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PAGE 20—THE BULLETIN, April 30, 1960
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BISHOP Me!
CAMPAIGN
“Our vocation program is to
day our greatest single effort
in preparing for the future.”
These words of the newly in
stalled Bishop of Savannah were
addressed to the people of the
Diocese in February of this year.
The drive for priestly voca
tions from the diocese was ex-
cellerated three years ago when
Bishop McDonough came to the
Diocese as Auxiliary Bishop.
Last year saw the opening of a
Minor Seminary for the Diocese
(see pages 14-15). We reproduce
here the vocations appeal ad
dressed to the people of the dio
cese the early part of this year.
My Dear People:
The work of the priest is the
work of Christ. It is the priest
who today brings Christ’s for
giveness to our souls. It is his
tongue which whispers the
words of consecration and his
hands which hold the body of
our Savior. It is his hands, too,
which are raised in blessing and
bring consolation to the dying.
Without him Christ is absent
— •
MESSAGE AT TIME
OF APPOINTMENT
Dearly beloved in Christ:
The news of my appointment as Bishop of Savannah
has been a source of great joy and genuine happiness to me.
For over three years I have been privileged to serve the
Catholics of this Diocese of Savannah as Auxiliary Bishop
with all the rights and duties of a residential Bishop. And
always I have found the priests, the religious and the laity
most docile and articulate in everything pertaining to our
Holy Faith. Consequently, when His Excellency, Archbishop
Vagnozzi, Apostolic Delegate in Washington, advised me that
His Holiness, Pope John XXIII, has graciously designed to
name me the tenth Bishop of this venerable See of Savannah
my immediate reaction was one of prayerful thanksgiving
to Almighty God and final gratitude to the Vicar of Christ
on earth.
When Archbishop Gerald P. O’Hara resigned the Dio
cese of Savannah, on November 11, 1959, because of the de
manding pressure of his manifold duties in London, I was
elected Administrator of the Diocese until a new Bishop-
Ordinary was appointed by the Supreme Pontiff. Arch
bishop O’Hara, for almost twenty-five years, ruled the Dio-
. cese of Savannah with outstanding and unprecedented suc
cess. He brought to the Episcopacy of Georgia great scholar
ly talents, astute administratorship and the innate ability
of giving himself unstintingly to the priests and people con
fided to his care. In the divine economy of events I fervently
pray that I shall, in some small measure, be capable of con-
\ tinuing and expanding the wonderful sacrificial work which
he so inspiringly accomplished in this great State of Georgia.
The Diocese of Savannah is uniquely missionary in cha
racter. It embraces 37,000 square miles and contains 88
counties. The Catholic census numbers less than 30,000, or
approximately lVz% of the entire population. With complete
confidence in God and an abiding faith in the spiritual com
petence of my people I am optimistic about the future.
Through God and the intercession of Mary, His Immaculate
Mother, all things can be accomplished.
With a conscious recognition of my inabilities, I accede
to the Bishopric of Savannah in response to the wishes of His
Holiness, Pope John XXIII, filled with an awesome depend
ence upon my people for prayer in my new responsibility.
My only announced program is the same which I voiced
three years ago when I came among you. This program is to
preach the love of God which must be manifest among all
people if we are to attain peace of heart and unity among
nations.
My joy in accepting the Church of St. John the Baptist
as my Cathedral fills my heart with indescribable happiness..
This beautiful edifice which is synonymous with the Cath
olic Faith in the Diocese of Savannah would quicken any
Bishop’s heart with new life. Naturally, my interest in the
renovation and redecoration program will continue with re
newed devotion.
Finally, I voice an appreciative act of gratitude for the
many and wonderful expressions of congratulations which I
have received from every parish in the Diocese. The prayers
promised me by the priests, religious and laity of the Diocese
have given me much hope in the new duties imposed upon
me. Upon all of you I invoke God’s blessings:
May the Lord bless thee and keep thee;
May He show His face to thee and have mercy upon thee;
May He turn His countenance to thee and give thee peace,
May the Lord bless + thee:
Amen
Devotedly yours in Christ,
Bishop of Savannah.
from the world. We can no long
er feel the warmth of Christ’s
love or savor; His presence on
the altar. So necessary is he that
without him souls daily plum
met into the depths of hell be
cause of lack of someone to help
them up to God.
Struck by the awesome need
of this Diocese for priests, I
wrote to you a year ago begging
your prayers for the great cause
of vocations to the priesthood.
Your response was overwhelm
ing. So many young men pre
sented themselves as candidates
for the priesthood that we de
termined to open our own minor
seminary. This has, thus far,
been a source of great hope for
the future.
The remarkable cooperation of
our priests in aiding, inspiring
and guiding our youth has been
a key factor in the success of the
past year. Your prayers, the spi
rit of self sacrifice on the part
of our seminarians’ parents, the
enthusiasm of the boys them
selves, have all conspired to
make our first year of concerted
vocation work a grand and glo
rious success.
Beginning this week, -we will
embark upon our second year in
this most important work. Its
success will be in direct propor
tion to your prayers. In the pews
today you will find holy cards
with the diocesan vocation pray
er. Please say this prayer often.
Make it part of your own family
prayers. Beg God to give your
family the great grace of a
priestly vocation.
Our vocation program is to
day our greatest single effort in
preparing for the future. Upon
its success hinges the immortal
destiny of countless souls. New
mission areas await us. People
clamor for churches and schools.
On every side there is a hunger
for the love of Christ. Without
priests we cannot answer these
pleas. Without your concerted
effort at prayer there will be no
vocations. The future, then, de
pends upon you — upon your
fervor in prayer. Pray ye, there
fore that the Lord of the har
vest will send laborers into His
vineyard for the field is ready
for the harvest.
Begging God to bless all of
you, priests and people, for your
prayerful help during the past
year, and urging you on to new
heights of fervor, I remain,
Devotedly yours in Christ,
thomas j. McDonough
ason, Inc.
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SAVANNAH, GA.
HOW MANY OF YOU ARE GOING TO BE PRIESTS?—His Excellency The Most Reverend
Thomas J. McDonough, D.D., J.C.D., Bishop of Savannah, asked this question of the seventh
and eighth grade students of Cathedral School. Pictured with the Bishop are the Rev. Robert
J. Teoli, and the Right Rev. Msgr. Andrew J. McDonald, Chancellor of the Diocese—(Photo An
drew Bunn).