Newspaper Page Text
Serving
Georgia's 88
Southern Counties
Vol. 39, No. 17
luifetin To Launch
Subscription Drive
Sunday, ian. 25th
SAVANNAH — In a memo
randum to the Pastors of the
Diocese, His Excellency, Bishop
Thomas J. McDonough, Auxil
iary Bishop of Savannah, an
nounced that the annual sub
scription drive for the SAV
ANNAH BULLETIN will begin
on Sunday, January 25th with
the distribution of special envel
opes in all Churches of the
Diocese.
On Sunday, February 1st, the
sermon at all Masses will be on
the Catholic Press with particu
lar emphasis on the SAVAN
NAH BULLETIN and envelopes
distributed on the preceding
Sunday will be collected.
Commenting on the import
ance of the Catholic Press, Bish
op McDonough said, “It is
wrong to give people the im
pression that the Catholic Press
needs their support. On the con
trary, THE CATHOLIC PRESS
IS NEEDED TO SUPPORT THE
PEOPLE IN THEIR FAITH.”
(italics ours) “Their contribu
tion is a means by which the
Catholic seeks to keep himself
informed, so that his own faith
will be strengthened and be
come more articulate.”
In pointing out the purposes
of the SAVANNAH BULLETIN
and the aim of the subscription
drive, the Bishop said it is in
tended to reach every Catholic
in the Diocese of Savannah
which comprises 88 counties,
and make them aware of the
problems which the Church fac
es here. His Excellency also ex
pressed the conviction that the
SAVANNAH BULLETIN can
make a substantial contribution
in acquainting the many Catho
lics who are moving into the
Diocese with the urgent needs
of the institutions of the Dio
cese, and in familiarizing them
with the names of the priests,
parishes and schools of the Dio
cese.
Bishop McDonough declared
that the Diocesan Newspaper oc
cupies an important part in the
parish life and work. “The SAV
ANNAH BULLETIN visits the
homes of the Catholic families
of the parish regularly” which
the parish priest is unable to do.
In a recent interview His Ex
cellency commended the in
crease in parish news and the
feature columns which have
been added in the past year, and
expressed his confidence that
the SAVANNAH BULLETIN
will continue to improve as a
valuable aid in the teaching
apostolate of the Church in
South Georgia.
Savannah DCCW
Meets January 11
BRUNSWICK — The winter
meeting of the Savannah Dean
ery Council of Catholic Women
was held at St. Joseph’s
School Cafeteria in Brunswick,
Sunday, January 11. St. Fran
cis Xavier Parish Council hosted
a luncheon for the women.
Guest speaker, Bishop Tho
mas J. McDonough, in his ad
dress to the ladies emphasized
Catholic Action in three catego
ries; in the Home, in Marriage,
and in the School. He also em
phasized the necessity of prayer
for the success of the work of
the Church in the Savannah
Diocese.
Under new business, Mrs.
Owen Porter, president, ap
pointed a nominating committee
consisting of Miss Johanna Daly,
chairman, Mrs. B. W. Cun
ningham, Mrs. Geo. Mulligan,
Mrs. James Cates and Mrs. John
Buckley. She also reported that
winners of the essay contest
would be announced, and prizes
given out, at the spring meeting.
The Deanery was then invited
to be guests of the Blessed Sac
rament Parish Council for the
To Dedicate
Savannah School
Sunday, Feb. 1st
SAVANNAH — On Sun
day, February 1st, His Excel
lency Bishop Thomas J. Mc
Donough, Auxiliary Bishop,
will dedicate the new School
addition at Blessed Sacra
ment Parish in Savannah.
The Ceremonies will start
at 4:00 p. m. with the dedica
tion after which the Bishop
will address the congregation.
The Bishop will then be cel
ebrant at a Solemn Pontifical
Benediction in the Auditori
um-Gymnasium.
The Very Rev. Thomas A.
Brennan, pastor, in announc
ing plans, said that following
the ceremonies, a social will
be given under the auspices
of the Home and School As
sociation.
At 6:00 p. m. a dinner will
be tendered the attending
clergy.
spring meeting in April.
Rev. John D. Toomey, Spirit
ual Moderator, announced that
a meeting of the St. Mary’s
Home Guild would take place
in March, and also invited the
ladies to attend the Savannah
Diocesan convention in Macon
on April 25 and 26.
Under old business, Mrs. Port
er reminded each of the organi
zations of their projects for St.
Mary’s Home.
The meeting was concluded
with Solemn Benediction.
