Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2—THE BULLETIN, October 28, 1961
(books
(make
c
r~*
lAJriteri
HOME
nd
t'\eaJerS
EDITED BY LEO J. ZUBER
2332 North Decatur Rd. Decatur, Georgia
A. M. D. G.
For the greater glory of God
and for the spiritual benefit of
authors, publishers, reviewers
and readers.
OBERAMMERGAU AND
ITS PASSION PLAY, by E.
Corathiel, Newman, 1960, 147
pp., illus., $3.00, and OBER
AMMERGAU, SCENE OF THE
PASSION PLAY, photographs
by Lotte Eckener, Newman,
1960, 95 pp., illus., $3.95.
Reviewed by
Leo J. Zuber
Tucked away in the Ammer
Valley of Bavaria, not distant
from Munich, is Oberammer-
gau, the locale of the Passion
Play. The fact is that today,
in the minds of people all over
the world, Passion Play and
Oberammergau are synony
mous. The Eckener volume is
an account of the village and
the play in today’s best photo
graphic style; out of 95 pages,
only 15 are text.
In contrast, the Corathiel
volume, mainly, text, digs deep
ly into the history of the vil
lage and handles effectively
the impact of the Passion Play
on it.
Back in 1632 and 1633 a
plague, attributed to inade
quate public sanitation, ravish
ed this part of Bavaria; Ober
ammergau was long spared.
Kaspar Schisler, a resident, had
found work away from home;
in spite of all precautions tak
en to keep travellers out, he
managed to slip back into town
to rejoin his family and, un
knowingly, to bring the plague.
He died within hours of his
return and the epidemic was
underway. In July 1633, the
public vow was made that, if
the village were spared, the
Passion Play would be enacted
at ten year intervals thereafter.
Such plays were common
place in Bavaria and elsewhere
at that time, along with pro
cessions and other religious ac
tivities; but in Oberammergau,
the play, the players, all the
people now had a motivation
and a purposefulness which
permeated their daily lives.
Thd first play after the vow
was performed in 1634. The
entire production has evolved
substantially and no doubt will
evolve still more. The first per
formance was in the village
church where the vow was
made; the present permanent
theatre dates only from 1930.
It’s too small; In 1950, all seats
were sold out for the 87 per
formances, over 400,000; 60,000
additional applications had to
be turned down. Even so, the
Passion Play is not typically a
financial success.
Miss Corathiel gives many
delightful, sharable vignettes.
How tastes in drama have
changed! In an early version
of the play, “. . . after the Last
Supper, Judas slinks off, es
corted by Satan in person, to
the Betrayal, while an angel
snatches off his halo in pass
ing, Judas looking back over
his shoulder with a bewildered
air, just as if he had lost his
hat in the wind!”
Anton Lang, Christus in
1900, 1910, and 1922, “. . . car
ried the characteristics of the
sacred part he played on the
stage over into everyday life,
but without a trace of hyp
ocrisy.” He was very popular
and he travelled widely; in the
early 20’s, he and other players
visited this country. But his
rude awakening came in 1901.
Invited by the Munich State
Opera director to that city’s
annual art festival and ball, he
accepted and attended. And
unwittingly called down a
storm of criticism on his head
—just by attending. People had
grown to associate him with
the role of Christ and “I must
for the rest of my life try to
live up to the notion they had
formed of me . . . Never let
people lose faith in you—it
means perhaps more than you
realize, for you are the instru
ment of a greater purpose than
you know.”
CATHOLIC LAYMAN'S
BOOK OF ETIQUETTE, 240
pp., $3.95; CATHOLIC CON
CISE ENCYCLOPEDIA, 330
pp., illus., both by Robert C.
Broderick, and published by
Catechetical Guild, and A
CATHOLIC DICTIONERY,
Donald Attwater, editor, Mac
millan, 1961, 552 pp., $2.45.
Reviewed by
Leo J. Zuber
Even though it becomes
trite, seemingly, to say so, I
don’t hesitate to recommend
each of these books to every
Catholic home and to every
parochial school library. Each
volume complements the oth
er two very nicely.
