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THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
9
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CATHOLIC MEN HEARS OF
GEORGIA’S LAYMEN’S WORK
Very Rev. Joseph D. Mitchell, D. D., Vicar-General
of the Diocese ot Savannah, who, with the editor of
The Bulletin represented the Catholic Laymen's As
sociation of Georgia at the first annual convention of
the National Council of Catholic Men in Washington
September 20 and 21, surprised the numerous dele
gates from all parts of the United States with his
account of the work being done to mitigate religious
prejudice in Georgia. It is no exaggeration to say
that his address was one of the best received talks at
the convention.
Father Mitchell told the story, now so familiar
to ail Catholics in Georgia and to many elsewhere,
of how in five short years the press of tne state had
replaced its anti-Catholic spirit witfi the spirit of
Christian fairness. He told of the work tne Lay
men’s Association is doing in letting the people of
Georgia know what (Jatnoiics really believe, of
how it corrects misstatements in the daily and week
ly press, of how it answers attacks from other quar
ters, and of the other activities of the organization.
The delegates knew in a general way that some
work was being done by Catholics in Georgia, but
tney had not the faintest idea of its scope. After
Father Mitchell’s address, the Georgia representa
tives were swamped with requests for further in
formation about the Laymen’s Association.
Admiral Wm. S. Benson, a native of Macon, and
the guest of honor at the recent Atlanta convention
of the Laymen’s Association, was elected president
of the National Council of Catholic Men at the con
vention. Other officers chosen were: Thomas F.
Flynn of Chicago, vice-president; Judge P. J. M.
Hally of Detroit, secretary; Charles I. Denechaud of
New Orleans, treasurer; Michael J. Slattery, LL.D.
executive secretary.
Senator David I. Walsh of Massachusetts, Arch
bishop Edward J. Hanna of San Fransico, and Ad
miral Benson addressed a great mass meeting in the
gymnasium of the Catholic University, at which Rt.
Rev. Joseph Schrembs, presided. Forty church digni
taries, the delegates to the convention, and thousands
of Washington Catholics attended the meeting and
heard Senator Walsh state that the time had come
for the laity to take some of the burden from the
shoulders of the clergy. The Senator also urged
all Catholics to support the approaching conference
on the limitation of armament, and he recalled that
Pope Benedict was the first great international lead
er to call for disarmament or at least for limitation
of armament.
Admiral Benson Speaks
Admiral Benson pointed out the value of the or
ganization of the National Council of Catholic Men
and the National Council of Catholic Women, under
the hierarchy, the National Catholic Welfare Council,
Hereafter it will be unnecessary for Catholics to pro
test in small bodies; they will have a great national
body to voice their opinions, he said.
Archbishop Hanna blamed the present day unrest
to the drift of education toward materialism, and he
declared that the mastery of science, as opposed to
Christ, had been shattered by the War.
The delegates to the convention were received at
the White House by President Harding. They were
introduced to the President by Admiral Benson, and
each was greeted with a hearty handclasp as the
head of the nation smiled and expressed his Cordial
greetings.
The manifold activities of the National Council
of Catholic Men, imperfectly known even to those
interested in the work, were revealed by the reports
of the various departments at the convention. The
report of Dr. Slattery, National Executive Secretary,
referred to the assistance of the National Council of
Catholic Men against the slurs of the Junior Senator
from Georgia against our Bishop, Rt Rev. Benjamin
J. Keiley, D.D., of Savannah. Daniel J. Ryan, of the
Department of Historical Records, told of the work
of his bureau in collecting data about the services
of Catholics in the late war, records which are al
ready very valuable, but which will increase in
worth with each succeeding generation. There are
names of over eight hundred Georgia Catholics who
served during the war in the records of Mr. 'Ryan’s
office.
Better Motion Pictures Campaign
Charles A. McMahon, editor of the N. C. W. C.
Bulletin, discussed the campaign for better citizen
ship and better motion pictures, and urged Catholics
everywhere to protest motion pictures which were
not up to the moral standard. Brandon Tynan,
president of the Catholic Actors’ Guild, and himself
an actor of note, and Rev. Martin E. Fahy, chaplain
of the organization, appealed to the convention to
assist them in the work being done for the stage
people. Mr. Tynan asserted that sixty per cent of
the American actors are Catholics, and they have
great difficulty in most places in finding out the time
of Sunday masses, and very often the location of the
churches. The Actors’ Guild hopes to place cards
with this information in every hotel and theatre in
the country.
Michael Williams, well known to Georgians, de
livered an address on “American Catholics in the
War,” similar to the one he delivered at the Atlanta
convention. He also gave a talk the last evening of
the convention on “American Ideals in the Drama”.
Justin Magrath, editor of the N. C. W. C. News
Service, explained the growth of his department and
the work it is doing.
The impression brought home from the convention
was one of confidence in the organization being per
fected under the National Catholic Welfare Council.
Catholics constitute at least one fifth of the popu
lation of the United States, but they have not been
properly organized up to this time. When properly
united, they can become a force for good greater
than any the country has yet seen. The work has
just started. Under the leadership of Admiral Ben
son, great strides are confidently expected during the
coming year.
The B<shops of the United States, assembled at
Washington during the convention of the National
Catholic Welfare Council, expressed in a cablegram
to Cardinal Logue the hope that the peace confer
ences between representatives of England and Ire
land would terminate successfully. Cardinal Logue
has cabled to Cardinal O’Connell of Boston his thanks
for the “proof of sympathy”.