FESTIVAL
COLS f AR
WEAPON
VATICAN CITY, (NC) — The
communist - sponsored “World
Youth Festival” to be held in
Vienna in July has been de
scribed by L’Osservatore Roma
no as a weapon of the cold war
aimed at influencing the youth
of the free world.
The Vatican City daily said
the meeting has “but one aim
... to convince the youth of the
world, particularly the young
from certain countries, of the
peaceful intentions of the East
ern bloc and to depict the West
as being warlike and the incor
rigible oppressor and colonial
ist.”
The paper quoted the protests
of various Austrian youth
groups against holding the meet
ing in Vienna. It also warned
against attending the convention
in the belief that it would be
valuable to make contact with
persons from behind the Iron
Curtain.
Those who expressed this be
lief L’Osservatore wrote, “do
not know that these young peo
ple from communist countries
are carefully chosen from among
the most loyal members of the
Communist party organizations.
“To discuss with them does
not mean to meet the youth
which they claim to represent.
Moreover, the experience of cer
tain naive people at former fes
tivals leaves no room for doubt
concerning this matter.
DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH EDITION
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH
Published By The
Catholic Laymen's
Ass'n Of Georgia
MONROE, GEORGIA, SATURDAY, JANUARY 24, 1959
10c Per Copy — $3 a Year
January 8, 1959
His Excellency
The Most Rev. Thomas J. McDonough, D.D.
Auxiliary Bishop of Savannah
222 East Harris Street
Savannah, Georgia
Your Excellency,
The reigning Holy Father Pope John XXIII has graciously
directed me to extend to you His heartfelt gratitude for the
sum of three thousand nine hundred dollars, which you had
forwarded to His beloved Predecessor of immortal memory
as the Peter’s Pence offering from the Diocese of Savannah
for the year 1958.
If the Sovereign Pontiff is to fulfill that mission of uni
versal charity which is incumbent upon Him as Chief
Shepherd of the flock of Christ, He must of necessity rely on
the magnanimous support and solidarity of those of His chil
dren who are blessed with a relative abundance of this world’s
goods. Year after year Your Excellency, and the priests and
people of the Diocese of Savannah, have been contributing
in generous measure towards the Holy Father’s crusade of
merciful relief and towards those manifold works of apostolic
zeal which were so dear to His heart.
Such an eloquent manifestation of the filial love which
Your Excellency and the clergy and faithful of Savannah
Diocese cherish for the Vicar of Christ brought comfort and
consolation to His Holiness as He assumes the burdensome
duties of the Sovereign Pontificate. From His heart He invokes
upon Your Excellency and your beloved Diocesans an abun
dant heavenly reward, and in pledge thereof He imparts to
you and to them His special Apostolic Benediction.
Gladly do I renew to Your Excellency the assurance of
my high esteem and cordial regard, and I remain
Yours sincerely in Christ,
D. CARD. TARDINI
Deanery Council C.Y.C.
Organized At Savannah
New Columbus Church
Dedicated By Bishop
DEDICATE NEW COLUMBUS CHURCH
His Excellency The Most Rev. Thomas J. M.Donough, Auxiliary Bishop, is shown as he bless
ed the new Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Columbus. The ceremonies took place on January
18th.—(Ledger-Enquirer Photo).
Bishop McDonough Speaker
Augusta Deanery Coundl
Holds Mid-Winter Luncheon
SAVANNAH — The Savan
nah Deanery Council C.Y.C. or
ganized at a recent meeting
here. The Council consists of all
parishes in the Savannah area
as far west as Statesboro and
as far south as Brunswick. Mod
erator of the group is the Rev.
Felix Donnelly, pastor of the
Church of the Nativity of Our
Lord, Thunderbolt.
Officers elected were: Presi
dent, Richard Kelly, Sacred
Heart parish, Savannah; vice
president, Joan Morrisey, Saint
Michaels parish, Savannah
Beach; secretary, Norman El
more, St. Mary’s, Savannah;
treasurer, Donna Becker,
Church of the Nativity, Thun
derbolt.
The following chairmen were
By John A. Greaves
(N.C.W.C. News Service)
LONDON — Fears for the spi
ritual future of Malta, most
Catholic community in the
British Commonwealth, were
expressed with the British Gov
ernment’s decision to suspend
the local constitution.
The Colonial Office announc
ed that the Mediterranean colo
ny will temporarily be ruled by
a non-elect council.
Threats of non-cooperation
and of an all-out drive for com
plete independence from Brit
ain followed from the socialists,
only efficiently organized polit
ical group on the Mediterranean
island.
Catholic commentators here
spoke of the Church in Malta as
being “an uneasy spectator” of
the independence campaign.