The etiquette volume has
much in the way of unclutter
ed explanation of the church
and its teachings and practices
as well as more directly to the
point of etiquette but all aim
ed at a better understanding,
increased reverence and re
spect and ease in church-re
lated matters in dealings with
clergy and with laymen. The
abridged dictionary inserted as
an appendix is alright but is
too brief to be the only such
reference available when need
arises for a Catholic diction
ary.
Attwater’s Catholic Diction
ary is now in its third edition.
It is a valuable, substantial
volume which defines terms in
unabridged dictionary man
ner, cross-referencing, and
with occasional Biblical ref
erence. There are several
meaty appendices. Ever won
der how many kinds of soul
there are? You have regularly
observed bination; did you
know it when you saw it?
The encyclopedia is also a
practical home and school lib
rary item. It is necessarily
abridged to be contained in a
single volume. It is illustrated
by line drawings by Ade de
Bethune.
FREEDOM, GRACE AND
DESTINY, Romano Guardini,
Pantheon, $4.00, 251 pp.
Reviewed by
Flannery O'Connor
Msgr. Guardini here ex
plores the Christian under
standing of freedom, grace and
destiny, three interrelated
concepts which in modern
thought have been distorted,
discarded, or diluted in a fash
ion that suggests Satanic in
fluence. Msgr. Guardini treats
each concept in a separate
chapter, asking first how it is
presented in immediate ex
perience, what revelation has
to say about it, and finally
what is its significance for the
whole pattern of existence. In
all his work Msgr. Guardini’s
directive is this attempt to
view the pattern of Christian
existence as a whole, as it was
viewed in early and medieval
Chirstian thought before phi
losophy became separated
from t h e ol o g y, empirical
science from philosophy, and
practical instruction from
knowledge of reality. He is
concerned that this conscious
unity of existence has been
lost to a large extent even by
believing Christians. “The be
liever no longer stands with
his faith amid the concrete,
actual world, and he no longer
rediscovers that world by his
faith. He has made a grim
necessity of this dismember
ment by constructing, if we
may employ the term, a chem
ically pure faith in which he
insists upon seeing the true
form of orthodoxy. This or
thodoxy has a somewhat aus
tere and very courageous qua
lity, but we must not forget
that it is an emergency posi
tion.” This is an important
book. Msgr. Guardini has ad
mirably carried out his inten
tions.
FUNDAMENTAL CATHO
LIC TEACHING ON THE HU
MAN RACE, by John J. Consi-
dine, M.M., Maryknoll Publi
cations, 1961, 92 pp., paper,
$1.00.
Reviewed by
Eileen Hall
“The world is everywhere
a mission because unbelief is
A. J. BOHN COMPANY
Brick, Building Tile, Spectra Glaze Concrete Blofcks
CEdar 7-6481, 3272 Peachtree Road, Atlanta 5, Ga.
dale's
CELLAR RESTAURANT
PEACHTREE AND IVY STREETS
CHARCOAL BROILED STEAK
CHICKEN — SEAFOOD
Hours: 11 a. m.-ll p. m.. Luncheon through Dinner
VISIT BEAUTIFUL DALE'S COFFEE HOUSE
Lobby Imperial Hotel 6 a. m. - 10 p. m.
ST. JOSEPH’S INFIRMARY
SODA FOUNTAIN
COFFEE SHOP AND RESTAURANT
LOCATED NEXT TO GIFT SHOP ON MAIN FLOOR
IN NEW BUILDING
ATLANTA, GA.
PHONE JA. 2-6500
589 FORREST RD., N.E.
ATLANTA 12, GA.
A MEMOIR OF MARY ANN, by the Dominican Nuns
Who Took Care of Her, is scheduled for publication (Farrar,
Straus and Cudahy) on December 7. Mary Ann was three
when admitted to the Free Cancer Home in Atlanta; she lived
to be twelve years of age. “Mary Ann, despite her illness, was
a beautiful, lively, and charming child. She had character,
and a wisdom beyond her years. She also had the rare gift of
bringing out the best in everyone who came in contact with
her. She enriched the lives of everyone who knew her . . .”
