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DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH EDITION
Serving
Georgia's 88
Southern Counties
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH
Published By The
Catholic Laymen's
Ass'n of Georgia
Vol. 40, No. 13
MONROE, GEORGIA, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1959
10c Per Copy — $3 a Year
November 11th, 1959
Dear Archbishop O’Hara:
The Diocesan Consultors, convoked today in the Chancery,
tender to Your Excellency, our homage and devotion.
With great regret and personal loss we are informed of
your resignation of the Diocese of Savannah. We pray God
to bless you abundantly, who administered this Diocese so
wisely and so fatherly for almost 25 years. Your Excellency
will always be in our prayers.
thomas j. McDonough,
Administrator.
November 12th, 1959
Dear Bishop McDonough:
Am sincerely grateful for your telegram, and deeply
moved by the sentiment expressed by Your Excellency and
the Consultors on the occasion of my resignation.
With profound sorrow I resigned my beloved Diocese,
but having become more and more convinced that my pro
longed absence was hindering the normal administration and
greater progress of the Diocese, resignation was indicated
even though it cost me heartache after so many years of
happy associations.
ARCHBISHOP GERALD O’HARA.
Archbishops Meyer, Muench Chosen
Pope Names
New Cardinals
(Radio, N.C.W.C. News Service)
VATICAN CITY — The decision of His Holiness Pope
John XXIII to name eight new cardinals — bringing Ameri
can membership in the Sacred College to a new high of six,
and the college itself to 79 members — was seen here as
largely guided by the needs of the coming ecumenical
council.
CARDINAL DESIGNATE
MEYER
CARDINAL DESIGNATE
MUENCH
A Vatican spokesman said
that this is demonstrated by the
fact that most of the new card
inals, will serve in the Roman
Curia.
Actually, it is assumed that
the only one of the cardinals to
be created at the consistory on
December 14 will serve outside
Rome. He is Archbishop Albert
G. Meyer of Chicago. The other
American named, Archbishop
Aloisius J. Muench, Bishop of
Fargo, N. D., has served as
Apostolic Nuncio to Germany
since 1951. Customarily, papal
diplomats come to Rome to
serve in the central administra
tion of the Church when elevat
ed to the rank of Prince of the
Church.
If called to Rome, Archbishop
Muench would be the only
American cardinal serving in
the curia.
Three of the other choices of
the Pope for the cardinalate
are also non-Italians, and their
inclusion as curial cardinals
would bring the total of non-
Italians in the Curia to eight—■
a number unprecedented in
modern times.
Pope John’s non-Italian
choices for the cardinalitial dig
nity are Msgr. William Theo
dore Heard, 75, a native of Ed
inburgh, Scotland, and a gradu
ate of Oxford University who
became a Catholic after becom
ing a lawyer, and now dean of
the Sacred Roman Rota; Father
Arcadio Larraona, C. M. F.,
ARCHBISHOP STATES
RESIGNATION CAUSES
KEEN HEARTACHE
I#
SAVANNAH—“It cost me keen heartache,” said Arch
bishop Gerald P. O’Hara in a cable he addressed to Bishop
McDonough following his resignation from the See of
Savannah.
On November 11th, the Office of the Apostolic Delegate
in Washington, D. C. announced the resignation of the Most
Reverend Archbishop Gerald P. O’Hara from the Diocese
of Savannah which he headed for almost twenty-five years.
1951 he was named Papal Nun-
Most Rev. Gerald P. O'Hara, D.D., J.U.D.
It is never easy to sever the bonds woven by duty and affection over so many
years, and we know that the decision of the Most Reverend Gerald P. O’Hara to resign
the See of Savannah was not lightly or painlessly reached,
Many are the people of this Diocese who remember kneeling at the altar rail to
receive the Strengthening Sacrament of Confirmation from Archbishop O’Hara—-who re
member with pride his steadfastness in the face of persecution and personal danger
while he was Regent of Communist Rumania.
Priests and people alike will find it difficult to forget his kindness and his tireless
zeal for the spiritual welfare of his “Children in God.”
The news of Archbishop O’Hara’s resignation was received with deep and sincere
regret throughout the Diocese. But we know that, though the bonds of duty are indeed
severed, there will always be the strongest ties of affection between Archbishop O’Hara
and the’Diocese of Savannah—that this Diocese will always be a special object of his
solicitude and the source of countless prayers asking “The Grace and Peace of Our Lord,
Jesus Christ” in the life and undertakings of one who was its shepherd for twenty-four
years.