They expressed concern for the
far - reaching effects on the
Church’s future.
The move from London fol
lowed a breakdown in talks here
on the future of Malta and its
300,000 Catholics, dependent for
the past century and a half on
the island’s use as a main British
naval base but facing bankrupt
cy today as its strategic import
ance becomes obsolete in the
nuclear age.
Stop-gap rule under the pres
ent governor, Sir Robert Lay-
cock — who meanwhile has had
an audience with His Holiness
Pope John XXIII at the Vatican
—was expected by political ob
servers here to be followed by
appointed; Richard Rozelle, St.
Matthews, Statesboro, Spiritual
Chairman; Tony Rocha, Saint
Francis Xavier, Brunswick, Cul
tural Chairman; John McKenna,
Cathedral parish, Savannah,
Athletic Chairman and Agnes
Hartnett, Blessed Sacrament
parish, Savannah, Social Chair
man.
The Deanery has organized a
Basketball League with girls
and boys teams entered from
St. Michaels, Nativity, Blessed
Sacrament, Cathedral, Sacred
Heart and St. James parishes.
This council is the first of
three such Deanery Councils to
be formed in the Diocese. The
C.Y.C. operates under the su
pervision of the Rev. Herbert J.
Wellmier, Diocesan Director of
Youth.
some form of independence and
with the port of Valletta and its
naval dockyards turned to com
mercial use through whatever
country is willing to lend the
money.
The Maltese socialists, already
openly angry with the West,
might favor Russia, allowing
communism to infiltrate into a
fortress which has withstood the
armed assaults of paganism
since its conversion by St. Paul
the Apostle.
The British Colonial Office in
announcing its decision said it
would provide Malta with up to
$81,200,000 over the next five
years to strengthen its economy.
A big British commercial group
is being encouraged to take over
the dockyards which provide the
income, direct or indirect, for
most of the islanders. Other
plans to develop Malta industri
ally were also announced.
“There is evidently no pro
spect of devising a constitution
which would be generally ac
ceptable to the political parties
and Her Majesty’s Government,”
the Colonial Office added. “Fur
ther efforts must of course be
made and it is Her Majesty’s
Government’s intention to hold
further discussion, in due course
with a view to re-introducing
elected representative govern
ment.”
The decision has still to be
implemented by Parliament. It
was criticized in the British
press as a retrograde step
(Continued on Page 6)
AUGUSTA — The theme of
the mid-winter luncheon meet
ing of the Augusta Deanery
Council of Catholic Women,
which was held on January 7,
at Lourdes Hall with St. Jos
eph’s Parish as hostess Council,
was “A Woman Extends Her
Hand in Service to Christ
Through Her Bishop.”
The Most Rev. Thomas J.
McDonough, D.D., J.C.D., was
the principal speaker and the
subject of his inspiring talk was
“The Woman in Catholic Ac
tion.”
Mrs. Jack Johannsen, presi
dent, presided, welcoming all
Urges French
Clergy To Avoid
Political Struggles
(Radio, N.C.W.C. News Service)
PARIS — His Eminence Mau
rice Cardinal Feltin has urged
members of the French Catho
lic clergy to avoid taking part
in political struggles.
The Cardinal’s recommenda
tions were made in connection
with nationwide elections sched
uled to be held in the spring for
local administrative bodies and
the French Senate.
DCCW To
Hold Board
Meeting Jan. 28
AUGUSTA — The Savan
nah Diocesan Council of
Catholic Women will hold its
semi-annual board meeting
on Wednesday, January 28,
at 12:30 p. m„ at the Sham
rock Motel, in Dublin. Of
ficers and committee chair
men will be asked* to give a
brief report on their activi
ties, and any future plans.
Reservations for this
luncheon meeting should be
made by Saturday, January
24, by returning postal card
to M.r s. Norman I. Boat
wright, at 2640 Bellevue Ave„
Augusta.
The Very Rev. John D.
Toomey, Spiritual Moderator
of the Savannah Diocesan
C. C. W„ will be present at
this meeting. Miss Louise
Ludwig, of Dublin, is chair
man for the luncheon meting.
present, and introduced those
seated at the speaker’s table,
and all special guests. Among the
honor guests, was Mrs. John H.
Scrivener, president of the
Charleston Diocesan Council of
Catholic Women.
Mrs. Eugene M. Long, chair
man of the Family and Parent
Education Committee, outlined
plans for a Family Life Confer
ence to be held on March 6, with
the Rev. Henry V. Sattler, as
principal speaker.
