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Weakness Of Federal-Aid-To-Educafion Bills PAGE 4—THE BULLETIN, April 5, 1958. JOSEPH BREIG Deep Anger Of Holy Week I cannot go through with Holy Week without feeling a deep anger. I am lost in admiration and adoration because Christ went to the cross for truth and for love of His creatures and fel- lowmen. But the days be fore Easter re mind me also of the blackest falsehood ever uttered. I am a n e w s p a per- m a n, and I hate malicious lies with a grind ing hatred. In lesser measure, I detest even the misrepresenta tions that are the result of care lessness in getting and writing the news. A newsman has no right to take his work lightly. No more ignorant remark is possible than to say that the Bible is not history; that there is no proof that Christ lived, taught, worked miracles, suffer ed and died. Only an appalling ly trival mind can produce such nonsense. The Gospels are the supreme model of accuracy in reporting, and of restraining ob jectively in expression. JUDAS WAS DISLOYAL: Ju das was avaricious; Judas was a traitor. But those who manipu lated Judas — used him and threw him aside once he had served their cruel purpose — these were the cold, calculating self-seekers, the graspers for power, the deliberate murders of truth. Matthew tells us how this devil’s brood (for the devil is a liar and the father of lies) as sembled in the court of Caiphas and “there plotted to bring Jesus into their power by cunning, and put Him to death. Yet they still said, Not on the day of the feast, or perhaps there will be an up roar among the people.” What a tumult there would have been, had the people un derstood what was afoot. But the liars bided their time, like snakes waiting to strike, while they schemed to destroy Christ, and in so doing to betray their own nation and its divine duty to protect and to prosper. WHEN DARKNESS FELL, they sent soldiers and a rabble to seize their victim and bring Him before the council of chief priests and elders. And “all the council tried to find false testi mony against Jesus . . . But they could find none ... At last two false accusers came forward who declared, “This man said, I have power to destroy the temple of God and raise it again in three days.” Infuriated by Christ’s silence, the chief priest at last cast aside all caution and uttered a ques tion that is like an earthquake: “I adjure thee by the living God to tell us whether thou art the Christ, the son of God? Jesus an swered, “Thy own lips have said it. And moreover I tell you this ■— you will see the Son of Man again, when he is seated at the right hand of God’s power, and comes on the clouds of heaven.” At this, the high priest tore his garments and said, “He has blasphemed . . . What is your findings?” And they answered, “The penalty is death.” THEN THEIR COWARDICE and hatred took full possession of them, and “they fell to spit ting upon his face and buffeting him and smiting him.” And they shouted cheap mockeries: “Show thyself a prophet, Christ; tell us who it is that smote thee.” Next morning, they multiplied their falsehoods after taking Christ before the governor, Pon tius Pilate. But Pilate was no fool; he saw through their lies. He called Christ “this just man,” and wished to release him. But their threats to accuse him of disloyalty to Caesar struck fear, into him; and anyhow the pris oner was no Roman, but merely one more despised Jew. WHEN PILATE WASHED HIS HANDS of Christ’s blood, the deceivers uttered one of the most terrible sentences in all literature: “His blood be upon us and upon our children.” And they called down the irony of God upon themselves by crying, “We have no king but Caesar.” Thus the heart-stopping tragedy moved inexorably on. Christ was put to death, and the falsifiers sealed his tomb and set soldiers to watch it. After he had returned to life and emerg ed in glory, the guards hastened to tell the chief priests. Then followed the ultimate lie. The deceivers “offered a rich bribe to the soldiers; Let this, they said, be your tale, His dis ciples came by night and stole Him away, while we were asleep . . .” It is no wonder that one can not go through Holy Week with out feeling deep anger, mingled with bottomless sorrow for those whom the deceivers deceived. Theology For The Layman (By F. J. Sheed) Mind, we saw last issue, splits the atom and calculates the light-years. But, you may re mind me, in both these opera tions it uses the body. And this is true. But observe there is no question which is the user and which is the used. The mind uses the body, not ask ing the body’s consent. The mind is the prin cipal, the body the instrument. Is the instrument essential? Must the mind use it to cope with matters? We have evidence in our experience of mind af fecting matter directly. We will to raise our arm, for example, and we raise it. The raising of the arm is a very complicated anatomical activity; but it is set in motion by a decision of the will. And as we shall see, the direct power the human mind has over its own body, mightier spirits have over all