Newspaper Page Text
Serving
Georgia's 88
Southern Counties
DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH EDITION
Published By The
Catholic Laymen's
Ass'n of Georgia
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH
Vol. 40, No. 4
MONROE, GEORGIA, SATURDAY, JULY 25, 1959
St. Stephens Chapel,
Information Center
Opens At Swainsboro
SWAINSBORO — Saint Ste
phen’s Chapel and Catholic In
formation Center opened re
cently here.
Besides a fitting chapel for
services each Sunday, the infor
mation center offers an oppor-
Rev. George Mathis
tunity to the community to in
vestigate the Catholic Church
and have any questions con
cerning Catholicism answered.
Father George J. Mathis said
“For the present the chapel and
information center will be open I
for services each Sunday at 9:30
a.m. and on Tuesday and Wed
nesday afternoons from one un
til six o’clock.”
In discussing the new chapel,
Father Mathis said the Catholic
Church is not entirely new in
Emanuel County. Since Novem
ber 1957, Mass has been offered
each Sunday at the John C.
Coleman Hotel.
A native of Cleveland, Ohio,
Father Mathis was assigned to
Saint Mathew’s Church in
Statesboro on Sept. 21, 1958.
He attended Saint Mary’s
Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio,
where he majored in philosophy
prior to his four-year theology
course at the Glenmary Semi
nary in Glendale, Ohio. He
was ordained on May 19, 1955,
by the Most Reverend Clarence
Issenmann, Auxiliary Bishop of
Cincinnati.
A member of the Glenmary
Home Missioners, a society of
priests and brothers trained
specifically for work in the
areas in America where there,
are no resident priests, Father
Mathis was assigned to Sacred
Heart Church in Russellville,
Ky., immediately after ordina
tion. He spent three years there
before coming to Georgia.
St. Vincent's, Savannah
Second Phase Of Building
Drive Is Progressing Well
SAVANNAH — The second
phase of Saint Vincent’s Acad
emy Building Fund Cam-
paign, the General Division, is
well underway, having been suc
cessfully launched on July 9.
The first report meeting of this
group was held on July 23
at which time captains in the
Alumnae Division gave their
final reports.
Those , participating in. the
work of the General Division
(in addition to the Section
Chairmen already announced)
Team AAA—Thomas J. Bey-
tagh, Henry Brennan, Jack, Pat
and Tony Buttimer, William
Dugger, Arthur T. Fleming,
Joseph Fogarty, Michael Gan-
nam, Tony Harty, Nelson Has-
lam, James Houlihan, Jr., Rufus
Howard, Eugene, Richard and
Robert Powers, Vestus Ryan,
James Stafford, Jack Stephens,
Willard J. Teston, Paul Thomp
son, Robert Cronin, Chris Wat
kins, John M. Brennan and Ben
Ritzert.
Team AA—Mrs. William W.
Shearouse, Mrs. Frank R. Cul-
lum, Miss Moira Fogarty, Mrs.
Joseph Pacifici, Mrs. Roy Hussey
and Mrs. E. A. Leonard, Jr., cap
tains, and the following workers:
Mrs. Charles R. Ray, Mrs.
Charles F. Wood, Mrs. William
F. Hennessy, Jr., Mrs. Jack
Schaaf, Mrs. Troy L. Parker,
Mrs. J. Carlin Flood, Mrs. Ed
ward J. Fogarty, Jr., Mrs. Wil
liam Braziel.
Mrs. Kathryn E. Madden, Mrs.
James W. Hoynes, Mrs. C. L.
McKenzie, Jr., Miss Marie Sum
merlin, Mrs. W. R. Hoffman,
Mrs. D. E. Gay, Mrs. F. K. But
ler, Mrs. T. N, McCarthy, Mrs.
J. H. McCormick, Mrs. Jack D.
Lee, Mrs. Joseph Dowling, Mrs.
James L. McLaughlin, Mrs.