Spanish-born priest who has
been Secretary of the Sacred
Congregation of Religious since
1950, and Father Agostino Bea,
S.J., German-born Scripture
scholar who is consultor of the
Pontifical Commission for Bib
lical Studies and of the litur
gical section of the Sacred Con
gregation of Rites,
Three of the prelates chosen
are Italians. They are Archbish
op Paolo Marella, Apostolic
Nuncio to Finance, who once
(Continued oh Page 8)
U. S. Bishops Say
Communism No. 1
Obstacle To Peace
PRESENT CIBORIUM—Miss Kate Walsh, President of the Catholic Missionary Society of
Georgia, presents a Ciborium to His Excellency, Bishop Thomas J. McDonough. The Sacred Vessel,
used in ’distribution of the Holy Eucharist, was donated by members of the Missionary Society
in memory of its foundress, Miss Johanna Walsh. Miss Catherine Cullum is Secretary-Treasurer.
Also shown in the picture are the Right Rev. Andrew J. McDonald, Chancellor of the Diocese,
and Miss Regina O’Driscoll.
(N.C.W.C. News Service)
WASHINGTON — Commu
nism continues today as the
No. 1 obstacle in the path of
world peace, the U. S. Catholic
Bishops asserted in their 1959
statement titled “Freedom and
Peace.”
The essential ingredient for
world peace is “freedom under
God for every man and every
nation,” but fundamentally ,
“that peace depends on the ac
ceptance by men and nations
of a fixed, unchangeable, uni
versal moral law,” the Bishops
said in their statement drawn
up at their annual meeting in
the nation’s capital.
The Bishops acknowledged
that there are other obstacles
in the path of freedom and
peace — on the world scene,
excessive nationalism and in
human conditions; on the home
front, racial injustice, laxity in
home life and discipline, pre
occupation with the sensual,
selfishness and self-seeking in
economic life, and the excessive
desire for wealth and ease.
But foremost “among the
main obstacles to peace and
freedom in our present World is
obviously world communism,”
the Bishop declared.
“Ultimately, the problem of
communism as a threat to peace
and freedom will be met only
when we exemplify the prin
ciples that we proclaim as
Christian members of a nation
dedicated to God’s law,” the
Bishops stressed. “There must be
a searching reappraisal of our
devotion to the principles we
proclaim. We cannot live as ma
terialists and expect to convert
others to our system of freedom
and peace under God.” •
The Bishops gave this formu-'
la to meet the challenge: “Our
goal is nothing less than con
version of the communist
world.”
“Our moral judgment is ab
solute: communism is godless, it
is aggressive and belligerent, it
is unbelievably cruel,” said the
leaders of the nation’s 39 mil
lion Catholics. “Witness the
commune system of China!
Hungary and Tibet are but the
more recent manifestations of
its total disregard for human
rights and human dignity. Nev
ertheless, conscious of Christ’s
example and the infinite power
of grace, we pray for the Red
persecutors and for the perse
cuted. We wish no conquest ex
cept that of spirit. We wish
those who constructed the Iron
Curtain to tear down the barb
ed wire and the machine gun
posts and to join us in the en-
(Continued on Page 8)
The statement of the Apos
tolic Delegate, Archbishop Vag-
nozzi said that His Holiness
Pope John XXIII had “gra
ciously acceded” to Archbishop
O’Hara’s request to be relieved
of some of his many duties.
The career of Archbishop
O’Hara has been a colorful one,
full of duties and labors that
anyone with less love for God,
Church and fellow man would
have found staggering.
A native of “Up-state” Penn
sylvania, (Green Ridge, near
Scranton), Archbishop O’Hara
began his studies for the priest
hood at St. Charles Borrommeo
in Philadelphia, being ordained
in Rome on April 3rd, 1920.
After ordination he remain
ed in Rome pursuing higher
studies, earning the degrees of
Doctor of Divinity and Doctor
of Universal Law. The latter de
gree indicates that Archbishop
O’Hara is a Doctor of both Can
on Law and Civil law.
Returning to the United
States in 1924, the then Father
O’Hara was consecrtaed as Aux
iliary Bishop of Philadelphia in
1929, at the age of 34, thus be
coming the youngest Bishop in
the United States.
After the resignation of the
late Bishop Michael J. Keyes
from the Savannah Diocese,
Bishop O’Hara was named to
succeed him in December of
1935, and was solemnly install
ed on January 15, 1936.
In 1937 his title was changed
to that of Bishop of SAVAN-
NAH-ATLANTA.
During his tenure the Church
in Geoergia grew from 19,300
in 1936 to more than 45,000 in
1956 when the northern half of
the state was erected into the
Diocese of Atlanta.
In 1947 the Apostolic Nuncio
to Rumania was ousted by the
communist regime and His Hol
iness, the late Pope Pius XII
appointed Bishop O’Hara to the
post of Regent of the Apostolic
Nunciature in Bucharest.
The Red regime had come
to power after World War II,
and as the Augusta Chroni
cle was to editorialize three
years later when Bishop O'
Hara was ousted, "Bishop
O'Hara, a man of courage and
a true servant of God, must
have known the hazards he
faced in taking his life in his
hands by going to Rumania
in the service of his Church.