Flannery O’Connor, a frequent contributor to the Bulletin’s
book review page, writes the introduction to the memoir.
The publishers announce that A MEMOIR OF MARY
ANN has been chosen as a December selection of the Catholic
Digest Book Club; in the same month, Good Housekeeping
will serialize it.
Notre Dame Book Shop, 115 Peachtree Street, N.E., At
lanta 5, Ga., is accepting pre-publication orders ($3.50) for
A Memoir of Mary Ann.
everywhere . . .” Father Con-
sidine, author of several pre
vious books and now direc
tor of the Latin American Bu
reau of N.C.W.C., in this ex
cellent study lists five catego
ries of men in spiritual need
for whom every Catholic
should feel concern.
Yet priests waste precious
pulpit time talking of trivial
ities; and Catholic laymen and
women devote time and effort
to inconsequential projects
within their own limited ho
rizons! If only they would
ponder, instead^ such, a study
as this and' act Upon it!
It is one of a series of World
Horizon Reporis, designed to
broaden the outlook of all
thinking Catholics to global di
mensions, to truly Catholic di
mensions. Originating as lec
tures delivered last year at
Notre Dame and at Fordham’s
Institute of Mission Study, this
booklet pleads that Catholics
“demonstrate genuine concern
for, respect for and regard for
all men as men.” It discusses
the history and development
of the Church’s teaching on
the human race, and its pres
ent problems and positions,
political, economic, social and
religious.
“We live in a day,” says the
eloquent author, “When the
apostles of Moscow have out
paced the best of public rela
tions experts of Madison Ave
nue in presenting their ideolo
gy to the world. The gravity of
the situation is such that
thoughtful men now recognize
it as a distinctly Christian vo
cation to undertake the pro
clamation of the philosophy of
the free world . . . Certainly
our Christian social teachings
should be similarly proclaim
ed.”
THE UPROOTED, by Oscar
Handlin, Atlantic-Little Brown,
1951, 310 pp., $4.50.
Reviewed by
Eileen Hall
Immigration figures for the
years before 1820 are not avail
able, but in that year 8,358
individuals from other lands
entered the United States to
become, most of them, perma
nent citizens here. In the fol
lowing century the number
rose incredibly, reaching a total
of 1,285,000 in 1907, the largest
in any single year. From 1920
onward, for various reasons,
legislation was enacted to re
strict the flow of immigrants
to this country.
Numerous writings have de
scribed the effect of the immi
grants on the American society
of which they became a part.
Professor Handlin of Har
vard, in this book which was
awarded the Pulitzer Prize for
History in 1952, approaches the
story from the opposite direc
tion—the effect of the great
migrations on those who took
part in them. The result is a
humanly appealing story, as
well as a masterpiece of his
torical writing.
In twelve readable chapters
he examines various aspects of
the ordeal that these displaced
persons underwent, from their
peasant origins in the Old
World and the miserable con
ditions of their crossing of the
Atlantic, to their difficult
adaptations to thq new ways 1
of life and the promises they
saw unfold for their sons in
this new land.
“No one moves,” the author
points out, “without sampling
something of the immigrants’
experience . . . even men fixed
in space but alienated from
their culture by unpopular
ideas or tastes . . . Understand
ing of their reactions . . . may
throw light on the problems of
all those whom ‘the modern
world somehow uproots.”
SECULAR INSTITUTES, by
J. M. Perrin, O.P., translated
by Lancelot C. Sheppard, Ken
edy, 1961, 122 pp., $3.50.
Reviewed by
W. L. Schmidt
The subtitle of this work is
“Consecration to God and Life
in the World.” To the English
speaking world, this consecra
tion by lay people of them
selves to the practice of the
counsels while yet living a life
in the world is barely known.
Yet it is a growing segment of
Catholicism in various foreign
countries, flourishing under the
organizational set-up of Secu
lar Institutes.
These societies consist of
secular priests, lay men, or lay
women who, while remaining
in “the world,” and engaged in
their own normal occupations,
are pledged to dedicate them
selves completely to Christian
living by means of vows or
some similarly binding rules.
