Newspaper Page Text
DIOCESE
SAVANNAH EDITION
Published By The
Catholic Laymen's
Ass'n Of Georgia
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH
Serving
Georgia's 88
Southern Counties
Vol. 39, No. 2
MONROE, GEORGIA, SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 1958
10c Per Copy — $3 a Year
50 Years A Priest
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BLESSES VILLA MARIE—The Most Rev. Thomas J. Me-
Donough is- shown blessing the Mess Hail during ceremonies
held on Sunday, June 22nd.
BISHOP BLESSES
CAMP VILLA MARIE
SAVANNAH —- Rain damp
ened the grounds of Camp Villa
Marie last Sunday, but not the
spirits of the Sisters, counsel
lors and friends of the camp
who attended the Blessing of
the new buildings.
Scattered showers forced a
slight change in the planned or
der of events. His Excellency,
Bishop Thomas J. McDonough
officiated at Benediction of the
Most Blessed Sacrament, assist
ed by Rev. William V. Coleman,
comp director and Rev. John
Cuddy, Diocesan Superintendent
of Schools.
Following Benediction, Bish
op McDonough, assisted by Fa
thers Coleman and Cuddy and
several of the Seminarian coun
sellors Blessed the new and
modern facilities which have re
placed the old white counsellor
cottages. The new buildings are
modern in design and in stark
contrast to the old familiar
buildings. Eventually all the old
buildings will be replaced. The
swimming pool and its new fil
tering system were also blessed
by Bishop McDonough.
The renovations mark the
twenty-first anniversary of the
Diocesan Camp. When the camp
first opened in 1937 only cate
chetical . sessions were held —
two of them the first year. The
camp has grown considerably
since then. The summer of 1937
brought two hundred children
out to Grimball’s Point, to a
spanking new camp built on
what had formerly been known
as the “Carswell Estate.” The
land was secured by His Ex
cellency, Archbishop O’Hara
who saw so clearly the need of
Religious Instruction for those
children who -were unable to at
tend a Catholic School.
And although Camp Villa
Marie now holds recreational
sessions as well as catechetical
-sessions, thousands of Georgia’s
Catholic men and women owe
their religious training to the
sessions at this Diocesan Camp.
In its earlier years, Villa Ma
rie was directed by Monsignor
Joseph Cassidy and Monsignor
Edward Dodwell, who are now
Priests of the Diocese of Atlan
ta. In more recent years, the
camp has operated under the di
rection of Father Felix Donnel
ly, pastor of Nativity Parish,
Savannah, and Father Ralph
Seikel, Moderator of Aquinas
High School, Augusta. In 1957
and again this year Father Wil
liam V. Coleman, vice-chancel
lor of Savannah was named
Camp Director. Campers in
augurated the first session of
1958 on Wednesday, June 25th.
Sisters on tilt- staff include,
Sisters Mary Fidelis, Mary Kier-
an, Mary Bridget, Mary Giles,
Mary Giovanni, Mary Agnese,
Marcia and Mary Margaret. Sis
ter Mary Fidelis is superior of
the community all of whom are
Sisters of Mercy.
Seminarians of the Diocese
will serve as senior counsellors.
They are the Rev. Messers. E.
Perrot Fiero and Walter Di-
Francesco, both Subdeacons. Mr.
Eusebius Beltran, Mr. John Fitz
patrick and Mr. Louis Padavan
complete the roster of seminari
ans at the. camp.
Assisting the sisters and sem
inarians are the following jun
ior counsellors: Misses Shelia
O’Connor, Judy Pinnell, Donna
Becker, Mary DeStafeno, Joan
Matthews and Marge Dolgos.
. John and Joseph Hutton, Rich
ard Buttimer, John McKenna
and Thomas Wilkerson will also
serve as junior counsellors.
The kitchen staff will be
headed by Mrs. Peter Vasta, as
sisted by Ellen Jones, Charles
Edwards and Lawrence Shu
man.
Camp maintenance is super
vised by Mr. Joseph Puder and
Mr. Charles Edwards. Medical
attention is supplied by Doctor
Joseph Pacifici and- student
nurses at St. Joseph’s Hospital
in Savannah. The nurses will be
in residence at the camp, secur
ing experience in camp nursing
under the supervision of the
Assistant Directress of Nursing
Education at St. Joseph’s Hos
pital.
