness.. The South’s loss is the gain of the Church of America. Official Notice of Knighthood for President Rice BENEDICTUS PP. XV. BELOVED SON, Health and Apostolic Benedic tion. Our Venerable Brother, Benjamin Joseph Keiley Bishop of Savannah, most warmly commends you to Us as a Catholic gentleman widely known for your zeal in the cause of religion and of Christian virtue. Especially does he praise to Us the work which up to this time you have undertaken in the Catholic cause, both as Deputy of the Knights of Columbus and also as President of the Society of Catholic Laymen which you have so especially aided in forming in the State of Georgia North America. Because of these things, We, bending to the wishes of the aforenamed Bishop, in considera tion of your praiseworthy merits in the cause of religion, by these presents do elect, make and ap point you as a Knight of the Military Order of Saint Gregory the Great. We concede to you, then the right to wear the insignia proper to this Order, military class—namely, the Golden Cross, octagonal, with Red Background bearing the Image of Saint Gregory the Great in the mid dle, with silk ribbon of red color, and to be worn on the left side of the breast according to the custom of other Orders. That you may un derstand and recognize the proper insignia, we are sending you an illustration. GIVEN AT ROME, at Saint Peter’s, under the Seal of the Fisherman, the Seventh Day of June in the Year of Our Lord One Thousand Nine Hun dred and Twenty One, in the Seventh Year of Our Pontificate. (Seal) Benedictus XV. Pont. Max. (Signed) P. Card. Gasparri, Sec’y of State. TO OUR BELOVED SON PATRICK HUGH RICE, Knight.