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Karl
: RaF
DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH EDITION
AH GA
Serving
Georgia's 88
Southern Counties
Published By The
Catholic Laymen's
Ass'n of Georgia
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH
Vol. 41, No. 18
MONROE, GEORGIA, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1961
10c Per Copy — $3 a Year
Launches Drive
BISHOP ASKS PRAYERS FOR
VOCATIONS TO PRIESTHOOD
SAVANNAH — The Diocese
of Savannah’s annual appeal
for vocations to the Priest
hood began on Sunday, Jan
uary 29tn with a plea for con
certed, diocesan-wide prayers,
from The Most Rev. Thomas
J. McDonough, Bishop of Sa
vannah. In a letter, read in all
Churches of the Diocese, Bish
op McDonough said, “. . . the
key to the problem of voca
tions is prayer — your pray
er.” Citing the critical short
age of Priests in the Diocese,
the letter declared “Your
prayers alone can remedy this
situation. You must draw
down upon them the grace
they need.” The full text of
Bisnop McDonough’s letter is
reproduced below.
Copies of a Prayer for Vo
cations were distributed at all
Masses. This prayer will be
recited whenever the Leonine
Prayers are said after Mass.
Vocation posters are also
displayed in all Churches and
Chapels and in all Parochial
schools.
Throughout the Diocese,
Sermons on March 5th and
April 9th will deal with the
nature of the Priesthood and
the signs of a vocation.
1961 marks the third year
of intensive campaigning for
vocations to the Priesthood in
the Diocese of Savannah. Since
1959, when the Minor Semi-,
nary of St. John Vianney was
opened, this type of Vocation
al program has resulted in the
acceptance of 30 boys from all
parts of the Diocese for pre
paratory studies.
MOST REV. THOMAS
j. McDonough, d.d., j.c.d.
At present there are 13
seminarians in their second
year of study and 17 in the
first.
A new building is now un
der construction, which will
enable the Savannah Semi
nary to house and instruct 75
boys.
The Very Rev. William V.
Coleman, rector of the Semi
nary will visit all Parochial
schools in the Diocese, begin
ning February 2nd, for talks
on the Priesthood and inter
views with all eighth grade
boys.
The Rev. Joseph Stranc,
assistant rector of the Semi
nary, will speak on Vocations
at Aquinas High School, Au
gusta on February 23rd, while
students of other Catholic
High Schools in Savannah,
Columbus, Macon and Augus
ta will hear talks by the Rev.
Ralph Seikel, Moderator of
Aquinas High School, begin
ning on February 16th.
The Vocations program will
be carried to students in par
ishes which have no Parochial
schools by the Rev. Francis
J. Donohue, pastor of Our
Lady of Lourdes Church, Port
Wentworth.
Poster
Contest
Announced
SAVANNAH — Plans have
been announced for a poster
contest for all the schools of
the Diocese. The subject will
be Vocaiions io the Diocesan
Priesthood. The contest began
on the fifteenth of January
and ends on the first of March.
A board of judges will include
Bishop McDonough and priests
of the diocese.
The contest is divided into
two sections, one for grades
five and six, and another for
grades seven and eight. Prizes
will be awarded in both
groups
The diocesan poster for vo
cations for 1962 will be chosen
from among the entries.
Entries will be judged on
content, aptness, artistic abil
ity, and impact value.
THE CHANCERY
225 Abercorn Street
Savannah, Georgia
January 12, 1961
My dear People:
The death of Christ upon the cross was a magnificent sacrifice. Through
it the price of the sins of the world was paid. Yet, in spite of its magnificence, it
would have been a futile thing if it had not been applied in every generation to
the souls of men. Saint Paul boldly wrote, “We must fill up what is wanting in
the sufferings of Christ.”
It is on that subject of filling up the void between the sufferings of Christ
and the souls of men I would speak to you this morning. Who will ascend to that
position of messenger between God and man? Who will it be who wiil bring the
blessings of the cross to man and the prayers of men to the cross? Who can stand
so close to the intense fire of love which consumes all from the cross? No purely
human mortal surely.
Now God knew the frailty of man and so chose some humble human souls
and strengthened them a special way. He so changed these souls that they became
other Christs and Fathers to all men. I speak, of course, of the priesthood. It is
through the priesthood that we receive the graces won by Christ upon the cross.
It is the priest who stands between God and man. It is he who is the “other Christ”
and the “Father” to his people. What a marvelous gift to mankind is this exalted
office. How can we properly thank God for it?
We in our diocese well appreciate the necessity of the priest. We can look
about us and behold a rich harvest but so few laborers to preach the word of God.
