Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA 7 THE CATHOLIC MISSIONARY SOCIETY OF GEORGIA BY THE BISHOP OF SAVANNAH On Sunday, September 11, the large Marist Hall in Atlanta was filled with a most enthusiastic gathering of Catholic men and women coming from every part of Georgia. It was the Sixth Annual Convention of the Catholic Laymen’s Association of Georgia. Of course the main feature of these meetings is the report of the Publicity Director which gives a full account of the active operations of the Association for the past year. This year’s paper proved no exception in its absorbing interest, and Mr, Reid read it in a clear distinct voice easily audible in every part of the Hall. It was the same interesting story of replying to questions, answering attacks and spreading the light. One of the unique features of the meeting was the presence of Admiral Benson and Col. Malone, who addressed the delegates. There were also talks by Mr. Elder and Mr. Williams. It is hard to de scribe the great enthusiasm which prevailed. A little more than a month later, five women met at the Bishop’s Residence in Savannah. It was the quarterly meeting of the State Board of Missions of the Catholic Missionary Society of Georgia. It seems rather absurd to couple with an account of the meeting of five women any such statement as a report of great enthusiasm, and yet I must say that each one of the five Catholic women there was inspired by as great a spirit of enthusiasm as animated the delegates at the Atlanta meeting. The feature of both was the report of what had been done. The Secretary read in clear distinct voice the account of what the Missionary Society had done. Her report contained letters from the Mission Priests of our Diocese expressing their gratitude for the timely aid given by the Society, and telling of the pressing needs of the Missions. The report brought the mission fields clearly be fore all of us as never before, and it almost seemed as though we were actually with the Priests. I have often said that if the Laymen’s Associ ation had secured no other result than that of bring ing all of the scattered Catholics of Georgia together, it would have been a great success. Of course it has done far more than this. The Grain of Mustard Seed. It was only twenty months ago that the Mission ary Society was organized at a meeting of a dozen devoted Catholic women. It was veritably the gain of mustard seed, and already the branches of the tree are finding their way all over the State. The Laymen’s Association is trying “to bring about a friendlier feeling among all Georgians irre spective of creed” and is ready at all times to answer any question regarding Catholic teaching. It replies to attacks made on our Faith and sends out free pamphlets treating of Catholic belief and practice. They are trying to convince the people that the bet ter the Catholic, the better the citizen, that there is nothing incompatible with true Americanism in the creed of Catholics. The Missionary Society is bending all its energies to the task of helping the Priests to improve and widen the field of their activities in making better Catholics of their flock by giving them increased facilities for the practice of their Faith. _ In combatting prejudice, the Laymen’s Associa tion is helping the Priests, who find the ground bet ter prepared for sowing of the good seed, and the Missionary Society is giving them the means where by they are enabled to extend their labors in wider fields and reach more people. The average City Catholic sitting Sunday after Sunday in his cushioned pew, hearing one of the Masses, seldom thinks of his fellow Catholic in the Missions of the State, who that morning perhaps for the first time in months has heard Mass said in a rather dingy room, where a couple of boards rest ing on the back of two chairs has served as an Altar. Later the city Catholic kneels on a comfortable kneeling bench before an Altar blazing with lights and fragrant with sweet flowers when Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament is given, and it does not concern him that there are many Catholics in remote and seldom visited country districts who have never seen that solemn and beautiful devotion. We need not wonder then at their enthusiasm when these five women in Savannah heard read let ters from the Mission Priests telling them that through the charity of one of their number now for the first time Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament was given at one of the Missions. Protestant Assistance. We love to hear the sweet voices of our children raised in praise of our Blessed Lord or singing the praises of His Holy Mother, and lately a Protestant Lady of Savannah has given the Missionary Society an organ, and the Priest in charge of the Mission write that now every Sunday the little ones sing hymns at the Mass. I cannot give too much praise to the earnest and devoted Laymen’s Association of Georgia for all that they have done for Church and State, but I would be failing in my duty did I not warmly praise the work done by the Catholic Missionary Society. As I think of these five Catholic women, who are the representatives of so many devoted Catholic women throughout the Diocese, I cannot but recall the names and deeds of five holy women, whose devotion and love for our Blessed Lord have merited that the Holy Spirit of God should have their names and deeds recorded on the pages of Holy Writ. When six years ago it was determined to establish the Laymen’s Association that we might better defend our Faith and combat the calumnies and men dacious statements which were regularly appearing in the press, some very prudent people wondered what Gould be done by 20,000 Catholics among 3,000,000 non-Catholics. But we went ahead with God’s work. The thirty or forty men who met in Macon in Sep tember six. years ago represented as they well knew the Catholics of Georgia. The five women who met at the Bishop’s House represented the Catholic women of Georgia. But had they been but five they would not have faltered, for it was work done for our Lord. The five of the olden days have their story told in Sacred Scripture and Traditions— There was first of all the Great Mary, the Mother of God, who met Him on His way to Calvary and walked with Him and remained with Him to the end. There was Veronicca, who came and wiped His bloody and sweat-stained Blessed face with her ker chief, mindful of the day when a touch of His gar ments had healed her of the issue of blood. There was Mary, the penitent, who stood with the other and greater Mary on Calvary, and merited to be the [Continued on page 15]