Patrica Prouty New
Girls' State Head
SAVANNAH — Patricia
Prouty was elected Governor of
Girls State at the 13th annual
week-long gathering held re
cently in Macon.
The new president led her
party to a sweep of important
offices in the annual election.
Miss Prouty was sworn into of
fice us governor in special cere
monies at the capitol in Atlanta
by Chief Justice W. H. Duck
worth of the Georgia Supreme
Court.
A senior at St. Vincent’s
Academy, Patricia is the daugh
ter of Mr. and Mrs. M. J. Prou
ty, Rt. 6, Norwood Avenue.
The Prouty’s are members of
St. James parish.
Monsignor Mitchell
Celebrates Jubilee
SIGNAL MOUNTAIN, Tenn.
—Rt. Rev. Joseph D. Mitchell, a
priest of the Diocese of Savan
nah, serving as Chaplain of the
Alexian Brothers Home, cele
brated the Golden Jubilee of his
ordination on June 21st.
Born December 23, 1880 at
Columbus, the son of Francis
Hart Mitchell and Katharine
Tyler Downing Mitchell, Mon
signor is a convert to Catholi
cism. Monsignor became a Cath
olic in 1900 while in New York
City working with the real es
tate department of two New
York Hearst papers, the AMERI
CAN and the JOURNAL.
Monsignor found his work
with the papers uninspiring and
entered St. Joseph’s Saminary at
Dunwoodie, Yonkers, N. Y. in
1904. After four years there he
was ordained a priest on June
21, 1908.
He was assigned to St. John
the Baptist Cathedral in Savan
nah where he rose rapidly to
the post of rector of the Cathed
ral. In 1923, he was named rector
of St. Patrick’s Church in Sav
annah. During his 30 years in
Savannah he served three dif
ferent times as Vicar-General of
the Savannah Diocese—a post in
which the appointee of the bish
op serves as the latter’s admin
istrative assistant.
In 1933 he was named a Do
mestic Prelate of the house
hold of Pius XI, with the title
of Monsignor.
In 1940 Monsignor Mitchell,
after 32 years of priestly labor
in the Diocese of Savannah re
tired to the Alexian Brothers
Home. His retirement was short
lived. Due to the shortage of
priests Monsignor soon found
himself as Chaplain at the
Home and serving as pastor
of the Parish of St. Augus
tine’s, Signal Mountain. Mon
signor retained the post of pas
tor until August of last year
when he decided that it was
once again time to retire.
Monsignor celebrated his Ju
bilee Mass at St. Augustine’s on
Saturday, June 21st.
On Sunday, June 22, at 11 a.
m. a Solemn Mass was offered
with Monsignor Mitchell as cel
ebrant. Officers for the Mass
were: Assistant priest, the Rev.
John Leal; deacon, the Rev.
James J. Driscoll; and sub-dea
con, the Rev. William B. Gran-
nis. Acolytes were Tom and Ken
Tytula; and master of ceremon-
, ies, Martin Gensheimer. The
sermon was delivered by the Rt.
Rev. Monsignor George J. Flan-
igen, pastor of Sts. Peter and
Paul’s Church, Chattanooga.
The parish honored Monsig
nor Mitchell with a reception on
Sunday afternoon from 3 until
5 p. m. in the Forest Room of
the Alexian Brothers’ Home. .
On behalf of the priests, relig
ious and laity of the Diocese of
Savannah, The Bulletin wishes
to extend sincere good wishes to
Monsignor on the flippy occas
ion of his Golden Jubilee.
DISPENSATION
FOR JULY 4TH
SAVANNAH — The Most
Rev. Thomas J. McDonough,
D.D., J.C.D., auxiliary-bish
op has granted a dispensa
tion from the law of absti
nence on Friday, July 4fh.
Lay Cornerstone For New
Blessed Sacrament Annex
Bishop
McDonough
Presides
LAY CORNERSTONE—Plis Excellency the Most Rev. Thomas J McDonough is pictured
as he laid the cornerstone for the new addition to Blessed Sacrament School. Shown with His
Excellency are (1. to r.) Cletus W. Bergen, architect; Reverend Thomas A. Brennan, pastor of
Blessed Sacrament; Rev. Edward A. Frank, assistant pastor at Blessed Sacrament; Rev. Robert J.