We are greatly hampered in the expansion of the Catholic Church in Georgia be
cause of a lack of priestly vocations. This critical shortage of priests will continue
in the future on an even larger scale if we do not produce more vocations to the
priesthood here and now in the Diocese of Savannah in the year 1961.
As I have said so often during the past two years, the key to the problem
of vocations is prayer — your prayer. God is sending the divine call to become
priests to many of our young men, but they lack either the light to recognize it or
perhaps the love and courage or encouragement to follow after Christ. Your prayers
alone can remedy this situation. You must draw down upon them the grace they
need. • «* *..
As we begin our diocesan vocation program today, may I, on behalf of
Catholic generations yet unborn, beseech you to pray for our boys devoutly, per-
severingly and fervently during the next two months. These are crucial days, your
prayers can turn into glorious ones. The future is in your hands. May God count
on you to pray each day for vocations.
Begging God to bless you and your families, I remain,
Devotedly yours in Christ,
Bishop of Savannah.
Bulletin Subscription Drive
Highlight Of Press Month
Bishop Urges
Support Of
Newspaper
SAVANNAH — In a state
ment urging Diocesan-wide
support for the Bulletin’s sub
scription drive, the Most Rev.
Thomas J. McDonough, Bishop
of Savannah, declared “We
believe that our Diocesan
newspaper can be an invalu
able aid in fostering a wider
knowledge and deeper under
standing of our Holy Faith on
the part of all our people. It
is also the only practical way
we have of keeping our people
adequately informed of the
activities and progress of the
Diocese.
“We believe, too, that or
gans of the Catholic Press
apostolate, such as our own
Bulletin, have a great contri
bution to make, not only to
our Catholic people, but to
the community in general, by
helping to form a truly Chris
tian outlook on the family,
community, nation al and
world-wide issues which so
vitally affect the lives of peo
ple everywhere.”^ %
The statement c .^^.uecl “It
and deep conviction ' h*-n, that
we feel it is the utn^st im
portance that the Savannah
Bulletin be placed in every
home in the Diocese.”
According to the Rev. Fran
cis J. Donohue, Bulletin edi
tor, changes in the paper’s
mailing system and editorial
page format will be made in
the near future. The editorial
staff will be enlarged from
two members to four.
Said Father Donohue, “Dur
ing the past year, we have re
ceived many complaints about
our mailing system. Accord
ingly, we are adopting a new
system which we believe will
obviate many of the difficul
ties experienced in the past
few years.”
Father Donohue also an
nounced that two associate
editors will be named to the
staff before the next edition.
“This should result in expand
ed news coverage on the Dio
cesan scene as well as more
systematic reportorial serv
ice,” he said.
According to Father Dono
hue, changes in the paper’s
editorial page will be initiated
in the near future, “to make
it more attractive, informative,
and readable.”
PRAY FOR OUR |
PRIESTLY DEAD |
VERY REV. PETER WHELAN
Feb. 6, 1871
REV. STEPHEN SHERIDAN
Feb. 15, 1857
REV. JOHN J. KENNEDY
Feb. 17, 1957
O God, Who didst give 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.
Book Reviews ? 3
Ediiorial Comment 4
Marriage Noiices 5
Obituaries 2
Question Box 4
Doris Answers Youth 5
&AVAHNAH
It ‘
OfMOAi mw&mp & tm mocm savannah
mm
REQUIEM FOR RICHARD REID,
FORMER EDITOR OF BULLETIN
AUGUSTA — Hearts were
heavy with grief this week as
the body of Richard Reid was
returned to Georgia.
Richard Reid, editor of The
Catholic News, New York
City, and for 20 years editor
of this paper and Executive
Secretary of The Catholic Lay
men’s Association of Georgia,
died Tuesday afternoon, Jan
uary 24th in a New Rochelle
hospital. Mr. Reid had suffer
ed a stroke four days previous
ly, Friday, January 20th.
It was with disbelief that
Georgians heard of the passing
of one who had done so much
for their state. Dick Reid had
devoted nearly a third of his
lifetime to “bringing about a
friendlier feeling among Geor
gians irrespective of creed.”
Although it has been twenty
years since Mr. Reid left THE
BULLETIN, he never lost
touch. His many visits were
always an occasion of joy.
Georgia Catholics subscribed
to THE CATHOLIC NEWS so
that they could read Dick’s
editorials on current events,
could read his popular column,
“BY THE WAY.”
Mr. Reid kept abreast of
news from Georgia through
the pages of THE AUGUSTA
CHRONICLE and of things
Catholic through THE BUL
LETIN. His last column dealt
in part with Georgia. It may be
truly said that even in his last
days on earth, his interest in
Georgia never abated.
