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PAGE 8—THE BULLETIN, August 8, 1959
Prize Winning Essay
“Consecration Of The
Home To The Sacred Heart”
(By Johanna Bleicher)
Alies Bleicher of Albany placed
fit st in the Diocesan Council of
Catholic IP omen’s 1959 Essay
Conti st. ( Croup 1)
The Terry household was an
average Catholic family living
in the suburbs of a small town.
Mr. Terry commuted daily to
his lawyer’s office in Boston
while Mrs. Terry patiently pre
pared the three children for
school. Everyone went to church
on Sunday, received Holy Com
munion regularly, and was, in
all, a good Catholic. But some
thing was wrong. What it was,
no member of the family really
could understand, not to men
tion define it. Yet its vague
presence could be felt as it
slipped vapor-like through all
the windows and cracks.
Little Bobby, the most pre
cocious of the three Terry
urchins, skipped merrily into
the front room.
“Whee, Mommy! School’s out
at last! See what a pretty pic
ture Sister gave us. She said
June was the month of the Sa
cred Heart, and everybody
should honor His image in the
home.”
"That’s nice, Bobby. You can
put it on the mantle Where it
W'on't be broken by your baby
brother.”
w i
I f
MiSS JOHANA BLEICHER
And there the picture stood—
and stood and stood. No thought
was given to what the little gold
frame enclosed as the dust par
ticles began to settle. From be
hind the glass, Jesus stared com
passionately, His Sacred Heart
beating with love for all man
kind.
Mrs. Terry was dusting the
mantel one day when she
noticed the picture. It looked so
lonely standing there by itself
that she placed a small red vase
filled with tiny rosebuds beside
it. This casual motion seemed to
enliven the mantel and set the
picture apart from all other ob
jects. Everyone entering the
room soon found his eyes riveted
on the minature shrine, and
somehow the sweet tenderness of
those Eyes projected an auro of
love and devotion. From then on
Mrs. Terry made it a habit of
putting fresh flowers before the
sacred image.
Gradually family problems
began to be discussed in the
living room with the Sacred
Heart looking on, and evening
prayers always ended with a
consecration to the Sacred Heart.
The “something wrong” drifted
silently away, leaving behind a
happy, contented group of peo
ple. Now that it had disappear
ed, the Terry’s clearly saw what
was amiss in their home. Al
though they loved each other
deeply, the words “family unity”
and “togetherness” were just a
series of syllabic sounds with
little meaning behind them.
Then the Sacred Heart had come
into their lives and shown them
the way to a well-knit family
group with each person de
pendents playing an integral
part. Such are the wondrous
works of the Sacred Heart!
Mrs. Terry sat reminiscing
by the fire side. A red vigil
lamp cast its ruddy glow on her
lined, weary features, and she
glanced up at the little shrine
on the mantel. She noticed that
the gold frame was now tar
nished and the picture faded.
To think it was already twenty-
five years since the house was
dedicated to the Sacred Heart.
Some of the twelve promises to
Saint Margaret Mary kept run
ning through her mind.
“I will give them the graces
necessary for their state of life.
I will give priests a peculiar
facility in converting the most
hardened souls.” (Bobby was so
unsure of becoming a priest. He
thought his poor health would
spoil any chance of doing mis
sionary work. I received a letter
from him yesterday. The Mexi
can climate seems to agree with
him and his parish seems to be
flourishing with more and more
Indian converts.)
“I will give peace in their
families.” (We always have had
our little spats and quarrels,
but there is no doubt about the
harmony reigning here for the
past twenty-five years. Even
though the children have grown
up, we seem closer to each other
than ever.)
"I will comfort them in all
their trials and afflictions. I
will be their assured Refuge
during life, and especially in
death.” (There always was an
abundance of troubles and wor
ries in our home. If it wasn t
the innumerable bills waiting
to be paid, it was sickness or
death. Sometimes, despairing, I
felt no courage to go on, yet the
Sacred Heart always supplied
the necessary graces when I
needed them most. All my cares
seemed to melt away in the
sanctuary of His Heart.)
“I promise thee in the excess
of the mercy of My Heart, that
Its all powerful love will grant
to all those who receive Holy
Communion on the First Friday
of every month, for nine con
secutive months, the grace of
final perseverance, and that
they shall not die under my dis
pleasure, or without receiving
their Sacraments and My Heart
shall be their secure Refuge at
that last hour.” (We all made
the nine First Fridays, but we
never knew what a comfort that
promise could be in time of
death. I remember the departure
from this world that my hus
band took a few years ago. He
could not have died a happier
man, with the last rites soothing
his anguished soul and the hope
of eternal happiness but a few
moments away.)
