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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. 41, No. 15
MONROE, GEORGIA, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1960
10c Per Copy — $3 a Year
Conference
Held It
Savannah
SAVANNAH — Clergy from
the entire Savannah Diocese
met in the See city Tuesday
morning for a special confer
ence convened by His Excel
lency Bishop McDonough.
The conference heard an ad
dress by the Rev. Walter
Schmitz, S.S., noted authority
on the Liturgy and a member
of the faculty of Catholic Uni
versity of America.
Purpose of the diocesan
wide gathering was to fa
miliarize priests with the Rub
rics (Directions) concerning
the recent revised Roman Mis-
al and Breviary.
The much heralded changes
in the Church’s Liturgy an
nounced this year by Pope
John XXIII become effective
January 1, 1961.
@ss©$ Church
Saint Bernadette
Jenkins County Now
Has Catholic Church
SAINT BERNADETTE CHURCH, MILLEN
Bishop McDonough Blesses
Saint Michael’s Convent
SAVANNAH BEACH — On
Thursday, December 8, the
Feast of Our Lady’s Immacu
late Conception, the Most Rev.
Thomas J. McDonough, Bishop
of Savannah, dedicated the
new St. Michael’s Convent, on
First Avenue between Eighth
and Ninth Streets, at Savan
nah Beach.
The new convent is a one-
story, brick, six-bedroom, all
electric home erected by the
John W. McDonald Builders,
of Augusta. Its outstanding
feature is the'beautiful walnut
panelled chapel which contains
the first Georgia Shrine of
Our Lady of Walsingham.
The Franciscan Sisters,
: whom it houses, belong to a
community whose official title
is Missionary Franciscan Sis
ters of the Immaculate Con
ception. This community was
founded in Minnesota in 1873
by Mother Mary Ignatius
Hayes, O.F.M., who had been
an Anglican nun originally.
After her conversion, she was
encouraged by Pope Pius IX to
begin a new missionary order.
Her Sisters now number over
one thousand and staff mis
sions in New Guinea, Austral
ia, Egypt, Canada, Italy, and
Book Reviews 3
Editorial Comment 4
Marriage Notices 3
Obituaries 6
Question Eox 4
Doris Answers Youth 5
Calendar of Feast Days : 7
Ireland as well as in the
United States. In the Savan-.
nah area, they also teach at
St. Pius X High School, St.
Benedict’s School, St. Mary’s
School and St. Anthony’s
School.
The five Sisters now at St.
Michael’s Convent are Mother
Mary Celine, O.S.F., Sister
Mary Leonissa, O.S.F., Sister
Mary Cormac, O.S.F., and Sis
ter Mary Terence, O.S.F. The
last named is the first Savan-
nahian to be received into the
community. They staff St.
Michael’s School, an eighth
grade parish elementary school
at Savannah Beach, with an
enrollment of about one hun
dred boys and girls.
Rather John Cuddy, pastor
of St. Michael’s Church, an
nounced that the old convent
building, which the Sisters
have occupied as their temp
orary convent since coming to
Tybee in 1948, will now be
known as St. Michael’s Hall.
Addresses
Holy Name
AUGUSTA—An enthusiastic
meeting of the Holy Name So
ciety of St. Mary’s on the Hill
Church was held in the Parish
Hall on last Sunday evening.
The members heard an elo
quent address by Father Felix
Donnelly on the potential of
zealous Catholic laymen.
Officers were elected for the
coming year: President, Dr.
Thomas E. Bailey; Vice Presi
dent, Dr. Michael J. O’Brien;
Secretary, Daniel Bowels, Sr.;
Treasurer, Thomas F. Toomey;
Marshall, Harry Best, Sr.
CHRISTMAS
MASS SCHEDULE
There is no other evening just like this one; for even
now, almost two thousand years after it first thrilled to
the angelic voices, announcing the birth of the Saviour,
the whole world waits in hushed expectation. The noises
of the day begin to die away and a quiet peace seems to
envelope all. Then, as the day draws close to its final
seconds, the minds of men begin once again to drift back
to a Judean hillside to be lost in wonder at the Infinite
Love of God, who gave His only begotten Son to man.