Teoli, assistant pastor of the Cathedral.—(Savannah Morning News Photo).
Vatican Official Declares
Catholic Weekly Served Must Educate Public Opinion
During Years Of 1864 Ana 1865 To Promote Wholesome Movies
Win Scholarships
ALBANY — Two students of
the 1958 graduating class of St.
Teresa’s School, Albany, scored
among the three highest in the
S.R.A. High School Placement
Test given by the Mount De
Chantal Visitation Academy of
Wheeling, West Virginia.
The two girls, Maria Cosgrove
and Michelle King have been
awarded scholarships as a re
sult, and will be attending the
Mount in the fall.
By Edward A. Egan
(N.C.W.C. News Service)
DURHAM, N. C.—Within a
few weeks after the fall of the
Confederacy in 1865, the Dio
ceses of Savannah, Mobile, and
Richmond had a commoh Catho
dic weekly newspaper.
A rare copy of the publica
tion, the Pacificator, discovered
in the library of Duke Universi
ty here, reveals much of the
history of the newspaper during
the days immediately after the
end of the War Between the
States.
Dated June 24, 1865, the week
ly, published in Augusta, Ga.,
proclaimed in its sub-title, as it
had since early May of that
year, that the Pacificator was a
“Journal Devoted to the Inter
ests of the Catholic. Church,
with the Approbation of the
Right Rev. Bishops of Savannah,
Richmond and Mobile.”
Bishops John McGill of Rich
mond, John J. Quinlan of Mo
bile, and Augustine Verot of
Savannah were the three ordi
naries with whose approbation
the Pacificator was published.
Suspended
Until shortly after the sur
render of Gen. Robert E. Lee at
Appomattox court house, the Pa
cificator was published weekly
as a “Journal Devoted to the
Catholic Church in the Confed
erate States.” It had been in cir
culation as such since October
8, 1864, “with the approbation
of the Bishop of Savannah.”
As the seceded states passed
into the post-war transition per
iod, the Catholic weekly was
temporarily suspended. Upon its
resumption of publication in
early May, 1865, Patrick Walsh
and L. T. Blome were again at
its helm as editors and publish
ers.
No longer, however, was the
Pacificator printed by the earli
er J. T. Paterson & Co., of Au
gusta. Dr. Paterson and his as
sociates sold their interest in
the printing establishment to M.
M. Hill, who continued to ope
rate the business.
While the prospect for the Pa
cificator before the fall of the
Confederacy “seemed bright and
encouraging,” and the only
Catholic newspaper in the South
“sped onward with prospering
breezes,” Catholic zeal did not
rally, to the disappointment of
the editors and publishers, to
restore the journal to. its once
sure and safe foundation.
“For six weeks we have pub
lished the Pacificator with little
or no encouragement,” com
plained Walsh and Blome edi
torially. Under the circumstanc
es, they determined to make one
more effort to sustain the enter
prise.
In their minds already was
the decision that, if they found
that friends of the Pacificator
showed no interest in it, and
made no efforts in its behalf,
they would be compelled to
cease publication, “satisfied that
(Continued on Page 6)
To Install
ftlsgr, Sheehan
On June 29th
MACON — The formal in
stallation ceremonies of Rt.
Rev. Msgr. Thomas J. Shee
han will be held Sunday,
June 29th at SI. Joseph's
Church.
Monsignor Sheehan will be
installed by the Most Rev
erend Thomas J. McDonough,
auxiliary bishop of Savan
nah. Many priests from the
Diocese of Savannah and At
lanta are expected to attend.
PARIS (Radio, NC) — The ed
ucation of public opinion is a
necessary part of promoting
wholesome and artistic motion
pictures, Msgr. Angelo Dell’-
Acqua, Substitute Vatican Sec
retary of State, said in a letter
to members of the International
Catholic Film Office meeting
here.