O Sacred Heart, inexhaustible
source of love for even the low
liest of creatures, I thank Thee
humbly on my knees for mani
festing Your great mercies to
our family and granting us suc
cor in distress. Would that the
world knew the blessings be
stowed on this poor home dedi
cated to Thee and join us in
praise and thanksgiving!
YOUTH WEEK THEME LINKS
VITALITY OF NATIONS TO
YOUTH SPIRITUALITY
(N.C.W.C. News Service)
WASHINGTON — “Spiritual
ize Youth —— Vitalize Nations
will be the theme of the ninth
annual National Catholic Youth
Week to be observed October
25 to November 1.
This was announced here by
Msgr. Joseph E. Schieder, direc
tor of the Youth Department,
National Catholic Welfare Con
ference.
National Catholic Youth
Week was founded in 1951 to
call attention to and encourage
Catholic youth programs.
The week is observed in all
archdioceses and dioceses in
the United States and in U. S.
territories: and throughout the
world in areas where U. S.
armed forces are stationed.
Tlie event is sponsored by the
National Council of Catholic
Youth through its constituent
organizations — diocesan youth
groups, the National Federation
of Catholic College Students
and the National Newman Club
Federation.
Affiliates of the youth coun
cil also participating include the
Columbian Squires, the Catho
lic War Veterans, the Junior
Catholic Daughters of America,
the Daughters of Isabella, the
National Federation of Sodali
ties, the Catholic Kolping Soci
ety and the National Crusaders
Youth Federation.
NEXT DEADLINE
FRIDAY, AUG. 14
Deadline for the next edi
tion of THE BULLETIN will
be 3 p. m., Friday, August
14th.
We ask that all news items
be mailed to our editorial ol-
fices at 416 Eighth Street,
Augusta.
MARY'S LEGION
By
A SAVANNAH LEGIONARY
The Legion of Mary is an asso
ciation of Catholics, who, with
the sanction of the Church, and
under the patronage of Mary
Immaculate, have organized for
self-sanctification, and perform
ance of good works. The Legion
of Mary is now a world, wide
organization and it is modeled
after the Army of Ancient
Rome. The Roman Army’s no
menclatures have been adopted
to designate the various govern
ing bodies of the Legion.
The unit of the Legion of
Mary is called a “Praesidium.”
The . Praesidium has authority
over all its members and power
to control their activities. Each
Praesidium is named after a
title of our Blessed Lady, e. g.,
“Uur Lady of Perpetual Help”
or “Mary the Queen,” or ‘'im
maculate Pleart of Mary,” etc.
A Praesidium is usually or
ganized on a parish level, and
consists of a spiritual director,
president, vice president, secre
tary, treasurer, and other active
and auxiliary members. If the
number of members warrant
there may be more than one
praesidium in a parish.
Any Catholic, male or female,
married or unmarried, may be
an active member of a praesid
ium. Those under 18 years of
age are eligible lor membership
in a junior praesidium. For those
who are either unable or un
willing to perform the duties of
active members, there are auxi
liary memberships available.
Active membership requires
attendance at the weekly meet
ing and performance of a week
ly “work assignment,” in addi
tion to daily recitation of pre
scribed prayers. The meeting
and the work assignment will
together require a total of from
two to three hours per week.
The required daily prayer may
be easily said with true devo
tion in not more than 90 seconds.
There are no dues and no fees
of any kind required of active
or auxiliary members. Secret
contributions, however, are ac
cepted from the active members.
The collection of this money
is secret because it is necessary
to place those who have re
sources, and those who have not,
on precisely the same level. The
principal of secrecy in this mat
ter is respected and no member
discloses to another what his
contribution is.
No praesidium may be estab
lished in any parish without
consent of the Pastor or of the
Ordinary. At the present time,
however, there are about four
teen active praesidia established
in the Diocese of Savannah and
performing excellent works. In
our diocese many fallen away
Catholics have returned to the
Sacraments and many conver
sions have been wrought through
the works of the Legion.
Subject to the direction of
the Spiritual Director, the presi
dent assigns the Legionaries
in pairs, to their weekly work
assignment. Some of the types
of assignments may be.
1. Visitations of hospitals and
or the sick at home.
2. Visitations of jails, work-
houses, prison camps, etc.
3. Visitation of rest homes and
homes for the aged.
4. Visitations in Catholic and
j or non-Catholic homes.
5. Making of parish census.
6. Dissemination of Catholic
literature.
7. Works for the Youth.
8. Study.
The nature of the work of a
praesidium will obviously vary
according to the necessities of
the locality. There will always
be abundant work to perform.
In the Diocese of Savannah
where the priests and religious
are so few, the need for. more
active Legionnaries is acute.