And all hearts cry out with the angel voices which some
how seem to linger still, “Glory to God in the Highest
and on earth Peace to men of good will!”
As the clock strikes midnight, signalling the beginning
of Christ’s birthday, men, women and children through
out the Diocese will fill our Churches to attend the Mid
night Mass and to receive into their hearts the Redeemer,
whose birth they celebrate—to bring Him their homage
of praise and adoration and to take with them the Peace
of Christ which surpasseth all understanding.
Listed here is a schedule of Christmas Masses for the
churches of the Vicar Foranes of the three Deaneries in
the Diocese of Savannah:
CATHEDRAL OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, SAVANNAH
Christmas Eve, Midnight Mass, Solemn Pontifical Mass at
the Faldstool: Celebrant, His Excellency, Bishop McDonough;
Assistant priest, Msgr. T. J. McNamara, P.A.; Deacon, The
Reverend Herman J. Wellmeier; Subdeacon, The Reverend
Joseph Stranc; Deacons of Honor, Rev. Timothy Dwyer, S.M.A.,
Rev. Brendan Dooley, O.S.B.; Master of Ceremonies, Msgr.
Andrew McDonald; Assistant Master of Ceremonies, Rev.
Robert J. Teoli.
Christmas Day Masses: 6:15, 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, 11:15 and
12:15.
ST. MARY'S AUGUSTA
Christmas Eve, Midnight Solemn High Mass: Celebrant, The
Rt. Rev. Msgr. Daniel J. Bourke; Deacon, The Reverend Ralph
Seikel; Subdeacon, The Rev. Kevin Boland.
Christmas Day Masses: 6:15, 8:00, 9:30, 11:00 and 12:15.
HOLY FAMILY, COLUMBUS
Christmas Eve, Midnight Mass: Celebrant will be Rev.
Lawrence Lucree. Midnight Mass will be offered at the School
Chapel with the Rev. John Fallon, celebrant.
Christmas Day Masses: 7:00, 8:30, 10:00, 11:30, 12:30 and
at 6:30 p. m. Mass will be offered at the school at 9:00 a. m.
MILLEN — This Christmas,
as never before, Christ will
come to Millen. A Catholic
church is now a part of the
Jenkins County seat, most of
whose 4,000 residents can tell
a visitor where the new church
is.
Only recently, His Excellen
cy, Bishop McDonough, dedi
cated the new little Saint Ber
nadette Church. Vested in Ad
vent purple, he then offered
Mass. Likening this. segment
of his flock to the early Chris
tian communities which the
Apostles founded, the Bishop
reminded them of their re
sponsibility for the growth of
the Church in their own coun
ty.
Christ has come to Millen
for many years. Since the ear
ly 1930’s, in this Southeast
Georgia community, the Sac
rifice of the Mass has been of
fered, the Savior of the world
has been really, truly present
in His Eucharistic Body. Small
groups of Catholics have gath
ered many a Sunday in a home
or hotel or community center.
For the first years, the de
voted priests of the Cathedral
in.Savannah made the journey
to this mission outpost. Having
offered Mass here early Sun
day morning, the missioner
/tfbteVded to Saint Joseph’s in
Bay Branch to offer Mass for
that congregation.
When Bethlehem is relived
this year in Millen, when the
Christ Child will be as really
present in the Mass as He was
in the Cave, it will be not the
first presence-ing of the Divine
Infant; but it will be the first
in His own home, a Catholic
church.
Milien’s few, but loyal, Cath
olics will gather around the
altar and mangel'. There will
be a heavenly warmth in their
souls, a grateful beat in their
hearts, such as only the shep
herds could experience.
Now with !. e eyes of faith
they will see their Infant God
brought down on the altar —
not on a dining room table,
even so carefully arranged and
spotlessly clean; not on the
stage of a community house,
even so awesome and orderly
— but in His own Catholic
church, so simple, fresh, and
truly home-like.
