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DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH EDITION Serving Georgia's 88 Southern Counties Published By The Catholic Laymen's Ass'n Of Georgia OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH Vol. 39, No. 19 MONROE, GEORGIA, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1959 10c Per Copy — $3 a Year THE CHANCERY P. O. Box 1560 Savannah, Georgia My dear People: Of all the works of God, none is more wonderous than the Catholic Priest hood. “The priest,” in the words of Saint John Eudes, “is given the power to consecrate the Lord of Majesty. His lips bless Him. His hands hold Him. His tongue proclaims Him.” He is indeed another Christ breathing new life into a tired world. It is through the priest that we receive Christ in Holy Communion. His hand is raised in absolution. His words comfort the dying. In a word he is Christ present in our world. So important is the priest that without him the Church can hardly continue. Without him there can be neither Mass, nor confession, nor words of comfort to the dying. What an honor to be a priest of Jesus Christ! Yet, in spite of his great dignity, the priest is, as Saint Paul tells us, taken from among men.” It is mankind that supplies the material which God and His Church mold into the priestly character. Being a man himself, the priest can more readily understand the thoughts of men. He can more easily penetrate into the mysteries of the human heart. The closer a priest is to his people, the better he can serve them. There is, then, no substitute for a clergy drawn from the soil of the Diocese. Nothing can take the place of priests sprung from among the families he serves. ; At this moment, my dear people, we are faced with a critical need in this Diocese. We must produce more vocations to the Priesthood or the Faith of our people will grow cold. We must find receptive young hearts and set them ablaze with a fire of sacrificial love of God, making them willing to devote their entire lives to the Priesthood of Jesus Christ. No gift to the Church, however great, can take the place of this gift, the priest. ~ What is lacking in our Diocese that it should produce so few priestly voca tions? Why is it that at this moment there are only two boys native to the Diocese in the last six years of the seminary? Is it that our boys lack heroism or holiness? No, far from it. The history of the people of Georgia is one studded wtih heroic generosity and eminent holiness. Indeed, many young boys in grammar school manifest a desire for the Priesthood. Yet living their adolescent years in an area largely non-Catholic they lose this desire amid the cares and pleasures of the world. The seed has not fallen upon fertile ground. It has died without producing vocations. Is it not our part to render this sod more fertile by prayer arid sacrifice? What is needed is an intensive program of prayer and sacrifice. We must fall upon our knees and beseech from God not merely vocations but the grace of courage to follow the call of Christ. We must strengthen young hearts with help won by our sacrifices and our prayers. Our words of encouragement must go out to young men who seek to become priests. Our counsel must be that of Holy Mother Church, guiding young men who have the signs of a vocation toward the seminary where they may find whether or not God has called them to Himself. In a word each of us must become vitally interested in the subject of priestly vocations. , As a beginning, we have set aside the time of Lent and Easter to be a special time of prayer. After each Mass said in the Diocese the prayer for vocations will be recited. Posters in our schools and churches will remind you of our great need. Movies will be shown to the children of our schools. A priest will visit and speak to them of the grandeur of the Priesthood. Yet all this is nothing if it does not stimulate you, the people of the Diocese of Savannah, to rally to the call of prayer for vocations. Without your constant prayer no success can be hoped for, no increase of vocations will be seen. You aie the key to the Heart of Christ. It is your prayers and interest that will unlock the plentitude of His graces. It is you who hold the future of the Diocese in balance. This is the first Sunday of the holy season of Lent. Here is a time especially devoted to the exercises of prayer and penance. What moment could you better join with us in prayer and sacrifice for vocations? What better time is there to understand the Priesthood of Jesus Christ than the days devoted to His priestly passion and death upon the cross? Come rally around us in this noble work. God wills it. It must be a glorious success. With our prayers it will be just that. Pray in your homes, your churches and schools; pray everywhere. Sacrifice with zeal and love. God will reward us. He will bless our effort. I have dedicated our work to the saintly Cure of Ars, Saint John Vianney. Pray to him often during these days. In your prayers, too, remember our priestly dead and those priests who now toil for the salvation