matter. This mingle of spirit and mat ter in human actions arises from a fact, which distinguishes man’s spirit from all others. Ours is the only spirit which is also a soul — that is to say the life principle in a body. God is a spirit, but has no body; the an gels are spirits, but have no body. Only in man spirit is united with a body, animates the body, makes it to be a living body. Every living body — veg etable, lower animal, human — has a life principle, a soul. And just as ours is the only spirit which is a soul, so ours is the only soul which is a spirit. Later we shall be discussing the union of spirit and matter in man to see what light it sheds upon ourselves. But for the present our interest is in spirit. We have seen that in us spi rit does a number of things: it knows and loves, and it ani mates a body. But what, at the end of all this, is spirit? We can get at it by looking into our own soul, examining one in particular of the things (Continued on Page Five) Question Box Jottings... (By BARBARA C. JENCKS) (By David Q. Liptak) Q: For the past three weeks our priest has been preaching on how serious a duty parents have to see to the religious education of their children. He makes 8 sound so awfully grave that the very thought of such a duty seems somewhat frightening, I'm a parent myself, and I admit that what our priest has said in this regard has disturbed my conscience a little. Is this duty really so serious? A: The obligation incumbent upon parents to give their chil dren a religious education is un deniably a most serious one. Its gravity is evident no mat ter how the obligation is con sidered; whether as part of the Natural and Divine Positive Law, for instance, or as part of Church Law. The Natural Law (and the Fourth Commandment) imposes this duty under penalty of grave sin because nature intends as a parental function not only the bringing of a child into the world, but also that child’s ed ucation as a human person hav ing an unique destiny. That des tiny, of course, is essentially su pernatural: every human crea ture is meant to know, love and serve God in this life, and to enjoy perfect happiness with Him in the hereafter. Obviously then, from the very nature of things, the religious training of children is a most grave paren tal charge. CHURCH LAW is very expli cit with respect to the import ance of the religious instruction of children by parents: “Parents are bound by a most serious obligation to provide to the best of their power for the religious and moral as well as for the physical and civil edu cation of their children . . .”— (Canon 1113). So lhat there can be no doubt ing the overall seriousness of (Continued on Page Five) Is the object of life only to live? Will the feet of God’s chil dren be fastened to the earth? It is not to live, but to die, not to hew the cross but to mount it and to give all that we have laughing! There is joy, there is freedom, there is grace, there is eternal youth. * * * • DESPITE the launching of rockets and satellites, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is still the most marvelous victory which has been won over time and space. A Holy Cross priest re cently used this theme on a nation-wide radio address. Eas ter, the season of rebirth and new beginnings is appropriate time to concentrate on this first victory of time and space and apply it to our own lives. At Easter we, too, can begin anew in our victory over self. We can fight the elements which would hold us to this wretched earth. We can begin again. The burden is lifted. The pain is passed. We feel a sense of cleanliness and newness. We feel as children in this first flush of Spring. We are born again. • CARYLL HOUSELANDER WRITES: “As the dead Christ lay in His Mother’s arms she laid to her heart all those sin ners to whom He would give not only life but His own life . . no matter how battered and bruised they had been by sin, the innocence of Christ was re stored to them ... no matter how cynical and faded and old their sms had made them, they were restored to their childhood now, to Christ’s childhood. Now they could possess the kingdom of heaven in a wild flower, a stream of water on a star. , .” And is that not what each one of us desires in the secret quiet of his heart. Do we not all yearn to return to the innocence of childhood with a head cradled against the protectiveness of a mother’s breast. Don’t we al ways yearn to begin again and to cast off our sophisticated cynicism and throw off the sins of selfishness and greed and uncharitableness and hate and anger and impurity and become in possession of the cleanness and newness that the Easter season brings. We can span the realm of outer space and possess all this if we let Our Lady “take our heads in her hands and turn them gently to look upon the light of God.” • IN EACH life there are many Easters just as there are many Good Fridays. We seem nailed to discouragement, fear, egotism and despair. We alone know well our secret sins which a smirking world can only be gin to presume. It is from our death to the world and our hate for