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THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
light of day in this glorious state, but who, never
theless, have cast their fortunes with you, a great
heritage is yours in the sublime history of the past;
but what of the present?
In this day of modern thought and methods, the
heritage of the past is too frequently forgotten.
Ambitious and unscrupulous men are willing to sac
rifice for selfish ends the dearest traditions of hu
man kind in a Christian charity for all. Instead they
are too willing to foment strife and prejudice in de
veloping a spirit of intolerance and bigotry, against
what? Against their neighbors and friends because
they exercise the right of religious freedom, the
right to adore God as they see fit.
Is it not a travesty on our boasted civilization that
they should be a state in this great union of states
wherein it would be possible to have bigotry and
hatred the handmaid of political ambition? Does it
not occur to you and other native sons of this great
state that the Union of states is sound at the heart,
and that the ideals of America must prevail, and
in those ideals, hate and bigotry can have no stat
us. Does it not seem meet and proper to you that
if they do prevail here, our great state will be looked
upon with contempt and scorn by all men who sub
scribe to the ideals of religious freedom, men who
earnestly and honestly believe that the National
Constitution is the beacon to lead us on to more glo
rious deeds, as we hold aloft the flame of education
and friendship.”
And what about education ? Truly, it must be the
lack of it that permits men, and women too, who
have grown to stature, to believe we have anything
to fear from the inalienable’ right to serve God as
we see fit.
As a Catholic, I wish to say a word, and as a con
vert to that faith it may not be charged to me my
religion came as a heritage from honored parents.
Never in the history of the world has the Church in
stituted by Jesus Christ made such progress as it
has in this land of the free, and the progress was
made, not because of union of Church and State, but
the reverse of that policy, and no Catholic worthy of
the name would for one moment wish to change the
status quo.
This, however, is not the spirit of the bigot and
the panderer. His it is to charge a reverse position,
but 1 defy any man in Georgia, or out of it, to point
to any man having the authority to speak for the
Catholic Church who ever proclaimed it a policy of
the Church to ally with the State.
To so ally itself would retard its march of prog
ress in the teaching of all men the motto of the
Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of man.
I congratulate you on your splendid association,
and I appreciate the opportunity of appearing be
fore you and I wish you Godspeed in the work you
are carrying on. I urge you to continue the work
you are doing. If you will only continue along the
lines of moderation and charity, realizing that those
outside of the Catholic Church are ignorant of her
■kruth. I know the feelings I had as a Protestant.
What they are taught, what they read and get on
every hand against the Church impresses them, and
they are sincere. They believe they are doing God’s
work in opposing the Catholic Faith. I urge you,
therefore, to be most charitable and forbearing in
your sneech and writings. We should wish to con
vince for the sake of the cause and not merely for
the sake of the argument.
CATHOLICS IN GEORGIA
Edward. A. Sheridan
Edward A. Sheridan is one Georgian who needs
no introduction in Catholic circles wherever he may
move in the South. In his more than two score
years of life, he has been intimately connected with
Catholic affairs in Georgia, and he is one of that band
of loyal laymen which is responsible for the high
place the Church in Georgia holds to day.
Mr. Sheridan was born near Macon December 11,
1875, his father being .one of the pioneers of Bibb
County and a Confederate veteran. He was educated
in the parochial school at Macon, and at St. Stanis
laus, then known as Pio Nono College. He was
graduated from the high school department, which
was at the time under the direction of Fathers
Foulkes and Sherry.
His school days over, he started his business career
with W. O. Doody Co. Later he became connected
with one of Macon’s wholesale houses, and eventually
a member of the firm. His business judgment, re
spect for the convictions of others, and general abil
ity, as well as his genial personality, have made him
one of the most successful and popular of Southern
traveling men.
In 1905 Mr. Sheridan was united in marriage to
Miss Alma Kennington of Macon. Six children
have blessed the union, five of whom are still living.
Mr. Sheridan’s activity in church affairs started
when he was in his ’teens. He was for years a
member of St. Joseph’s Church choir, and one of the
most active members of the old St. Joseph’s Cadets.
He is a charter member of the Macon Council,
Knights of Columbus, and has served the order in
many official capacities, for many years being treas
urer of the State Council. His work was a very im
portant factor in liouidating the debt of Mount ae
Sales Academy in Macon, and he was one of the
founders of St. Joseph’s Church in his native city.
Irish affairs have always claimed Mr. Sheridan’s
interest and assistance. He was one of the most
active members of the Robert Emmet Club in the
days when it was most flourishing, and only a few
months ago he served as chairman of the Irish
Relief Fund in Macon. The results of his work as
chairman were most gratifying to the friends of
Ireland.
But it as a member and official of the Catholic
Laymen’s Association of Georgia that Mr. Sheridan
has been best known to us lately. When the move
ment to bring about a better feeling among Georg
ians, irrespective of creed, was started, it found in
him one of its most enthusiastic supporters.
Indeed, it was the interest of such men as Mr.
Sheridan that was responsible for the inception of
the movement. He has been for years a member
of the publicity committee of the Association, and
last year he was its chairman, a position he re
fused to accept for another term.
Anything complimentary we might say about
Mr. Sheridan would only do him partial justice.
Some of us might well shudder at the thought of
what a terrible world this would be if all the people
in it were like us, but we could wish for no better
world that one peopled with folks like Ed Sheridan.
His unfailing good nature, his regard for the feel
ings of others, his sound judgment, his courage
in defending his convictions—a courage which led
him to defend his faith when it was assailed at a
gathering in South Georgia last spring—these and
many other characteristics go to make him the
kind of man of whom our Church and our State may
well be proud.