A mental niche for them has
not yet been found. Their rules
and practices are so varied,
even more so than the present
religious orders of priests and
nuns.
This work is principally an
elaboration on the thoughts of
the Church regarding Secular
Institutes as expressed in va
rious Papal documents, par-
Brother Claude, principal of
the Boys' Division of Aquinas
High School, Augusta, appear
ed on the program of a recent*
meeting of St. Mary’ s-on-the-
IIill Parish Home and School
Assn. Brother, who holds a
Masters in English find Lib
rary Science, chose as his sub
ject: “Books, the home and
your Children.” We reproduce
here highlights of this talk.
Brother pointed out that stu
dents from the 7th grade on
should read at least one book
a month.
“. . . It is obvious from col
lege board tests that the reader
gets higher marks than the
non-reader.
. . It also is apparent that
colleges today are once again
stressing the liberal arts. Of
what value are scientific ad
vances if they cannot be ex
plained?”
“. . . In vocabulary tests giv
en by large companies, it has
been proven that executives
score higher than junior offi
cers. They become executives
because they read.”
Minister Cites
Public Schools
Religion Need
WILMINGTON, Del. (NC)—
A Protestant minister here has
stressed the need for more re
ligion in the public schools.
The Rev. Percy Rex, rector
of Trinity Episcopal church,
said in a parish bulletin:
“As long as we officially
keep God out of our public
schools at all levels because of
a false notion of the meaning
of our cherished doctrine of
the separation of Church and
State, we will make succeeding
generations increasingly un
able to stand against militant
atheism from abroad.”
The Rev. Mr. Rex’s comment
came after the Rev. James A.
Mays, pastor of the Lewes,
Del., Presbyterian church, told
a Rotary Club luncheon here
that reading the Bible in the
public schools is unjustified be
cause the practice does not
represent all religious groups
in the community.
The Bible is read in Dela
ware public schools at the
start of each day.
CAIP Head Is
Missile Defense
Program Chief
WASHINGTON (NC) — The
top man in a program to de
fend this country from atomic
missiles is also a firm advocate
of more liberal immigration
laws—and for good reason.
Charles M. Herzfeld, 36,
scientist and president of the
Catholic Association for Inter
national Peace, has been nam
ed by the Defense Department
to direct and coordinate the
staff of the entire Defender
Program.
Herzfeld was 13 when he
came to this country from his
native Austria as a World War
II refugee. He is ever mindful
of the opportunities which
were given him in this coun
try and is anxious the same
treatment be accorded to other
immigrants.
Before committees of Con
gress and in public addresses
he has emphasized that this
country traditionally encou
rages people from all over the
world to enjoy the freedom
and opportunity which the
United States affords. To car
ry on this mission, especially
in these critical times, Herz
feld contends the immigration
laws should be more liberal
to keep open the haven for
the oppressed.
Herzfeld received his bache
lor’s degree in chemical engi
neering from the Catholic Uni
versity of America here in
1951 and obtained his doc
torate in physical chemistry
from the University of Chica
go. In 1957 he was appointed
as chief of the heat and power
division at the U. S. Bureau of
Standards here. He took a
year’s leave of absence from
this post when the Defense
Department selected him to
serve as assistant director of
the Advanced Research Pro
jects Agency and placed him
in charge of the Defender
Program.
ticularly the Provida Maler
Ecclesia, and the Mottu Proprio
Primo Feliciler of the late Pope
Pius XII issued in 1947-48. It
was under his reign that a
mode of living in the world,
yet dedicated to God in a spe
cial way, received blessing and
guidance for the first time.
With today’s speed highway
safety is a life and death mat
ter.
“. . . Pareents should be con
cerned about what they do
about reading in the home. It
is not a question so much of
“Why Johnny can’t read” as
“why Johnny can read and
doesn’t?”
“. . . It has been noted that
25% of college graduates in
America have not read a book
in the last year — that only
12% of the new homes being
constructed have built in book
shelves.”
“. . . One must give children
good surroundings and good
training in order to get the
maximum development of po
tentialities within the indivi
dual. Literature has been de
fined as a “verbal portrait of
life.”