Richard Reid was the recip
ient of countless honors during
his lifetime, all of them justly
deserved. Georgians do not re-
RICHARD REID
member him because of these
honors. They remember him
because he was a gentleman,
because he was humble. They
remember his smile. They re
member his hand extended in
friendship. This is the Dick
Reid that Georgia knew and
loved.
The Rev. Gerald Armstrong
S.J., was celebrant of a Re
quiem Mass offered at Sacred
Heart Church, Augusta, Janu
ary 30th. Burial was in West-
over Cemetery.
Bishop Thomas J. McDon
ough had planned to preside at
the services which were origi
nally scheduled for last Sat
urday. Severe weather condi
tions forced postponement un
til Monday, the 30th. A con
flicting engagement prevented
His Excellency from attending
the funeral services.
Pallbearers were W. A.
Faughan, Bernard Doris,
Charles Chesser, P. H. Rice,
Jr., Peter Franklin and Pat
Rice Mulherin.
A Solemn Requiem Mass
was offered in Holy Family
Church, New Rochelle, N. Y.,
by Rt. Rev, Msgr. Charles
E. Fitzgerald, P.A., pastor.
Auxiliary Bishop John J. Ma
guire, vicar general, presided
representing Cardinal Spell
man, who was out of town. Rt.
Rev. Msgr. John Paul Haverty,
superintendent of schools, was
deacon at the Mass and Rev.
Joseph P. O’Meara, assistant
at Holy Family, was subdea
con.
A native of Winchester,
Mass., Mr. Reid received an
A.B, degree from Holy Cross
College in 1918 and spent the
following year teaching at St.
Francis Xavier College, New
York.
His career as a newspaper
man began in 1919 as a report
er on the staffs of the AU
GUSTA CHRONICLE and the
AUGUSTA HERALD. After
coming to Augusta, he became
principal of the Knights of
Columbus school for ex-ser
vicemen, and in 1921 was nam
ed executive secretary of the
Catholic Laymen’s Association
of Georgia.
Mr. Reid received his Mas
ter’s degree from Holy Cross
in 1922, and law degrees fol
lowed from the University of
(Continued on Page 2)
Envelopes To
Be Distributed
February 12 th
SAVANNAH — The annual
drive for new and renewal
subscriptions to the Savannah
edition of the Bulletin will be
gin Sunday, Feb. 12th, with
the distribution of special en
velopes in all the Churches
and Missions of the Diocese.
Envelopes will be collected on
the following Sunday, Feb.
19th.
It is expected that every
family in the Diocese will sub
scribe and that readership will
reach an all-time high.
Catholic Press month, ob
served annually during the
month of February, has served
to highlight the importance of
the Diocesan Catholic News
paper as a continual link be
tween Bishop, Priest and
Faithful.
The origin of Catholic Press
Month, as observed in the
United States, dates back to
the annual meeting of the
Cathoilc Press Association in
Washington in January 1920.
March 1921 was observed as
the first Catholic Press Month.
In 1922 the observance was
changed to February, and has
remained so ever since.
Besides informing the peo
ple of Diocesan-wide activities
and development, the Diocesan
newspaper is a valuable organ
of information and education.
Through the world-wide facil
ities of its news service it is
able to furnish its readers with
information of national and in
ternational events of particular
interest to Catholics. It is also
a valuable means of diseminat-
ing information about things
Catholic to the interested non-
Catholic.
Through informed and com
petent professional journalists,
the Catholic newspaper offers
penetrating and informative
commentary on the important
and controversial questions of
the day. According to the Rev.
Francis J. Donohue, editor of
the Savannah Bulletin, “It
cannot be denied that the sec
ular press, though for the most
part emminently fair in its
treatment of the Catholic
Church, does not always re
flect the full picture of events
involving Catholic public fig
ures and the Catholic Church.
Often, it is only through the
Catholic Press, particularly the
Catholic Newspaper, that news
of this nature is fully and ac
curately reported.”
Catholic newspapers also
publish special features de
signed to prorhote a greater
and more articulate knowledge
of the Faith among the Cath
olic laity.
The SAVANNAH BULLE
TIN BELONGS in YOUR
home. Don’t forget — ENTER
OR RENEW YOUR SUB
SCRIPTION ON FEB. 19TH.
■ ■'
ST. JOHN VIANNEY SEMINARY—Construction work has started on the new St. John Vianney Minor Seminary in
Savannah. Sketch above pictures Seminary as it will look when finished.