of your souls.. Assuring you and your families of my everlasting gratitude for your every prayer and sacrifice, and imparting to you my blessing, I remain, Devotedly yours in Christ, + thomas j. McDonough, Auxiliary Bishop of Savannah. For Vocations To Priesthood Intensive Program Of Prayer And Sacrifice Asked By Bishop COLUMBUS DEANERY TO MEET MARCH 1 MACON — The spring meeting of the Columbus Deanery Council of Catholic Women will be held on Sun day, March 1, at 12:30 p. m. at the Columbus Woman's Club, in Columbus. Reservations may be made with Mrs. Warren Purks, 820 Peachtree Drive, Columbus. Mrs. C. A. Davis, president, writ preside. Dual Recognition ¥or St. Vincent Academy Senior SAVANNAH—Receiving rec ognition from both the General Mills Company and the Nation al Merit Scholarship Corpora tion is Miss Linda Davis, a sen ior at St. Vincent’s Academy. As St. Vincent’s Homemaker of Tomorrow, Miss Davis will enter the state competition with other winners. She will also re ceive a pin which represents the slogan, “Home is Where the Heart Is.” Miss Davis has been com mended also as runner-up in the 1958-59 Merit Scholarship com petition by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. This means that she ranks in the top two or three percentile in abil ity among over 478,000 senior students in the U. S. and its possessions. “Each (of these students )re- ceiving this commendation has (Continued on Page 6) Prayers Offered For Persecuted SAVANNAH — Prayers im ploring relief and comfort for the persecuted Catholics of Red China were offered throughout the Diocese of Savannah on Sunday, Feb, 15th in accord ance with the recommendation of His Excellency, Bishop Tho mas J. McDonough, Auxiliary Bishop of Savannah. Bishop McDonough also asked that “the faithful offer their Masses and Holy Communion for the faithful in China.” In every Diocese throughout the Catholic world special de votions and worship services were also scheduled as Pope John XXIII pleaded for “pray ers. to beseech Almighty God that in His mercy He may avert such a calamity as is now threat ening the Catholic Community (Continued on Page 6) ‘The Lord is the portion of my inheritance , . A seminarian at prayer. “Pray ye, therefore, the Lord of the Harvest that He may send laborers into the vineyard ... for the harvest is great, but the laborers few.”—(Photo courtesy “The Voice”). SAINT JOSEPH’S HOSPITAL NAMES McAULIFFE, HASTINGS AUGUSTA — Alvin M. Mc- Auliffe has been appointed chairman of a new lay advisory board for St. Joseph’s Hospital. Dr. E. V. Hastings has been elected president of the St. Jos eph medical staff. Both actions came recently as the hospital re organized for 1959. Serving with Hastings are Dr. Frank Jones as vice president and Dr. C. A. White as secretary and treasurer. George A. Sancken Sr. serves as vice chairman of the advisory board. Other members include Al fred M. Battey, Lee Blum, Glenn R. Boswell, T. H. Brit- tingham, Charles DeBeaugrine, Sherman Drawdy, C. Victor Markwalter Sr., William S. Mor ris, J. Pat Price, Roseoe O. Bob- erts, Samuel Silverstein, and C. J. Vaughan. The appointments were an nounced by Sister Mary Louise, hospital administrator. Guidance Program Schedule For New St. Mary's School To Launch $200,000 Fund Raising Campaign At Augusta AUGUSTA — A campaign to raise $200,000.00 for a new school has been planned for St. Mary’s on the Hill Parish, it was announced this week by the Very Reverend Daniel J. Bourke, V.F., Pastor. Estimated cost of the twelve classroom school and cafetori- um, including the purchase price of the land, is $300,000.00. The fund drive has been established to obtain the major portion of this cost which cannot be ob tained through normal parish income. His Excellency, Most Rev erend Thomas J. McDonough, D.D., J.C.D., Auxiliary-Bishop of Savannah, has given his whole hearted support to the campaign. His Excellency stat ed in part in a letter to Father Bourke, “with devoted loyalty I extend my most profound con gratulations upon such an au spicious undertaking. May Our Divine Savior bless most fav orably this highly desired and much needed parochial school.” The school will be erected on the land presently occupied by Mount St. Joseph Academy, and it is expected that construction will begin in September. The firm of Woodhurst and O’Brien has been appointed as archi tects for the school. “The inadequate facilities at Mount St. Joseph and the poor condition of the buildings, makes a new, modern school an absolute necessity,” explained Father Bourke. The drive will open officially on Sunday, March 22. Father Bourke revealed that Mr. Albert Von Karnp Gary has accepted the position of General Chair man. Under the direction of Mr. Gary a committee of 200 men of the community will be or ganized to carry the appeal to the parish. Every member of St. Mary’s is to be solicited during the fund drive. The Pastor noted that this will be no casual ap peal for funds. “It will require sacrifice on the part of every parishioner, not just a few. Contributions may be paid over a twenty- month period, making it pos sible