, . . But Bishop O'Hara, being
a true servant of God and a
courageous and devoted
churchman risked whatever
punishment that was in store
for him and went to Bucha
rest."
In 1950, together with seven
Rumanians, he was indicted by
the Communist authorities on
charges of “High treason, es
pionage, smuggling and helping
others to flee the country.” This
followed the communist pattern
used in Hungary and Poland,
when Bishops and Clergy resist
ed efforts of Red governments
to impose hand-picked “spirit
ual authorities” on the people.
Bishop O’Hara came back to
Savannah to a hero’s welcome,
after receiving the personal ti
tle of Archbishop from Pope
Pius XII in recognition of his
distinguished service in the face
of tremendous oppostion and
personal danger.
Though Archbishop O’Hara
would have welcomed the op
portunity to remain in his dio
cese, his talents as a diplomat
for the Holy See were still sore
ly needed and in November of
cio to Ireland. He served in
that capacity until June of 1954
when he was named to succeed
Archbishop William Godfrey as
Apostolic Delegate in Great
Britain, which position he still
holds.
Although Archbishop O’Ha
ra’s devotion to the Church
prompted him to accept readily
any task imposed upon him by
the Holy See, he remained al
ways devoted to his Diocese,
and whenever the press of his
Diplomatic duties would per
mit, he returned for a visit. But
even though his visits were nec
essarily of short duration, Arch
bishop O’Hara utilized every
moment of them in an effort to
visit every part of a diocese
which comprises more than 36,-
000 square miles. His face and
his voice were familiar to all
and will be missed.
Perhaps the feelings of the
people of the Savannah Diocese
can best be expressed by para
phrasing the Archbishop’s own
words in a letter written to the
Clergy and Laity on the occas
ion of his twenty-fifth annivers
ary as a Bishop in 1954:
“With affectionate best wish
es, and assuring you over and
over again of our undying grat
itude for your immense charity
towards us, we remain, dearly
beloved in Christ, your devoted
children.”
Franciscan
Educational
Conference
SAVANNAH — Mother Mary
Ferdinand, Provincial of the
Missionary Franciscan Sisters
of the Immaculate Conception
with headquarters at Union
City, New Jersey, called the
first Franciscan Educational
Conference for the members of
her Province at St. Francis’
Convent, Savannah, on October
24.
His Excellency, Bishop Mc
Donough, Auxiliary Bishop of
Savannah, gave the opening
salutation. Reverend John Cud
dy, Superintendent of Catholic
Schools in Savannah, was gen
eral chairman. The general top-
(PHOTO ^PAGe" 8)
ics were “The Personality of
the Classroom Teacher,” and
“Teaching the Slow Learner.”
Mother Mary Ferdinand,
Provincial; Sister Mary Con-
leth of Mount Alvernia College,
Boston; and Sister Mary Philip,
Community Super visor of
Schools in New York were the
main speakers. The practical
problems related to these main
topics were the center of dis
cussion in the afternoon small
group forums.
At the conclusion of the con
ference, Father Cuddy com
mended Mothers Ferdinand and
Virgilius for initiating the con
ference and for their great in
terest in Sister Formation. He
likewise, congratulated the
speakers on their practical,
timely but withal, entertaining
presentation of their topics.
Editorial
THE GREAT HUMANITARIANS
In recent weeks nationally read magazines, Fed
eral Government Committees, Television Networks,
U. N. Committees and private organizations have begun
to sound the tocsin and beat the drum.
“Population Explosion!” they cry in alarm and
insistently call for scientific and effective methods to
keep too many troublesome babies from coming into
the world.
They are all high-minded people, thinking not of
themselves, but only of those chosen babies who shall
be allowed to be born in future generations, or so they <
claim, anyway.
Personally, we find it hard to believe that so many
people, highly placed in the world, can be genuinely
concerned about the unknown future, completely altru
istic and unselfish. If that were so, we could forget our
fears about war immediately.
We are well aware that the words of Christ, “Be
not concerned therefore, with what you shall eat, or
what you shall drink, or wherewith you shall be
clothed” are to the birth-controllers “Pious gush.” We
know, too, that a great part of the Christian world
which professes to find all of God’s Truth in the Holy
Bible, refuses to believe that if “You seek first the
kingdom of God and His Justice, all these things will
be added unto you” and that “Without Him (Christ)
was made nothing that was made” including little
children.
But we are willing to be accused of Piety and
Faith and to suggest that while there may indeed be
some genuine concern with future generations, the
urgency of the call to contraception springs more from
laziness (it’s easier to limit the population than to in
crease production), selfishness (a higher standard of
living is deemed of more value than the human soul),
and the desire for unrestrained self-indulgence than
from the noble reasons claimed by the followers of
Malthus and Sanger.
For our part we see babies as dear to the heart of
Christ, with priceless and immortal souls made by God,
and destined to be forever happy in Heaven—not as
threats to world security, to be “controlled” like so
many hydrogen bombs.