Brother Claude praised the
excellent facilities of the pub
lic library, and urged parents
and their children to visit and
familiarize themselevs with its
contents. He pointed out the
importance of being familiar,
too, with some of the old clas
sics and to follow the best sell
er lists in fiction and non
fiction. These lists may be
found in the local Sunday pa
per or in various periodicals.
“BOOKS, THE HOME,
AND YOUR CHILDREN”
Enjoy that
REFRESHING NEW FEELING
BOTTLED UNDER AUTHORITY OF THE COCA-COLA COMPANY BY COCA-COLA BOTTLERS OF GEORGIA
Prepare And Serve
WONDERFUL MEALS IN MINUTES. 1
BROOKWOOD
SERVICE STATION
Pure Oil Products - Tires -
Lubrication - Tail Pipe - Mufflers -
Brake Work
MR. CLAY, Prop.
Road Service - Pick-Up & Delivery
1820 Peachtree Rd., N.W.
TR. 6-2171 Atlanta, Ga.
JOHN MARSHALL
LAW SCHOOL
JUNIOR COLLEGE
105 Forrest
Ave. t N. E.
BARRETT & LEACH
JA. 3-8580
Fancy Groceries - Fresh Vegetables
l
3771 Roswell Road CE. 7-0355
“Around the Corner from
Famous Prime Western Beef
Atlanta, Ga.
Sacred Heart Church”
Day And Evening Classes
BR00KHAVEN SHOE STORE
“CORRECT FIT AND SATISFACTION ASSURED”
Next to Woolworili's
'Home of Red Goose Shoes"
Shoe Headquarters in Brookhaven
O’Kelley’s-A Complete Rental Service
DRESS FORAAAL...THE MODERN WAY,
Fvff Hr* of handsome Formal Wear
far men and boys.
bridal Gewnt, Brideunald DrttMt
•nd Cocktail Dreuet In the latest
fashion*. Also relit, hoops
•nd erinolinet.
Select the correct attire for that
special occasion. We’ll be very
happy to help yaw with any
Formal Wear problems.
O 'iKJLvf \ J1
Mitchell Street, S.W
231
nc,
JA 2-9960
r iry ***••*
f Established 1>»>* •
s
ANNOUNCING
I
I
I
A NEW $7,80000
HOSPITAL PLAN
| Pays so much a day at rate
of $150.00 a week when hos-
| pitalized because of sickness
or injury. $7,800.00 maxi-
I mum for 52 weeks. Family
■ members, age one month
I thru 69 years, may be added
to plan. Each receives full
YOU HANDLE THE MON
EY! Pay it on hospital and
doctor bills or living expens
es as you see fit. Paid re
gardless of hospital charges,
and in addition to other
plans you may have. Mod
est cost.
benefits.
SOUTHERN AGENCIES, INC.
83 Cain St., Room 107, Atlanta, Phone: JA. 5-6822
Furnish me all the facts on National Casualty’s new 8055
plans, without obligation.
I
I
I
| Name.
P — ty ■
Address
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
M
i
i
i
i
(Trademark Registered)
W. E. SEATON, Owner
One Location Now . . . But Watch for Openings of 3 New
Locations Soon in North, East and South Sections of Atlanta.
Open Every Day 11:30 a. m.-10:30 p. m. 300 Seats
Hwy. 42 on Moreland Ave., S.E. MA. 7-1722
COMPLETE DINNERS TO TAKE OUT
Our Specialty
Fresh CHANNEL CATFISH AND
HUSHPUPPIES. All You Can Eat
Swift's Premium
FRIED CHICKEN
All You Can Eat
$1.25
$1.25
Bring your out-of-town guests with confidence for a won
derful Southern meal. We guarantee satisfaction. Fresh Cat
fish shipped daily from Okeechobee.
Other Dinners: SHRIMP, OYSTERS, BASS, CHICKEN
LIVERS, HAMBURGER STEAKS. HAM STEAKS AND
T-BONE STEAK.
COMPLETE DINNERS TO TAKE OUT.