Richard McGinn, Mrs. Joseph
Doolan, Mrs. William Bremer,
Jr., Mrs. G. S. Richards, Mrs.
William Sims, Miss Leolene
Gaudry. Team A—Mrs. J. Ar
thur Kearney, Mrs. R. Max But
ler, Jr., and Mrs. George Chand
ler, captains, and Mrs. A. J.
Schano, Mrs. A. Thomas, Mrs.
Gladys Griley, Mrs. Joseph F.
Ciucevich, Mrs. Thomas Miles,'
Mrs. Charles Donnelly, Mrs. W.
F. Elmgren, Mrs. Richard Mc
Guire and Mrs. Arnold J. Sey-
den.
Team No. 4 (Professional)—
Mrs. Thomas M. Spillane, Mrs.
W. Lawrence Salter, Mrs. Lee
Howard, Sr., Mrs. Gabriel D’
Amato, Mrs. John J. Sullivan,
Mrs. Thomas B. Gilbert, Mrs.
Frank O. Downing, Mrs. Bart E.
Shea, Mrs. L. M. Dunn, and Mrs.
John D. Ware, Jr.
Francis W. Kelley is General
Chairman of this Division and
Sister M. Kieran, R. S. M„ Hon
orary Chairman.
Sunday, July 19, the feast of
St. Vincent de Paul, was ob
served by the Sisters of Mercy
and the Campaign Committee in
honor of the saint for whom
St. Vincent’s Academy was
named. A paper was given by
Mrs. John E. Porter, co-chair
man of the Campaign, on the
Savannah Catholic Program,
paralleling the lives of St. Vin
cent de Paul and Mother Cath
erine McAuley, foundress of the
Sisters of Mercy, and showing
their influence on the founding
and history of the Academy. A
feature article about this and
St. Vincent’s were carried in
THE SAVANNAH MORNING
NEWS of that date.
The observance was brought
to a close with Benediction of
the Most Blessed Sacrament
given in the new chapel in St.
Vincent’s Convent.
Attend
Workshops
SAVANNAH — The National
Council of Catholic Women
sponsored a leadership training
institute at the Williamsburg
Lodge, Williamsburg, Va. from
June 26th to the 28th. Mrs. Nor
man Boatwright, of Augusta,
Diocesan President attended,
together with the Deanery Pres
idents, Mrs. Arnold Seyden,
Savannah, Mrs. L. J. Ward, Au
gusta, and Mrs. Clark Davis,
Macon.
This was a third of a series
of workshops being conducted
during the summer months,
and held in various parts of the
country enabling all potential
leaders to avail themselves of
an opportunity for training.
The highlights of the Wil
liamsburg session were the plan
ning of a community action pro-
Crave Consequences Involved
10c Per Copy — $3 a Year
Is Catholic Stake
In West Berlin Conflict?
Free Sector Is Beacon
For Religious Education
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ST. STEPHEN'S CHAPEL
Semi-Annual Board Meeting
Committee Chairmen Appointed
By Diocesan Catholic Women
MACON — Mrs. Norman I
Boatwright, president of the
Savannah Diocesan Council of
Catholic Women, announced at
the semi-annual board meeting
of the council, which was held
on July 8, diocesan committee
chairmen, as follows:
Legislation, Mrs. Elmore
Thrash, of Valdosta; Cooperat
ing with Catholic Charities,
Miss Mary Meadowcroft, of
Augusta; Civil Defense, Mrs. B.
C. Guild, of Savannah; Coope
rating with Confraternity of
Christian Doctrine, Mrs. Samuel
F. Ledlie, Jr., of Savannah;
Family and Parent Education,
Mrs. Peter Vivenzio, of Bruns
wick; Foreign Relief, Mrs. Mat
thew J. McCoy, of Albany; His
torian, Mrs. John T. Buckley, of
Augusta; Home and School
Assn., Mrs. Jos. J. O’Connell, of
Augusta.