Any Pastor will be happy to dis
cuss the legion with tnose inter-.
ested, or information may be
obtained by writing to Savan
nah Curia, Legion of Mary, 521
E. Waldburg Street, Savannah,
Ga.
rtemember, male or female,
married or unmarried, are eli
gible. There is no discrimina
tion and the Legion ranks
should contain representatives
from every station of life. The
words or Pius XI, of happy
memory, bears out the import
ance oi a varied membership:
“In order lo bring back to
Christ these whole classes of
men who nave denied Him, we
must gather and train from
among their very ranks auxili
ary soldiers oi the Church, men
who know their mentality and
their aspirations, and who with
kindly, iraternal cnarity will be
able lo win tneir hearts. Un
doubtedly tne lirst and immed
iate apostle of tne workingmen
must themselves be worxing-
men, while the apostles of the
industrial and commercial work
should themselves be employ
ers and merchants.”
What shall a man give in ex
change lor his soul and what
etiort shall a man make for the
soul of his neighbor?
Assuredly, it must be a su
preme efiort ■— even to the
peril of death, were such nec
essary. Martyrdom for a Le
gionary in tnis country is very
unlikely, but a remarxabie de
gree oi success awaits those
who expend the effort.
It will be amazing to develop
the number of souls who are
actually awaiting lor the first
direct appeal to them. With the
help ol Our Blessed Mother no
thing is impossible, and there
are none who can withstand her
power.
Tf y it-tauM
Services For
J. H. Ferguson
AUGUSTA, — Funeral serv
ices for John Hugh Ferguson
were held July 29th at the Sa
cred Heart Church.
Survivors are two daughters,
Mrs. Claude Chance of Athens
and Mrs. Gerald Elkins of Wee-
hawken, N. J.; one son, L. H.
Ferguson of Wadesboro, N. C.;
five grandchildren, Mrs. Rich
ard Mackey of Baltimore, Md.,
Miss Mary Chance of New York,
Robert Elkins of Weehawken,
John M. and Eugenia Ferguson,
both of Wadesboro.
A CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHY — This portrait of St. John
Vianney, the Cure D'Ars, was done without his permission, but
because oi the veneration accorded him. It was lithographed and
put up for sale, a deed which greatly vexed him. It is one of 115
pictures and documents of the 19tn century French priest, “patron
of the secular clergy,” which appear in a forthcoming official
biography entitled “The Cure D’Ars—A Pictorial Biography*
published by P. J. Kenedy & Sons, New York 8, New York. Bish
op Rene Fourrey of Belley wrote the text. The saint’s feast day
will be observed on August 8. (NC Photos)
£ *jjl_> x han or xr — ^ibifcr iviaf.y jMmgeAUo, LviTioiuiiary r icaiciscan oibier oi lmacuiaie ooncfcpuon
Convent, Augusta, is pictured as a member of a pilgrimage to Lourdes, bister is at the extreme lelt of the front row. Pictured
with tne group oi pilgrims from Ireland is the Most Rev. Fulton J. Sheen, Auxiliary-Bishop of New York. Sister, who is visiting
her native Ireland and Lourdes, will return to Augusta this month.
PEOPLE AT CASTELGANDOLFO,
ST. PETER'S BASILICA JOIN
POPE IN RECITING ANGELUS
CASTELGANDOLFO, Italy—
People in the square in front of
the papal summer villa here
and those in St. Peter's basilica
13 miles away joined with His
Holiness Pope John XXIII (July
26) in reciting the Angelus
through the facilities of Vatican
Radio.
It was the first time the Pope
was linked by radio to St. Pet
er’s for his traditional Sunday
noon appearance.
Several thousand people in
the courtyard at Castelgandolfo
knelt as the Pontiff imparted
his papal blessing. Thousands of
others inside St. Peter’s basilica
joined him as he prayed the
Angelus. They heard him say
that he was sending his bless
ing especially to the sick and
the poor and children.
At the summer villa the Pope
uses the same apartment where
Pope Pius XII died last October.
The floor beneath is occupied
by Msgr. Mario Nasalli Rocca
Di Corneliano, the maestro di
camera, who makes all arrange
ments for papal audiences. Dur
ing the pontificate of Pius XII
the maestro di camera remain
ed at the Vatican.
The major change in the rou
tine at Castelgandolfo compared
to that at the Vatican is that
Pope John holds general audi
ences twice weekly instead of
once, and the schedule of pri
vate and special audiences has
been reduced because of the
heat.
Life at Castelgandolfo is
somewhat less formal than at
the Vatican, but the demands
of the Church keep the tempo
of the papal household brisk,
despite August temperatures in
the 90s and the vacation atmo
sphere of the small, town over
looking Lake Albano.
Pope John’s work habits are
similar generally to those of
his predecessor, except that un
like Pius XII, who chose to
work outside under the trees,
Pope John remains in his study
,or library during the working
SAVAHHAH
day. In the evening he goes out
for walks in the Castelgandolfo
gardens.