Miss Frances Casey, of the
Foreign Relief Committee, stat
ed that 1183 lbs. of used clothing
had been collected during the
Thanksgiving Drive, and that
this had been packed and sent
abroad, and that 112 new gar
ments for infants and small
children collected during the
Christmas Season had been sent
to the Holy Father’s warehouse
for distribution.
Mrs. J. Lee Etheredge, Jr. re
ported that the essay contest
held annually throughout the
diocese was in progress, and the
awards would be made within
the near future.
Mrs. Sam Fennell outlined the
plans for the Mardi Gras which
is held each year prior to the
Lenten Season, the proceeds of
which are used principally for
St. Mary’s Home for Girls, in
Savannah. Mrs. Fennell urged
all to take an active part to help
make this annual affair, which
is the only fund raising project
of the deanery, a success.
Mrs. Norman Boatwright,
president of the Savannah Dio
cesan C. C. W., announced that
the diocesan convention would
be held in April, in Macon. She
also stated that she had informa
tion on' Foreign Exchange Stu
dents, and asked that anyone
who can take one of these stu
dents contact her. She mention
ed that those who had partici
pated in this program had found
it a most rewarding experience.
Bishop McDonough was the
celebrant of the Dialog Mass
which proceded the luncheon,
with the Very Rev. John D.
Toomey, of Savannah, as leader.
The Very Rev. Andrew J. Mc
Donald, Chancellor of the Dio
cese, the Rev. Nicholas J. Quin
lan, pastor of St. Joseph’s
Church, and clergy from all oth
er parishes within the deanery,
and guests from the Diocese of
Atlanta and Charleston were
present.
More Than
500 Attend
Ceremonies
COLUMBUS — In colorful
Sunday afternoon ceremonies,
the Most. Rev. Thomas J. Mc
Donough, D.D. J.C.D., auxiliary-
bishop of the diocese, dedicated
the new $60,000 Our Lady of
Lourdes Church.
The impressive service at the
recently completed church
building, located at South
Lumpkin and Torch Hill Roads,
of which the Rev. William P.
Dowling is pastor, took place at
5:30 p. m. on the afternoon of
January 18th.
About 500 persons attended
the ceremony. Mass was offered
by Father Dowling. Sermon was
delivered by the Very Rev.
Herman J. Diemel, pastor of
Holy Family Church, and Vicar
Forane of the Columbus Dean
ery. Father outlined the early
history of the Church in the
area recalling that at one time
the parish of St. Phillip and
James embraced the territory
from Decaiui, Georgia to Apa
lachicola in Florida.
Bishop McDonough stressed
the importance of having a
church dedicated to God, and
took the opportunity to thank
them for their cooperation in the
establishing of the new church
in the Columbus area.
The church, 60 by 120 feet,
has a seating capacity of 600
persons. The building is con
structed of block with the ex
terior done in the colors of
maroon and gray. The interior
is finished and brown and gray.
Both sides are mostly glass win
dows.
We wish to call the ai-
ienfion of our readers to "The
Story Lady," a feature col
umn by Marueen W e n k
Hanigan which appears on
page 4.
This is a recent addition
which features stories for the
"young folk."
Recall Words
Of Pius XII
VATICAN CITY (Radio, NC
—T h e unofficial Vatican City
weekly, L’Osservatore della Do-
menica, has noted that despite
the fact that the new Soviet
planetoid carries no bombs, the
communists are using it as an
“instrument of power politics.”
The publication said that the
words of Pope Pius XII spoke
to the congress of astronautical
experts in 1956 have even more
meaning and wisdom today. It
quoted the late Pope as saying:
“The common effort of all
humanity for a peaceful con
quest of the universe must con
tribute to the establishment of
greater awareness among men
of the spirit of community and
solidarity . . . But to compre
hend this truth it is necessary
not only to have scientific re
search but also respect for truth,
submission to reality, and cou
rage.
“The most daring explorations
of space will only serve to intro
duce among men a new ferment
of division if they are not ac
companied along the way with a
more profound moral concept
and more conscious devotion to
the superior interests of human
ity.”
FOR HOLY FATHER'S WAREHOUSE—Miss Frances Casey,
Foreign Relief Chairman, and Mrs. Stephen Szemcsak, Inter
national Relations Chairman, are shown sorting new infants’ gar
ments, for shipping to the Holy Father’s Warehouse. These gar
ments were collected in each of the parishes, at the December
meetings, of the Councils of Catholic Women.
ECONOMIC, POLITICAL CRISIS
OF MALTA AROUSE FEARS FOR
SPIRITUAL FUTURE OF ISLAND