Newspaper Page Text
Serving
Georgia's 88
Southern Counties
DIOCESE OF
SAVANNAH EDITION
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH
Published By The
Catholic Laymen's
Ass'n of Georgia
Vol. 40, No. 2
MONROE, GEORGIA, SATURDAY,
JUNE 27, 1959
10c Per Copy — $3 a Year
BISHOP AND BENEFACTORS OF NEW CLAXTQN CHURCH — Pictured above with
His Excellency, Bishop Thomas J. McDonough are Augustine J. Long, Jr., K.S.G. and other mem
ber of the family of the late Augustine J. Long Sr. and Elizabeth Long, in whose memory the
Church of St. Christopher, in Ciaxton, Ga., was erected.
$2,500 Gift For
KOIC Burse Fund
Pope John XXIII
Bulletin
Series On
Pope John
The Bulletin is pleased to pre
sent in installment form an au-
thorative biography of His
Holiness Pope John XXIII.
Written by Zsolt Aradi, Mon
signor James I. Tucek, and
James C. O’Neil, this feature is
must reading for all.
The first installment will be
found on Page 2.
8© Priests
Held For Year
ROME, (NC) — Eighty priests
of the Shanghai diocese were
“shut up” for more than a year
by the Red regime so they
could receive their “political re
education,” it was reported here.
SAVANNAH — Following the
9:00 o’clock mass on Sunday,
June 14th, Bishop McDonough
and Monsignor McDonald,
Chaplain of Council 631, were
breakfast guests of the K. of C.
Councils in the Diocese of Sav
annah at the DeSoto Hotel. In
addition to the local Council, the
hosts were the Macon Council,
925, Augusta Council, 67.7, the
Columbus Council, 1919, the
Brunswick Council 1939, the Al
bany Council 3607, and the
Warner Robins Council, 4371.
During the breakfast, the
Councils presented His Excel
lency, Bishop McDonough, with
a gift of $2,500 to start a K. of C.
burse fund for the education of
young men for the priesthood
of the Diocese of Savannah. This
gift represents the first of such
annual presentations by the
Knights of Columbus.
Speaking in behalf of all of
the Knights of Columbus of the
Diocese of Savannah, local
Grand Knight Julian Halligan
congratulated Bishop McDon
ough upon the inspirational
leadership that he has given the
Catholics of this area and ex
pressed the hope that the Bishop
would accept this gift as a token
of esteem that the Knights of
Columbus have for the priests
of the Diocese.
In his acceptance, His Excel
lency, Bishop McDonough, ex
plained briefly the plans for the
opening of St. John Vianney Mi
nor Seminary in the fall; he
spoke of the enthusiastic re
sponse he has received both
from the laity and clergy to the
opening of the seminary; he
thanked. the Knights of Colum
bus for their inspirational sup
port of his program and ex
pressed the hope that the lead
ership of the Knights ox Col
umbus throughout the Diocese
in cooperating with the clergy
would bring great blessings
upon them.
DCCW Board
Meeting July 8
SAVANNAH—A meeting of
the Savannah Diocesan Coun
cil of Catholic Women Board
of Directors will be held at
the Moose Club, 533 Third
Street, Macon Ga„ on Wed
nesday, July 8th, at 12:30
p. m. All members are urged
to make early reservations
with Mrs. E. H. Buck, 373
Cotton Ave„ Macon, Ga.
The Very Rev. John D.
Toomey, M. A., S. T. L„
Spiritual Moderator of the
Diocesan Council will attend
this meeting, and Mrs. Nor
man I. Boatwright, president,
will preside. Mrs. Boatwright
will present the highlights of
the Leadership Institute, and
Mrs. A. J. Seyden and Mrs.
L. J. Ward will also speak
briefly on the topics covered
by the various workshops.
—(Photo Savannah Morning News)
BISHOP PRESENTED SEMINARY GIFT—His Excellency Bishop Thomas J. McDonough,
Auxiliary Bishop of Savannah, receives a $2,500 check from the K. of C. Councils in the Diocese
of Savannah, toward educating young men for the Priesthood in the Diocese. Shown at the
presentation are, left to right: Phil Batastini, of the Columbus Council K. of C.; Nicholas Ken
ney Jr., District Deputy; Julian Halligan, Grand Knight Savannah Council No. 631; Bishop Mc
Donough; Monsignor Andrew J. McDonald, Chancellor; Raymond Ahles, Grand Knight of the
Brunswick Council; and Jack Butler, Deputy Grand Knight of the Savannah Council.
Ciaxton, St. Mary's Churches
Blessed By Bishop McDonough
Qlenmary
Superior General
At Ceremonies
CLAXTON — On Sunday,
June 14th, the Most Rev. Tho
mas J. McDonough, Auxiliary
Bishop of Savannah, officiated
at the dedicatory rites at St.