Noting that the problem of
public opinion was on the meet
ing’s agenda, Msgr. Deil’Acqua
wrote:
“It is a question of importance
because in order to assure the
success of a morrally sound film,
and hence to encourage pro
ducers to persevere in the path,
it does not suffice that the film
be appreciated by a select
group. It is necessary that pub
lic opinion come out in its favor
and that it be pleasing to the
crowds who daily fill the mov
ing picture theatres.”
The Vatican official said that
this is a question which should
interest producers themselves
since they have found the cine
ma industry threatened by the
development of television. He
added that there has been a vi
cious circle between producers
and public opinion.
To break the circle and bring
about good films the spectator
should be educated by being
taught to savor true values ex-
(Continued on Page 6)
PONTIFF RECEIVES PILGRIMS—His Excellency Archbishop O’Hara and Savannah Diocesan pilgrims are pictured during a
General Audience granted by the Holy Father. Standing next to the Ai'chbishop is the Rt. Rev. Msgr. T. James McNamara, V.F..
Rector of the Cathedral of St- John The Baptist. The Very Rev. Daniel J. Bourke, V.F., pastor of St. Mary’s. Augusta, is pictured
behind Monsignor. The two members of the Hierarchy shown on the right of the Holy Father are not identified.
SAVANNAH — “This may be
the proudest moment of my life
—of my stay among you — the
laying of the cornerstone for our
desperately needed addition to
Blessed Sacrament School.”
These were the words of the
Reverend Thomas A. Bren
nan, pastor of Blessed Sacra
ment Church at the laying of
the cornerstone of t h e new
School addition on Sunday af
ternoon. June 21st.
Presiding at the exercises was
the Most Rev. Thomas J. Mc
Donough, auxiliary-bishop of
the Diocese. Among dignitaries
present was Mayor W. Lee
Mingledroff, Jr., Mayor of the
city of Savannah.
Bishop McDonough praised
the work of Father Brennan
saying, “He (Fr. Brennan) is go
ing to see that this building is
built and thereby make it a
landmark of this beautiful
city.”
The Bishop continued, “We
take pride this afternoon in
blessing and laying the corner
stone which actually culminates
the hard work of so many peo
ple over twelve years. It is a
tribute to Father Brennan and
tb his people, no one else.”
Bishop McDonough conclud
ed, “I want to thank Father
Brennan and the architects for
the wonderful design. This may
be called the “dream school.” I
want to thank the contractors.
God bless all of you.”
The following cablegram was
received from Archbishop Ger
ald P. O’Hara and read at the
ceremonies:
“Please accept my heartfelt
congratulations and all good
wishes to you and your parish-
oners on this happy occasion of
the cornerstone laying of the
new addition to Blessed Sacra
ment School.”
Addressing the gathering Fa-
the Brennan said every parish-
oner of Blessed Sacrament par
ish should justly take pride in
our new addition to our school
building. “What we see rising
here today was not done over
night, It required planning and
the conducting of a fund raising
campaign; hard work, sacrifice
and prayers.”
Mayor Mingledorff stated that
he marveled at the growth that
the Catholic people of the com
munity had made in their edu
cational system. The cornerstone
laying is realiy symbolic of
many other things than the
building of a building. We are
building for the future and this
cornerstone is certainly a truly
great example of that, the
Mayor said.
Also in attendance and taking
part in the ceremonies were the
Honorable H. Lee Fulton. Chair
man, Chatham County Commis
sioners; Architect, Cletus W.
Bergen; William J. Lynch, of
Rives E. Worrell Co., Inc., Con
tractor and Dr. Peter L. Scar-
dino, Chairman of the School
Fund Drive.
At the conclusion of the ex
ercises Solemn Pontifical Ben
ediction was offered by Bishop
McDonough in the Church.
Serving as Master of Ceremon
ies at Benediction was Rev.
John D. Cuddy, Superintendent,
Savannah Diocesan Schools;
Deacon: Rev. Edward R. Fiank,
Assistant Pastor, Blessed Sacra
ment Church; Sub-Deacon: Rev.
Robert J. Teoli. Assistant Pas
tor, Cathedral of St. John the
Baptist.
The Choir, composed of the
senior members and young la
dies of the High School Sodality,
was under the direction of the
Reverend George C. James.