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16
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC
THE EARLY CATHOLIC
DAYS IN ATLANTA
[Continued from page 5]
liest services as acolyte for a visiting priest in At
lanta was as attendant in the administration of the
last rites to the venerable father of Mrs. Dougherty,
a Mr. Connolly. On occasion of my last visit to At
lanta, Mr. Connolly’s great-great-granddaughter
helped to furnish music at Benediction of the Blessed
Sacrament in the old convent adjoining the Church of
the Immaculate Conception. So memory carries me
back along that line for five generations. The Mal
ones and the Connors were also devout, faithful mem
bers of the congregation.
The first visit of Savannah’s first Bishop, Rt. Rev.
F. X. Gartland, was a note-worthy event in Catholic
circles in Atlanta, and occurred in the spring of ’51
or ’52. For days his coming, an event eagerly
looked for, particularly in our own home, where he
was to lodge as a guest, furnished a general topic
of conversation previous to his arrival as well as
occasion for no little preparation in Atlanta’s solitary
place of Catholic worship. Arriving an hour or
two after midnight, very probably the resident pas
tor had assumed that the Bishop would not rise at an
early hour for the celebration of Holy Mass, and
therefore made no preparation for his escort to the
Church. The writer, early in the morning at play
on the side-walk before our home, saw descending
the stairway towards the street an ecclesiastic, a
stranger to his eyes, of very gracious and imposing
presence. Approaching the boy, who immediately
concluded that this must be the bishop, the stranger
asked him if he could serve Mass and knew the way
to the Church. Both questions answered in the
affirmative, the Bishop and the child, not a little
elated at the importance thus suddenly thrust up
on him, started together for the Church on the cor
ner of Lloyd and Hunter Streets. Knowing that in
view of the approaching episcopal visit, preparations
under the care of ladies of the congregation directed
by the pastor had been in process of execution for
days, the prospective acolyte was anxiously cherish
ing the hope that the new Bishop would find every
thing entirely to his taste and in strict accord with
rubrical requirements. No slight jar was given
these same hopes when at our entrance into the
Church the first object to catch the eye was an
article of altar linen laying upon the floor at our
feet, and evidently dropped accidently by some busy
worker the night before. Stooping to pick it up, I
made the best apologetic explanation that my dis
turbed feelings would permit. Needless to say the
incident was not referred to by either the Bishop
or his acolyte, when at the breakfast table an hour
or two later both met the pastor and the lady di
rector of the Sanctuary Society.
ADMIRAL BENSON HONORED
Admiral W. S. Benson came back to Georgia last
month. He was presented with a sword by the
Daughters of the Confederacy at Waycross. He was
honored by the people of his native Macon. He made
Georgia prouder than ever that he was born within
its borders.
The sword, which was purchased with funds raised
by popular subscription and tendered in recognition of
the Admiral’s services during the World War, was
r Ted at the First Methodist Church at Waycross.
LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
From Waycross, Admiral Benson went to Macon,
where he visited Mercer University, Wesleyan Col
lege, Lanier High School, Mount de Sales Academy
and Vineville School.
President Rufus Weaver of Mercer introduced him
as an outstanding figure of the world, and, next to
Ex-President Wilson and President Harding, the best
known living American. At Wesleyan, Admiral Ben
son referred to the fact that his mother was the
fi r stgraduate of the college, finishing in 1840.
Admiral Benson was greeted by representatives
ol various religious denominations, the Mayor and
City Council, and representatives of the American
Legion, Knights of Columbus, Spanish-American War
Veterans, Chamber of Commerce, Lions, Civitans, W.
C. T U., Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Parent-
ieachers Association. The Admiral also reviewed a
National Guard parade held in his honor.
While in Macon, Admiral Benson was the guest of
his brother, F. C. Benson. He was the guest of hon
or at a dinner given by Mr. and Mr. Dan C. Horgan.
He went direct to Washington from Macon.
MARSHAL FOCH’S VISIT
Marshal Ferdinand Foch, commander-in-chief of
the allied armies, is the guest of America, and Amer
ica is showing, as only she knows how to show, the
great regard she has for the heroic warrior who
turned threatened defeat into victory during the
dark days of the war.
. New York has not witnessed scenes since Armis
tice Day such as greeted him when he arrived if
we are to trust the accounts of secular newspapers,
Washington was no less cordial in her welcome.
President Harding and his official family showered
honors on him, only to be outdone by the public in
the warmth of its welcome.
At Kansas City, the Marshal was again among
soldiers, his “buddies”, the men who constitute the
membership of the American Legion. Chicago hon
ored itself in the honors it showed the Allied leader.
Other cities he visited were no less cordial.
Marshal Foch may come to Georgia. Col. Paul
B. Malone, U. S. A., delegated to extend an invita-
tion to Marshal Foch to come here brought back
hopeful news to the State.
“The war was won by us through the grace of
God,” Marshal Foch told an interviewer. His re-
ligious fervoil has made a deep impression on those
with whom he has come in contact. His visit to
America proved that his fervent Catholicity, of
which we heard so much during the war, has not
been exaggerated.
Church and State in Prussia is now an accomplish
ed fact. Up to the first of this month, the ruler of
the state was the head of the Protestant religion.
Prussia befor the war was 63 per cent Protestant
and thirty-five per cent Catholic.
Father Fidelis of the Passionist Order, formerly
Rev. Dr. John Stone, episcopal rector and Harvard
graduate, died in Chicago at the home of his daugh
ter. He became a Catholic in 1869, some time after
the death of his wife.