Christopher’s Church, Ciaxton,
Georgia. The ceremonies took
place at 5:00 p. m. After the
dedication mass was celebrated
by the Rev. William A. Tegler,
who'is in charge of the church.
The Very Rev. Clement F. Bor-
chers, Superior General of the
Glenmary Missioners, who staff
St. Christopher’s delivered the
sermon. His Excellency, Bishop
. McDonough, also delivered a
short talk after the Mass. Father
Tegeler announced that the
week of June 15th to June 20th
would be “Open-House Week”
at St. Christopher’s and extend
ed an invitation to the peoples
of Ciaxton. A program of spe
cial interest to the community
was presented each night from
June 15th to 20th from 7 to 8
p. m. . *4
Dedication of the new St.
Christopher’s Catholic Church
in Ciaxton, presents the occas
ion for reviewing briefly, the
history of the Catholic Church
in this community in years gone
by. St. Christopher’s is not the
first Catholic Church to be built
in Ciaxton, About fifty years
ago, (according to. the most reli
able date we can find), Clax-
ton’s first Catholic Church was
built. That was about 1909 or
1910. Claxton’s first Catholic
Church was a brick structure. It
was built on land that was do
nated by a lady who lived in
Glennville, Georgia. It was ded
icated to Saints Peter and Paul.
Even before plans were laid
for building Sts. Peter and
Paul’s Church Rev. Joseph D.
Mitchell had been coming out
from Savannah by train each
week to offer Mass for the
Catholics of the area. For sev
eral years Sunday Mass was of
fered in private homes. Later a
chapel was set up in a business
building, but that building
burned down, so private homes
were again used until the new
church was built. Sts. Peter and
Paul’s Church was used for only
about 12 to 15 years. During
that time several of the Catholic
families moved away from
Ciaxton, so that, sometime
around 1924 the Ciaxton parish
was abandoned.
For eleven years the building
stood vacant. It was finally sold
in 1935 and was converted into
a home. Today the building still
stands as a monument-reminder
that there were not enough
priests in Georgia to keep the
church alive once it was start
ed in this area. In the meantime,
in the year 1939, the late Father
Wm. Howard Bishop founded
the Society of Priests and Bro
thers whose special purpose is
to put priests in the priestless
counties of the United States.
He called his society the Home
Missionei’s of America, popu
larly known as the Glenmary
Missioners.
In the autum of 1944 the
Bishop of Savannah-Atlanta in
vited the Glenmary Missioners
to take over a mission area of
seven counties of no-priest land
in Georgia. With Statesboro as
its mission center. The only
Catholic Church in the whole
area was a frame chapel at Bay
Branch. A small chapel in a six
room bungalow was the place of
worship in Statesboro.
Five years later through the
joint efforts of the Diocese of
(Continued on Page 8)
ST. MARY’S DEDICATION
Bishop Thomas J. McDonough addresses congregation of Our Lady, Star of the Sea at ded
ication rites, Sunday, June 21st.
BISHOP THOMAS J. McDONOUGH is shown greeting a
member of Our Lady Star of the Sea Church at St. Mary’s,
Georgia, following dedication rites last Sunday.
Fxpsssion
At Brunswick
BRUNSWICK—St. Francis
Xavier school has announced
plans for expansion for next
term.
The Rev. James M. Cum
mings, S. M., announced re
cently that additional property
has been purchased for the
school yard and that an addi
tional teacher and class room
will be added to the school.
Sister Celeste Marie, C. S. J.,
principal said that next year the
school will have a staff of nine
teaehei's, six sisters and three
lay teachers. She expects enroll
ment to rise to about 400 up
from this year’s peak of 370.
Father Cummings also an
nounced plans for the pui-chase
of a third school bus at a cost
of $6,000.
The church has launched a
June campaign to raise $13,121.-
60 to pay for the bus, equipping
the new classroom at a cost of
$1,500, and paying for Howe
Street property purchased from
Sam Gordon at a cost of $5,621.-
50.
New Church
For ‘Second
Oldest City’
ST. MARY’S — At the small
but rapidly growing historical
town of St. Mary’s, the new
Church of Our Lady Star of the
sea was formally dedicated by
His Excellency, Bishop Thomas
J. McDonough, Auxiliary Bish
op of Savannah, on Sunday,
June 21st. The ceremonies be
gan with the dedication by the
Bishop and concluded with a
Mass celebrated by the Rev.
George Meiiuta, S.M.. pastor of
St. Joseph’s Church, Way cross,
who serves Llie small congrega
tion at St. Mary’s. The Rev.
James M. Cummings, S.M., pas
tor of St. Francis Xavier,
Brunswick, spoke at the Mass.
