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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