our sins and disgust in our selves and our weakness from which the flower of springtime, Easter blooms. The darkest hours are the hours nearest the dawn . . . the dawn of new hope and new beginnings . . . the waking morning of Easter and everlasting Spring. Services For R, R. Barron CHAMBLEE, Ga. — Funeral services for Mr. Raymond R. Barron were held March 14th at Our Lady of the Assmuption Church, Rev. John Stapleton officiating. StH-vjvors are Miss Leslie Marie Barron, Mr. Patrick Kevin Barron, Miss Mary Dawson Bar ron, Washington, D. C., Mr. Mar kus Barron, Chicago; Mr. Joseph Barron. Refrain from laughing at the mistakes of other and try to profit by your own. S T R A N Little-Km By M. J. MURRAY GE BUT TRU nown Facts for Catholics E Copyright, 1058, N.C.W.C. New# Service SHARING OUR TREASURE Harriet Thompson Wins 315! By REV. JOHN A. O'BRIEN, Ph. D. (University ol Notre Dame) A A A, * J Did you ever hear of a lay person winning 315 converts? Probably not. But that’s the feat achieved by Mrs. Harriet Thompson of Corpus Christi parish, Chicago. Not only did she interest, them in the Catholic faith but she also instructed them from A to Z and thus had them en tirely ready for her pas- tor, Father Maurice, O.F.M., to baptize. The achievement, probably a record of its kind in our coun try, shows what a truly zealous lay apostle can do when he sets himself to the task. I was one of 23 priests helping Father Maurice baptize a group of 155 converts, when I learned of Mrs. Thompson’s work. Then her total was about 250 converts. Now it’s 315, and still growing. After entering the Church herself, Mrs. Thompson, a graduate of the University of Washington in Seattle, attended all the next three Inquiry Class es, thus getting four complete courses of instruction. Hence, she is well qualified to give in structions. “When the Franciscan Fathers took over Corpus Christi,” be gan Mrs. Thompson, “they had to start from scratch. The white families had nearly all moved away and the Franciscans were confronted with the problem of winning the Negroes who had moved into the district in such huge numbers. “There were only three Fa thers available for the work, so after my conversion I determin ed to learn the faith thoroughly so I could assist them in their difficult task. I would go into homes and tell families what peace and happiness the Catho lic religion affords. Those that were interested, I would instruct right in their homes.” Would you cite an instance?” I asked. “When Mrs. Fred McNair in the 500 block, Forestville Street, expressed an interest,” she re plied, “I decided to instruct her in the evening when her hus band, a worker in a South Chi cago steel mill, and her 11 chil dren would be at home. I went there two nights a week for five months. “By that time every member of the family was ready for bap tism. Father Maurice examined them and then received them into the Church, and the chil dren of school age were enrolled in the parish school. The bap tism of the 13 McNairs was an impressive sight, and their rela tives and friends came from far and near. “This got others interested, so I was kept busy instructing’ three of those families for the next five months. I explained the catechism in simple lang uage, had them memorize their prayers, answered their ques tions, and gave each one the at tention needed. I got them start ed attending Sunday Mass as soon as possible, as that is a great help. “Once the word spread throughout the parish that I was available for home instruc tion, calls came to me from many families. They liked to re ceive instruction, in their own homes, as that often solved baby-sitting problems. “W hen two young men, Thomas Clarke and Joseph Perkins, who were teaching in the public schools, said they were willing to study the Cath olic faith, I went to their apart ment and instructed them. Their theoretical interest changed to a deep practical concern when they perceived that their eter- naL salvation was at stake, and soon they got down on their knees and began to pray. That was the turning point. “It took lots of work and prayer over the past 20 years to reach that 315 mark. But it was worth it all. Indeed, I’m convinced that many Catholics in every parish could do it if they would only try.” Macon Services For Mrs. Jackson MACON, Ga. — Funeral serv ices for Mrs. Charles A. Jackson were held March 18th at St. Joseph’s Church, Rev. Carmine Benanti, S. J., officiating. Survivors are one cousin, Mrs. Charles McBrearty of Macon. Things come very quickly to the man who refuses to wait. PATHER SMITH BE<3S CLOTHES FOR THE RAGGED, FOOD FOR THE HUHGRy MEDICINE FOR THE S/CK HE BUILT A PAROCHIAL SCHOOL TO EDUCATE THE CHILDREN. HE IS CHANGING- THE FACE OF THE SLUM OWELLERS AND BRIGHTEN I Nd THE SOULS OF HI.S PEOPLE. fA THER RICHARD SMITH OF COLLINS, NY, IS PASTOR OF 25,000 PEOPLE —IN THE poorest slows of SANT/AIjO. CHILE,THIS WARYKNOLt MISSIONED IS 37 YEARS OLD, FINDING 400 CHILDREN OF His PARISH WITH TUBERCULOSIS. HF. SOLD WHAT HE HAD TO BUY THEM COD- LIVER OIL AND POWDERED MILkr.THEW HE TURNED HIS HOUSE INTO A FREE CLINIC AND