During the second audience
(July 25) held in the new pavil
ion near the papal summer
home, Pope John urged the peo
ple to read the Bible.
He said that il people read
the Psalms and other parts of
the Bible their participation in
the Mass and liturgy will be
improved greatly.
Referring to the Bible as a
source of Christian doctrine, the
Pope urged the people to bring
Bibles into their homes. Fie en
couraged them to spread love
and reverence for the most
beautiful and sacred of all lit
erature and to become familiar
with those pages from which
are derived the doctrine of the
Redeemer.
Among those present for the
audience were groups of pil
grims from the San Diego dio
cese, from Kent (Ohio), and
Seek To Further
Reunion With
Eastern Church
LONDON (NC) — A new
move to interest British Cath
olics in reunion with Christians
oi tne Eastern enurenes has
been launched here.
His Eminence William Card
inal Godfrey, Archbishop of
Westminster, has been invited
to become president of tne So
ciety of St. John Chrysostom,
wmch was established for this
purpose here in 1926, but which
has been- inactive for some
years.
At its first committee meet
ing the society decided to pre
pare informative literature for
tne benefit of tne growing num
ber of Catholics interested in
tne problem of reunion with
Eastern churches. Pastors
throughout the country are be
ing asked to agree to the eeie-
members of the National Fede
ration of Catholic College Stu
dents.
bration of Eastern Liturgies in
their churches, and a public
conference is being planned in
London iater this year. Branch
es of the society are to be set
up wherever possible.
The society has named a By
zantine Rite priest, Father C.
Sipovich, as its secretary. Fa
ther P. IViaiuga, C.SS.R., Vicar
General of Byzantine Rite
Catholics here, has been elected
to the society's committee.
W. J. Bettagh
Services Held
SAVANNAH, — Funeral serv
ices for William J. Beltagh were
held July 23rd at the Blessed
Sacrament Church.
Survivors are his wife, Mrs.
Eva P. Bettagh; two daughters,
Mrs. Benjamin T. Schladenhauf-
fen, Atlanta, and Mrs. Charles
E. Davis, Savannah; two sons,
William Bettagh, Jr., Rio Pie-
dras, Puerto Rico, and Thomas
J. Bettagh, Savannah; a brother,
Frank X. Bettagh, Savannah; a
sister, Mrs. Alice V. Amroek,
Savannah; 16 grandchildren, a
nephew and a niece.
FOR CANCER HOME — Ladies of the Altar Society of the Church of Our Divine Saviuor,
Tifton, are shown sewing dressings for Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cancer Home in Atlanta.
This was an all-day sewing session with the ladies taking time out for a covered dish dinner.
From left to right are: Mrs. B. H. Taylor, Mrs. George Bowen, Mrs. Elzie Ross and Mrs. W. H.
Whitham.
«vtin
CHIRKS
SAVANNAH—Another phase
of St. Vincent’s Building Fund
Campaign is now underway.
Parents of students at the Aca
demy are being contacted under
Section 5 of the General Division
whose other four sections were
launched on July 9. Captains
and workers in this section met
at the convent on July 28 to
receive instructions and started
Making their contacts early in
August.
Mrs. Mary L. McAfee is chair
man of this section and is being
assisted by the following cap
tains, one for each class: Mrs. R.
L. Linton, Mrs. Richard E. Lee,
Mrs. Joseph M. McDonough, and
Mrs. Laura Blessington. Their
workers include: Mrs. C. F.
Klug, Mrs. G. W. Parker, Mrs.
Leslie “Hubbard, Mrs. Paul Flem
ing, Mrs. Grant Coldenstar, Mrs.
Sandor Chan, Mrs. Charles
Aliffi, Mrs. C. W. Sieber, Mrs.
Louis C. Mathews, Mrs. T. M.
Kenny, Mrs. C. L. Cochran, Mrs.
Dennis Downing, Mrs. James
Flynn, Mrs. Robert McBride,
Mrs. John Monsees, Mrs. Horace
' Price, Mrs. D. V. O’Driscoll,
Mrs. Edward J. Brown, Mrs. M.
D; Pruitt, Mrs. Richard Powers,
1 Mrs. Henry McAlccr.
SWIMMING PARTY — Pictured at a recent swimming party are members of the Pius
XII Circle Columbian Squires. The Squires sponsored by the Patrick Walsti Council, Augusta, are
pictured with Grand Knight Barney Dunstan. 1st row (kneeling) left to right: John Wood, Karl
Kirsch, Wayne Griffin, Grand Knight Dunstan, Pat Mahon, Larry Jarrett, George Stowe. 2nd
row: Lonnie Wetherington, Dick Roper, Neal Vaughan, Rickie Wood, George Dawson. (Morgan
Fitz Photo)