International Relations, Mrs.
Albert B. Roesel, of Statesboro;
Libraries and Literature, Mrs.
John Barry, of Macon; Organi
zation and Development, Mrs.
Jack Johannsen, of Augusta;
Public Relations, Mrs. Julian
Halligan, of Savannah; Spirit
ual Development, Mrs. Jos. K.
Benedetto, of Macon; St. Mary’s
Guild, Mrs. Arthur Fleming, of
Savannah; Youth, Miss Marilyn
Fleming, of Columbus; Wo
man’s Editor, The SAVANNAH
BULLETIN, Mrs. Ernest Dink
ins, of Augusta.
Other officers and board
members are Mrs. R. E. McCor
mack, Albany, past president;
Mrs. A. J. Schano, Savannah,
past president; Mrs. A. J. Sey
den, of Savannah Beach, 1st
vice president; Mrs. Clark Dav
is, Macon, 2nd vice president;
Mrs. L. J. Ward, Augusta, 3rd
vice president; Miss Margaret
Collins, Savannah, recording
secretary; Mrs. H. S. Buckley,
of Augusta, corresponding sec
retary; Mrs. E. H. Buck, Macon,
treasurer; and Mrs. Roy Rich
ardson, Warner Robins, parlia
mentarian.
Mrs. Boatwright told the la
dies that it was an honor to
serve as a member of the board
of directors, but also reminded
them that each office or chair
manship carries many duties.
She asked the diocesan chair
men to contact, early, the dean
ery chairmen and to encourage
and explain the work of her
particular committee.
The Very Rev. John D.
Toomey, M.A., S.T.L., Spiritual
Moderator of the diocesan coun
cil, stated that the “Altar, Sac-
gram and the studying of child
and youth welfare.
The remaining workshops
will be held on August 3rd in
New Orleans, August 10th at
,Milwaukee, August 17th in At-
chinson, Kansas and August
24th in Oakland, California.
raments and Mass are functions
of the priesthood,” but there is
much work that the priests can
not accomplish alone, and they
must rely upon the assistance of
the laity. Father Toomey told
the ladies that their work in
“development of spiritual life,
education and charity help to
extend the teachings and graces
of Our Lord Jesus Christ to His
people.”
Mrs. Guild stated that the
recent Meldrim tragedy showed
the value of civil defense train
ing. She asked the women’s or
ganizations to take advantage of
the training films that may be
secured through the American
Red Cross.
Mrs. H. S. Buckley stressed
the importance of meeting the
deadline for reports and stated
that these reports give encou
ragement to the ladies to con
tinue with their work and in
centive to begin new projects.
Mrs. Ledlie and Mrs. Barry
referred to the resolutions of
the twentieth annual conven
tion in regard to the work of
their communities, and it was
decided to send a copy of these
resolutions to each deanery and
parish president.
Mrs. McCoy announced that
her committee would continue
with the Feed-a-Family, China
Doll, Madonna Plan, and Cloth
ing Drive programs.
Mrs. O’Connell urged the use
of the Monthly Message in the
plans for the Home and School
Associations. The Diocesan Es
say Contest program has been
transferred from the Spiritual
Development Committee to the
H and S Committee.
Mrs. Boatwright gave the
highlights of the N.C.C.W.
Leadership Institute which was
held in June, in Williamsburg,
Virginia.
Mrs. Jos. E. Kelly, Sr., and
Mrs. Ralph Collins were extend
ed best wishes and many pray
ers by the diocesan council dur
ing their illness.
Father Toomey asked the
council for the continued sup
port of St. Mary’s Home Guild,
and urged all to pray for the
success of the Diocesan Junior
Seminary.
The council expresses its ap
preciation to Mrs. Buck, for
making all arrangements for the
board meetings which are held
in Macon.
The Rt. Rev. Msgr. Thos. I.