Some will say that the Mil
len Catholics deserve a church.
It is not so with the members
themselves. They know they
deserve nothing as Catholics,
except to suffer with Christ
crucified, to remain loyal to
their Infant God, to gather
about His altar each Sunday
and Holyday no matter where
it be.
The Millen Catholics, how
ever, are grateful; grateful to
God for their treasured Christ
mas gift, grateful to Saint Ber
nadette for this memorial to
her, grateful to the Bishop and
people of the Diocese of Sav
annah.
Saint Bernadette’s and Mil
len are but a beginning. Coun
ty after county in the Diocese
of Savannah is without even a
Catholic chapel.
A resident priest in each of
our 88 counties? In God’s plan,
this may be in the distant fu
ture. A fitting piace for the
redemptive re-presentation of
Calvary in the Mass in every
mission county? This can be
come a reality in the near fu
ture.
How near that is depends
upon how every Catholic in
the Diocese of Savannah meets
his missionary responsibility.
It depends upon our sup
porting the Confraternity of
the Laity to the point of sac
rifice; it depends upon our
praying that chapel donors
elsewhere invest in God’s
Kingdom in Southern Georgia.
Please God, Southern Geor
gia will soon be dotted with
numerous Saint Bernadettes.
INVESTITURE CEREMONY—Newly invested Rt. Rev.
Msgr. John D. Toomey, S.T.L., receives Bierttum from Bishop
Thomas J. McDonough. The Savannah pastor was recently
named a Domestic Prelate by His Holiness, Pope John XXIII.
The ceremonies took place at St. James, December 15th.
PEOPLE HAVE CHOICE
m PASTING LAWS FOR
CHRISTMAS VIGIL
The Vigil of Christmas is a day of fast and abstinence.
However, Iiis Holiness, Pope John XXIII, last year granted to
all the faithful the privilege of anticipating the obligation of
fast and abstinence of December 24th on December 23rd.
Hence the obligation may-be fulfilled on either day. The people
have a choice. They may determine for themselves on which
of the two days they will keep the obligation, but they must
fast and abstain on one of these two days.
Catholics are reminded, however, that since December 23rd
is a Friday this year, total abstinence will oblige on that day
in any event, whether the obligation of the Vigil is observed
cn the 23rd or 24th.
All Catholics over the age of 7 are bound to abstain from
meat throughout whichever day they elect to observe the
Vigil; all over the age of 21 and not yet 59 are bound to
observe also the laws of fast.
Fasting means that one full meal is allowed. Two other
meals sufficient to maintain strength may be taken according
to each person’s needs.
TO THE PRIESTS, RELIGIOUS
AND LAITY OF THE
DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH:
MAY THE BABE OF BETHLEHEM BRING
EVERY PEACE AND JOY ON CHRISTMAS
DAY. AND MAY MARY, HIS IMMACULATE
MOTHER AND SAINT JOSEPH GUIDE YOU
TO 1HS HOLY MANGER.
DURING THIS HOLY SEASON YOU AND
YOUR LOVED ONES WILL HAVE A SPECIAL
REMEMBRANCE IN MY MASSES AND PRAY
ERS.
IMPARTING TO YOU MY BLESSING, I
AM
DEVOTEDLY YOURS IN CHRIST
BISHOP OF SAVANNAH
PRAY FOR OUR
PRIESTLY DEAD
REV. JOHN A. MORRIS
Dec. 24. 1957
REV. M. J. RICE
Dec. 26, 1381
O God, Who didst (jive to
thy servants by their sacredotal
office, a share in the priesthood
of the Apostles, grant, we im
plore, that they may also be one.
of their company ; forever in
heaven. Through Christ Our
Lord. Amen.
BREAK GROUND FOR NEW SEMINARY—Bishop Thomas J. McDonough breaks ground for the new Seminary
building to be erected in 1961. The building will house dormitories, classrooms, library and priests living quarters. The
building is expected to be ready for occupancy by next September.—(Carroll Burke Photo).