for a gift to become part of every family’s budget,” Fa ther Bourke said. Mr. Gary commented, “Our campaign is the result of much planning. St. Mary’s has long been in need of a parochial school. Great enthusiasm has been shown in the campaign project and the parishioners are united in its objectives. We an ticipate a very successful fund drive.” Receives Habit Of Brothers Of The Holy Cross COLUMBUS — Donald E. Cox was one of 19 candidates who received the religious habit of the Brothers of Holy Cross recently at St. Joseph’s Noviti ate, Rolling Prairie, Indiana. Brother Donald Cox is the son of Mrs. E. J. Kennedy of Colum bus. He is a graduate of Harlem High School, Harlem, Ga. FOR MORE VOCATIONS TO THE PRIESTHOOD SAVANNAH — The Chan cery has released the schedule for the showing of the vocation al film “Twenty-Four Hours” and for visits by the Reverend William V. Coleman, Vice- Chancellor to all schools of the Diocese. The Film has already been shown at all grade schools in the Savannah area, with visits by Father Coleman having been made to Cathedral, Sacred Heart, Saint Anthony’s, St. Mary’s, and Saint Benedict’s Schools. ■ The remainder of the sched ule follows: FILM “TWENTY-FOUR HOURS.” St. Francis Xavier, Bruns wick, February 23; St. Joseph’s, Waycross, February 25; St. John’s, Valdosta, March 2; Queen of Peace, Lakeland, March 4; St. Teresa’s, Albany, March 6; Ploly Family, Columbus, March 10; St. Joseph’s and St. Peter Claver, Macon, March 12; Sac red Heart, Warner Robins, March 13; Sacred Heart, Augus ta, March 17; Mount St. Joh- ' eph, Augusta, March 18; Im maculate Conception, Augusta, March 19; Aquinas High, Augus ta, March 23; Immaculate Con ception High, Augusta, March 24; Benedictine High, Savannah, April 5; and St. Pius *X High, Savannah, April 7. VISITS BY FATHER COLE MAN; Blessed Sacrament, Sav annah, February 24; Saint James, Savannah, February 25; Nativity, Thunderbolt, Febru ary 26; Saint Michael’s, Savan nah Beach, February 27; St. Francis Xavier, Brunswick, March 9; St. Joseph’s, Waycross, March 9; St. John’s, Valdosta, March 10; St. Teresa’s, Albany, March 11; Holy Family, Colum bus, March 12; St. Joseph’s and St. Peter Claver, Macon, March 16; Sacred Heart, Warner Rob ins, March 17; Sacred Heart, Augusta, March 18; Mount St. Joseph, Augusta, March 19; Im maculate Conception, Augusta, March 18; Aquinas High, Au gusta, April 7; Immaculate Con ception High, Augusta, April 8; Benedictine High, Savannah. April 12; St. Pius X High, Sav annah, April 13. Urges Rally To Call Of Prayer For Vocations SAVANNAH — In a letter ad dressed to the people of the Savannah Diocese, Bishop Tho mas J. McDonough, auxiliary- bishop, called for “an intensive program of prayer and sacrifice” for vocations to the priesthood from among South Georgia’s Catholic young men. He called upon the “people of the Diocese of Savannah, to rally to the call of prayer for vocations. With out your constant prayer no success can be hoped for, no in crease of vocations will be seen.” A separate letter to the Cler gy of the Diocese outlined a “very extensive vocation pro ject for 1959.” The project called for the reading of a Pastoral Letter (published elsewhere on this page) in all churches of the Diocese on the First Sunday of Lent and the reading of a spe cial Prayer fqr Vocations at all Masses during Lent and Easter time. Included in the vigorous Vo cations program which will last until Trinity Sunday are a ser mon on Vocations to the Priest hood on the first Sunday of March in every church in the Diocese, the distribution of leaf lets and the display of the 1959 Vocation poster in all Churches, schools and altar boys’ sacris ties. There will also be frequent programs of prayer in each classroom of the Diocese for Vocations. The Rev. William V. Coleman, vice-chancellor, has already be gun an extensive tour which will take him to all the schools of the Diocese where he will speak on Vocations and inter view separately each boy in the 8th and 9th grades. A Vocation al film. “Twenty Four Hours” will also be shown in all the schools. All boys showing a genuine interest in a Priestly Vocation will be referred by Father Coleman to their re spective Pastors. On the basis of the Pastor’s interview and personal knowledge, boys will be accepted by the Bishop and assigned to Seminary work. Ever since his appointment as Auxiliary Bishop of Saxannah, Bishop McDonough has express ed concern over the lack of priestly vocations in the Diocese and has frequently urged par ents not only to “refrain from placing obstacles in the way, but also to generously and gen uinely foster vocations to the Sacred Priesthood in your own homes.” PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS O God, hear our prayer and lei our cry come unio Thee. Bless our Diocese of Sav annah wilh many priestly vocations. Give the young men You call, the light to understand Your gift and the love to follow always in the foot steps of Your Priestly Son. —Indulgence of seven years Mary, Queen of the Clergy, pray for us. St. John Vianney, pray for us. Imprimaiur: -4-Thomas J. McDonough