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THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN'E ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF THE PARISH OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, SAVANNAH, GA. (Continued from page 6.) funds were raised to erect a house for the priest, who had before this lived on Broughton Street. The War of 1812 About this time political disagreements with Great Britain were becoming more and more serious, and war at last seemed imminent. Great apprehension was felt in Savannah owing to the dreadful memories of the Revolutionary days many of the people who had been through that trying ordeal in Savannah being still alive. It was feared that the British would very likely make a special effort to capture Savannah again, and wreak vengeance for their final defeat in the War of Independence. As in every crisis that the country has faced, the Catholics of Savannah readily offered their services in the defense of American liberty. On Thursday, January 28, 1812, the following no tice appeared in the Savannah “Republican:” “Thursday next will be a day of humiliation and prayer in the Roman Catholick Church in this city to beseech the Father of Mercies to avert from this nation the calamities which threaten it. Service at ten o’clock in the morning.” This was the first public meeting called in Savannah to discuss the impending war. War was finally declar ed on June 18th; and the French members of the con gregation issued the following notice, originally in the French language: “Notice to Frenchmen in Savannah: The gentlemen who have volunteered to form a company are hereby notified that the committee has taken the necessary steps with the authorities, and consequently the nom ination of officers to command the company will take place next Monday, the 29th, inst., at ten A. M., at the Court House, in the presence of two justices of the peace, etc., conformably to the laws regarding the or ganization. The gentlemen who have not as yet been enrolled and who wish to join the company are re quested to present themselves at M. Sommiere’s, where the roll call is deposited, and to assemble next Monday for the nomination of officers. Savannah, June 27th, 1812.” The War passed, however, without Savannah be ing molested, and victory again rested with the Am erican arms. But conditions in France were constant ly changing, and the years just passed had witnessed the end of the Reign of Terror and the rise of Na poleon to power. The French refugees in Savannah, however, being staunch supporters of the Bourbons, refused to go kf C L tC> rec ^ a ^ m their properties until the final defeat of the Emperor and the Restoration of the King. From 1815 onward there is a gradual diminution of French names on the records and a corresponding increase of Irish. The French were gradually leaving America while the Irish were taking their places. The congre gation in Savannah now numbered about 500, but the people were too poor to build another church and the little chapel was growing old and badly in need of repairs. On Nov. 29, 1817, the following newspaper notice appeared: “The sale of pews of the Roman Catholic Church will take plac e> on Monday, the first of December next at eleven o’clock in the forenoon.” This custom of renting pews only for one year, and having a regular meeting day the first of each fiscal year, continued in force for many years. The New Lots in Brown Ward In January, 1918, the Trustees of the Church, find- ing themselves unable to keep up the house, leased it to the Abbe Carles for a small sum, as long as he should remain in charge of the congregation with the right to purchase or sell vested in themselves. How ever, this lease was transferred by him on December 1st, 1819, and the last record appearing over his sig nature is dated December 4, 1819. We will reserve for another article the full story of this good and faithful priest. On February 22, 1819, Lots Nos. 33 and 34 in Brown Ward were granted to the Roman Catholic Church. On April 5th, 1819, permission was given to the vestry to sell the Elbert Ward lots; and on April 25th, permission was given to sell the lot on Liberty Square where the little chapel stood. This was with the understanding that the money received from the sale should be used for the building of a new and larger Church on the two lots in Brown Ward. The old lots continued, however, to be the property of the Church for many years afterwards, as a suitable pur chaser could not be obtained at the time. It was not until the 2 7th day of June, 1822, that the Brown Ward lots were vested in the Church, and many years went by before a Church was erected there, owing to the inability of the people to raise the necessary funds with which to build. WHY A GEORGIA METHODIST MINISTER ENTERED THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND THE SOCIETY OF JESUS (Continued from page 4.) felt that they should do so; they had given me plenty of time for reflection. It was certainly a hard blow for me. I felt the utter loneliness of my position, and all who knew of the step 1 was about to take deplored it to the utmost, and did not hesitate to tell me that I had embraced the most pernicious errors and was even on the broad road to perdition. It was one of those supreme crises which comes to the soul at times when friends, loved ones, and all human help fail, and one is left in the Garden to pray and struggle alone. I threw myself at the feet of Him whom I love more than life, and I implored Him to sustain and strengthen me, for He knew that I was seeking only His will and glory, and longed only to know the truth. He did, indeed, comfort and strengthen me as He had done so many times in the past. Soon after my severance with the Mission Board I sent my credentials of Ordination to the Bishop. These steps were the beginning of the end. I next in troduced myself to Father McOscar of the Sacred Heart Church. He kindly offered me the use of the library of the Marist Fathers, of whom he was the su perior. I found there many valuable books to help me. He also confided me to the care of a young priest, the Rev. Father Hebert, with whom I might continue reading, conversations, etc. In a very short while I was introduced to the Rt. Rev. Benjamin J. Keiley, Bishop of the Diocese of Savannah. In him God gave me one of the best friends I have ever had, and at a moment when I sorely needed a friend. He was kindness and goodness itself to me. He was deep ly touched at the way in which God had been leading me into the light and truth, and invited me to Savannah to visit him. Before leaving Shanghai, Father Bornard had giv en me a letter of introduction to the Very Rev. Emile Mattern, S. J., then Rector of St. Stanislaus College, Macon, Ga.; so en route to Savannah, I passed a day or two with the Jesuit Fathers of Macon. There 1 got my first glimpse of what the Religious Life is as lived by the sons of St. Ignatius of Loyola. 1 can never forget the impression of that visit. The order, the holy silence that proclaimed the presence of God; the spir itual joy; the intense love and devotion for the Lord Jesus Chrust; and for His Glorious Mother and the Saints of God; all made me cry out from the depths of my soul with Jacob of old and after his night at Bethel: “This is no other but the House of God, and the Gate of Heaven.” After my arrival at Savannah it was not many days before I asked to be received into the Church; for God had gradually led me on until now in the fulness of Divine Light and Faith. That glorious Temple of Truth, the “One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic Church” of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, stood before (Coninued on next page.)