Sheehan, pastor of St. Joseph’s
Church, in Macon, was an honor
guest at the luncheon meeting.
Observers at the luncheon
were Mrs. Joseph Hutton, of
Savannah Beach; Mrs. Donald
McLendon, of Port Wentworth;
Mrs. Joseph Dembowski, of
Warner Robins; Mrs. Dennis
Thompson, of Columbus, and
Mrs. W. H. Holmes, Jr., and Mrs.
James Hegarty, of Augusta.
(By Frank A. Hall)
(N. C. W. C. NEWS SERVICE)
WEST BERLIN—What is the
stake of the Catholic Church—
indeed, in the broader sense, of
religion—in the continued inter
national battle over West
Berlin?
The contest, as the world
knows, is over whether the
largest part of this city of two
and a quarter millions, entirely
surrounded by a Red-controlled
area, remains free or is turned
over to the certain blight of
atheistic communism.
The question is clearly grave
and important.
It must be realized that it ex
tends beyond Berlin itself—to
Red-controlled East Berlin, to
Free Germany itself, and to the
free world everywhere else.
While foreign ministers meet,
the world’s “summit” figures
make pronouncements and the
West Germans resolutely have
a democratic election defying
communist might, many con
fusedly believe that the West
Berlin struggle, though linked
with the international conflict
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GERMANY —- Germany, like Caesar’s Gaul, is divided into
three parts — West Germany, East (communist) Germany, and
the City of Berlin, itself divided into West (Free) Berlin and
East (communist) Berlin. (NC Photos)
Vacation School Of Christian
Doctrine At Holy Family, Columbus
COLUMBUS — Following the
injunction of Christ to “Suffer
the little children to come unto
Me —”, the Sisters of Mercy
of Baltimore opened the doors
of Holy Family School, on June
15th, to approximately : eighty
eager children from Kindergar
ten through the ninth grade.
The purpose of the Vacation
School was to draw these little
ones closer to the Heart of Christ
through Religious Instructions,
prayers, Liturgical Art and Mu
sic, and Visual Aids.
The day commenced with the
recitation of the Rosary and the
singing of a hymn in the school
Chapel. The older children took
turns in giving out the prayers
which are answered devoutly
by the younger group.
Following the Rosary, the
children attended Religious
classes in their respective
rooms. These children who have
not had the privilege of attend
ing the Catholic School during
the year, were anxious to learn
about their Religion and the
life of Christ.
All work and no play would
certainly make things monoto
nous. Therefore, each day time
was taken out for recreation in
the spacious playground provid
ed by the school.
A most fitting climax of each
day was Benediction of the
Most Blessed Sacrament given
by Monsignor Herman J. Dei-
mel and sung by the children.
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SOVIET
TONE W
between communism and free
dom, is after all just one inci
dent, although an important one.
It is far more than that. Cath
olics may understand this better
if they realize first what it
means to the Church and their
fellow Catholics. They then may
realize the other deep implica
tions.
I have just been given evi
dence, at first hand here, of the
situation of the Church and
what it means. I saw much with
the little group of my confreres
of the Catholic Press of several
countries, I was told much, on
the ground itself. It was not a
mere government propaganda
show.
The young and remarkably
vigorous Julius Cardinal Doepf-
ner is the Bishop of Berlin. His
Church jurisdiction extends
wierdly from areas of entire
freedom for religion and devout
appreciation of it, to two other
areas where the rulers hate re
ligion and vow to stamp it out.
He talked with us. Other Cath
olic leaders—priests and laymen
long experienced with the parti-
5 0VI ET
ZONE
BERLIN — The divided city of Berlin (above) is of vital,
interest to Catholics as (Free) West Berlin serves as a beacon
of freedom of religion against the bitter animosity of the com
munist rulers of East Berlin. (NC Photos)
cular problem—also gave us in
formation.