hired s doctors, f DENTIST AND 1 NURSE. THE It is easy to exaggerate the benefits that students in quest of a college education would derive from any of the federal aid-to-education proposals now before Congress. Although the appropriations proposed run f into the bit- * lions and the education lob bies talk as though autho rization of the aid prog ram would fill the pipelines to • college campuses with streams of talented students, actually the impact on college enrollment would be slight. Even if the most ambitious of the pending proposals is en acted — the Democratic bill pro viding for 40,000 scholarships a year for six years — it would work out less than two scholar ships a year for each of the na tion’s 30,000 accredited high schools. Clearly such a program would not open the doors of the col leges to at the able students who would like to get a higher edu cation but for one reason or another are unable to get one. Some other form of student aid must be found if the wastage of talent among youth is to be halted. CURE ALL The danger is, of course, that the American people, so prone to believe that any problem can be solved by passing a law, will BACKDROP By JOHN C. O’BRIEN assume that a federal appropri ation will cure all the basic de ficiencies of our educational system. As a matter of fact, the most that the federal aid program could accomplish would be to center attention upon the need for providing encouragement to high school students to go on to colleges and universities. At the moment, with Congress half way through the present session, hundreds of education bills are before the education committee of the two houses. But of these only four or five appear to stand a chance of be ing passed before adjournment. The Democrats are disposed to go much farther than the Eisenhower Administration in providing federal dollars for ed ucation. They want to spend $6,000,000,000, while the Admin istration has recommended a program that would cost $1,000,- 000,000. The Democratic bill would award 60,000 scholarships, each good for $1,000 a year, in the fiscal year of 1959, of which 20.000 would be available to students already in college, and 40.000 a year in each of the succeeding five years. The Re publican bill would provide for only 7,500 scholarships a year for only four years. The awarding of the scholar ships, in both the Democratic and Republican bills, would be entrusted to state commissions who would base their selections on aptitude, not need, with pref erence given to those with science, mathematics or modern language backgrounds. The two bills also carry ap propriations to assist the states in setting up aptitude testing and student guidance institutes at colleges for the training of public (not private) school teachers in guidance counseling. INCENTIVE TO EXCEL To improve the quality of science, mathematics and lang uage teaching, each bill would provide funds to help the states in training competent instruc tors in such subjects. These ap propriations would make scho larships available to college graduates who wish to pursue graduate work with a view to making a career of teaching. One of the criticisms of stu dents in the high schools has been that they hold scholarships in low esteem, avoid difficult subjects and exalt athletic prowess. As an incentive to ex cel in studies rather than on the football field, the Democrat ic education bill would authorize the award of a Congressional medal and certificate to every senior who was graduated in the top 5 per cent of his class. At best the federal education aid programs are token efforts to increase the number of tal ented students in the colleges. For private schools they provide little aid, aside from a chance to compete for one of the relatively * 1 small number of scholarships that would be available to high school seniors. Letters To Our Modern Agnes This We Believe (By FATHER LEO TRESE) (By Father Leo Trese) Seldom has this column evok ed such an outpouring of letters as did our discussion several weeks ago of the plight of the worried young mother for whom rhythm would not work. The young mother whom we de scribed as a modern Agnes did not sign her name and address to her letter, so we cannot for ward to her these many letters (some 30 of them) which her own letter in spired. With but two exceptions the letters are all from women who are or have been faced with Agnes’ own dilemma. The let ters are full of encouragement, encouragement which flows from the writers’ own deep faith and trust in God. I wish that it were possible to quote all the letters in full. In our limited space, however, the best that we can do is to give excerpts from a few of the letters selected at random. One that will make us asham ed of ever complaining about our own crosses (if we read between the lines) is this word from an Ohio mother: “Really it is not so difficult. Like Agnes went to her death happily, those who have the courage to fol low God’s laws will live their faith in a wonderful happiness too. That I say from experience. I had to face this problem many years ago. I felt