After the Mass Bishop McDon
ough addressed the congregation
and told them of his “intense
desire to see a resident priest at
St, Mary's.” He asked the peo
ple to "pray fervently and con
fidently for more priests and
for 1 lit: success of the new pro
arafory seminary of St. Joh »
Vianney a. Savannah. “Alter
the dedication refreshments
were served at the St. Mary’s
Women’s Club.
The new church, designed by
Thomas and Hutton, architects
and engineers of Savannah, was
built by the Thompson Con
struction Company of Charles
ton, S. C. The new church,
erected in a beautiful natural
setting of live oak trees cov
ered with Spanish moss, is of
cmderblock construction with
an exterior finish of light tan
brick. St. Mary’s new church
seats 120 persons in specially
designed open back pews.
A large, attractive carved
wood altar dominates the sanc
tuary which is separated from
the body of the church by a
simple but artistically executed
communion rail. Said Father
Meiiuta. “The beautiful new ed
ifice now stands as the long-
deserved and much needed suit
able and comfortable House of
God and House of Prayer. No
doubt this beautiful church will
continue to edify and benefit not
only the Catholics, but all the
God-loving residents of St.
Mary’s.”
(Continued on Page 8)
THE CATHOLIC PRIESTHOOD
Text of sermon delivered by
the Very Rev, John D. Toomey
at the silver Jubilee Mass of
Msgr. Daniel J. Bourke, St.
Mary's on the Hill, Augusta,
May 19, 1959.
"Let. cl man sn account us as
the servants of Christ and the
dispensers of the mysteries of
Cod." 1 Cor. 4, 1.
Mankind has always felt the
need of a priesthood—of men,
that is, who have the official
charge to be mediators between
God and humanity. These men
were expected to consecrate
themselves entirely to this task
of mediation since this would
be the very purpose of their
lives. And they would offer to
God public prayers and sacrifice
on behalf of the people, for wise
and pious men have always
recognized the obligation of hu
man society to offer to God pub
lic and social worship.
This fact of a priesthood is
found in pagan religions with
their strange chants and ritual.
But especially was it true in the
Jewish religion of the Old Testa
ment which prefigured in defi
nite terms the priesthood of
Jesus Christ.
Much could be said of the sac
rifices of the Old Law and the
ordinances which God gave to
Moses concerning the worship
of the Israelites. Aaron the high
priest is note-worthy for in him
the priesthood is recognized as
a definite state of life separate
from that of the layman. “Let
them therefore be holy because
I also am holy: The Lord who
sanctifies them.” Lev. 21. But it
is the mysteries and venerable
priest and King. Melchisedech,
who attracts our attention with
his offerings of bread and wine.
And thus St. Paul tells us that
Jesus became a “high priest
forever, according to the order
of Melchisedech.”
Our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ, the eternal Son of God,
came into the world to offer
sacrifice. The sacrifice was His
own Body for the sins of man
kind. He is thus the eternal
High Priest who offered Himself
for our sins. But he did more
than this in the three short years
of His public life. Jesus said:
"Go and report to John what
you have seen and heard: the
blind see, the lame walk, the
lepers are cleansed, the deaf
hear, the dead rise, the poor
have the gospel preached to
them.” Luke 7, 22.
Christ with His divine vision
foresaw the death lie would
undergo—and his subsequent
resurrection and ascension. He
gathered 12 men around him—
and gradually he trained them
in the first seminary of the
Christian era. He taught them
first the law of charity—and
then of poverty: “Love one
another as I have loved you.
Take with you neither scrip nor
purse." And he prayed for them
that they would have strength.
“Behold I am sending you as
sheep in the midst of wolves. Do
not be afraid of them. For what
you are to speak will be given
you in that, hour.” Matt. 10, 16
ff. “He who receives you. re
ceives me.”
And, finally on the night be
fore he died, Jesus offered the
first Mass and performed the
first part of his ordination cere
mony, when he said “This is my
body, this is my blood—
DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE
OF ME." Luke 22, 19.
And so the Catholic priest
hood came into being, as Christ
later completed the ordination
of the apostles when he told
them to forgive sins and to
preach the gospel to every crea
ture and baptize.
NOW WHAT IS THE ES-
SENCE OF THIS PRIEST
HOOD—what are its qualities?
What is the true meaning of
vocation? To answer these ques
tions, let us look further into
the Epistle to the Hebrews:
The priest, according to the
magnificent definition given by
St. Paul, is indeed a man “taken
from among men. and ordained
for men in the things that ap-
partain to God.” Heb. 5. 1. And
he goes on to say that “he is able
to have compassion on the igno
rant and erring, because he him
self also is beset with weakness,
and by reason thereof is obliged
to offer for sins, as on behalf of
(Continued on Page 8)