The indefatigable Dr. Karl
Bringmann, veteran and dis
tinguished Catholic Press leader,
of the Rheinischer Post of Dues-
seldorf, and Dr. Arthur Janssen
KNA Berlin correspondent and
a Catholic Press hero, served to
smooth out our questions.
What, then, is the situation
in relation to the Church in this
crucial time here?
FIRST: (RED-CONTROLLED)
EAST BERLIN:
Definitely, it would be lamen
table to abandon East Berlin,
Soviet-controlled, to communist
hate of religion. The Church—
and all religion—there is being
throttled with a deadly and sys
tematic squeeze. At present,
there isn’t much to be done
directly, except to rely on, and
encourage, the dogged heroism
of the German believers in God.
While the percentage of Cath
olics is comparatively not large
(11.8 per cent, but for this area
it doubled between 1939 and
1946), there were some 81 per
cent of Evangelical churchgoers
not so long ago.
Lend encouragement to these
churchgoers? Free West Berlin,
with its robust freedom of reli
gion, is just across the street.
East Berliners, who may still
pass the border, can and do have
their hopes constantly replenish
ed by the fact.
They are steadily reminded of
the freedom—and this includes
freedom of religion—which they
do not possess but for which
they ardently long. Their reli
gious leaders have been intrepid
in their defense of the rights of
religion and freedom of con
science.
East Berlin actually has 130,-
000 Catholics, out of 1,100,000
inhabitants; 35 parishes and
many other places where Mass is
said, and 66 priests. This seg
ment of the Church has been un
shaken in its Catholic loyalty
and has evidenced a remarkably
tough determination not to give
up in the teeth of continued and
vigorous atheist propaganda.
Public religious activity has
been made impossible. Exit by
Catholics to West Germany to
attend conventions or retreats is
obstructed. Prelates from West
Germany are forbidden to enter
the Red area to attend ecclesias
tical ceremonies or to deliver
addresses. The Catholic Press
has been stifled ruthlessly.
Catholic associations have been
plainly forbidden.
SECOND, (FREE) WEST
BERLIN:
This sector has bravely scored
a remarkable success story, cul
turally, economically and politi
cally—and religiously—despite
its difficulties of being entirely
surrounded by Red-controlled
areas.
Dedicated to democracy, it has
encouraged religion with full
(Continued on Page 3)
Latest Communist-Sponsored 'Peace
Meeting' Of East German Catholics
Reported A Failure By Participant
BONN, Germany (Radio, NC)
-—The East German Reds’ most
recent “peace meeting” of Cath
olics in Erfurt was a failure, it
was reported here by a partici
pant in that communist propa
ganda effort.
The communist National
Front organization had invited
some 400 East German Catholics
to Erfurt, he said. Only 20
showed up, and they refused to
sign the new “peace call” pro
posed by the Reds.
The Erfurt gathering was the
most recent of a number of so-
called “peace-meetings” held
since April in Germany’s Soviet
Zone.
At the first meeting in Baut
zen 300 Catholics issued a
“peace call” which Petrusblatt,
Berlin diocesan organ, said was
prepared “long in advance” by
the Reds and designed to serve
as communist propaganda.
In June, according to the East
German communist press, 100
Soviet zone Catholics met at
Chorin and denounced the “un-
Christian” actions and aggress
ive intentions of the West Get-
man government.
Catholic observers have
pointed out that by means of
these “peace meetings,” and the
resolutions passed at them, the
Reds hope to make the world
believe that East German Cath
olics are not suppressed and
that they support the aims of
the communist government.
These meetings are also a Red
tool, observers noted, to separate
the laity from their clergy and
bishops.
At Erfurt a man who calls
himself a Catholic journalist,
Viktor Thiel, urged participants
in the meeting to back the com
munist regime’s polices because
“it is a real Christian mission to
support the Communist party
in its struggle for peace.”
In discussions after the
speech, Catholic participants
said the faithful cannot join
that “struggle for peace” while
the Red government preaches
hatred instead of Christian love.