that I must de cide to live with Christ or with out Him. I accepted everything from God’s hands confiding com pletely in Divine Providence. He gave us ten little souls under circumstances very doubtful from a natural point of view. We are refugees from behind the Iron Curtain. We had to go through with many hardships, needs, fright, cold and starva tion. My husband died in con sequence of the persecution, but the children were saved and led by God in a wonderful manner. Some of the children have re ceived vocations, and the peace and joy I got even among the biggest difficulties are not to be compared to any hardship. I can only agree that His yoke is sweet and His burden is light.” From Minnesota another mo ther writes: “I would say your problem is frightening but trust in God always. After the birth of my second child I was told that it was doubtful whether I ever would become pregnant, and that if I did it would, be fatal. I went on to have eight more children in eleven years, all healthy, happy and intelli gent. Two already have won scholarships to take them through college ... As for rhy thm, it didn’t work for me either and we were not strong enough .to practice it, for. long. I decided that it would be better to go to heaven young than to hell old. Our house is rather decrepit and lacks plumbing (almost a sin in this day) but is comfortable and neat with lawn and flowers . . . Now I am 45 and feel that it was worth it all.” Still another mother speaks: “I’d tell her to go ahead and have her babies as God sends them and she will never be sorry. If we put our trust in the Mother of God and St. Gerard they will see us through unless it is God’s will that we die an early death. In that case if we did not die in childbirth we should die in some other way. I had th irteen babies of my own and raised an adopted one be sides. When I was expecting my third child specialists had to be called in and I was told that I must never have another child if I wanted to live to raise my family. Of course I didn’t die when the next one was born and now she is a professed Francis can nun. As to the financial part we never have been on relief and never went hungry, al though sometimes we didn’t have much choice in what we ate. I made over clothes that relatives gave me, and one of the nicest thigs the children have told me is that they never ‘felt poor.’ Remember that the children you have will soon leave your lap, but the children you prevent will never leave your mind. I am past fifty now and as active as a young per son.” Let one last mother speak: “My first three children came within less than three years. A Caesarean section was necessary for my fourth child. Due to this and to the development of se vere varicose veins, my doctor advocated sterilization. My hus band would not consent. I told the doctor that if God wanted me to be a cripple He would choose His own way. My fifth baby was delivered normally and was one of my easiest. Now 1 have eight — and to think that if I had said the word to the doctor 1 would not have these last four babies. I am 43 and not a cripple. It is a great battle but I definitely do not feel like a martyr. I am proud to think that God gave me the strength to carry on and to have these little ones who gave me so much courage as I held them in my arms every day. But my battle is only partly won as I must go on and encourage my own daughters in their duties of mo therhood; the world is so de manding today ... In spite of the financial difficulties we went through we are able to give our children a good living and a fair education. Will you say a prayer that some day one of my four sons may become a priest?” This has been just a sampling of the letters. What words of mine could equal their distilled wisdom and faith and courage? Services For Charles Jaworsky AUGUSTA, Ga. — F u n e r a 1 for Charles August Jaworsky were held March 18th at St. Mary’s-on-the-Hill Church. Rev. Daniel J. Bourke officiating. Survivors are a sister, Miss Annie Jaworsky, and a brother, E. Herman Jaworsky both of Augusta. t Httllrtw 416 8TH ST., AUGUSTA, GA. Published fortnightly by the Catholic Laymen’s Association of Georgia, Inc., with the Approbation of the Most Reverend Arch bishop-Bishop of Savannah, the Most Reverend Bishop of Atlanta, and the Right Reverend Abbot Ordinary of Belmont. Entered as second class matter at the Post Office, Monroe, Georgia, and accepted for mailing at special rate of postage provided by paragraph (e) of section 34.40, Postal Laws and Regulations. REV. FRANCIS J. DONOHUE REV. R. DONALD KIERNAN Editor Savannah Edition Editor Atlanta Edition JOHN MARKWALTER Managing Editor Vol. 38 Saturday, April 5, 1958 No. 22 ASSOCIATION OFFICERS FOR 1957-1958 E. M. HE AG ARTY, Waycross Honorary Vice-President GEORGE GINGELL, Columbus - _ President MRS. DAN HARRIS, Macon ____ Vice-President TOM GRIFFIN, Atlanta Vice-President NICK CAMERIO, Macon Secretary JOHN T. BUCKLEY, Augusta Treasurer ALVIN M. McAULIFFE, Augusta _ Auditor JOHN MARKWALTER, Augusta Executive Secretary MISS CECILE FERRY, Augusta —.——— Financial Secretary