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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.
OFFBEAT SPIRITUALITY,
by Pamela Carswell, Sheed
and Ward, 1960, 241 pp., $3.95.
Reviewed by
Jane Woodham
The content of this book is
an analysis of some Catholic
types. It is definitely offbeat
and very difficult reading. It
is also at times a bit irritating
since the book claims to “dis
cuss in ordinary language the
problems of the battered Little
Man of the Church.” “Augus
tine speaks of ‘fear’ and ‘hor
ror’; Kierkegaard of ‘dread’;
the moderns, although usually
in a different context, of
Angst, angoisse and again,
‘anxiety’.” These moderns don’t
hit home somehow as being
the companions of the “Little
Man of the Church.”
Language does not always
flow smoothly. “The Being or
‘is-ness’ of God is not the same
as the being or ‘is-ness’ of
Mary Jane” is fine and dandy
even for the little girl of the
Church; but on the facing page
“The metaphysician is chiefly
interested in the hierarchical
nature of created being” takes
a flying leap into a different
development of intellect. Mrs.
Carswell’s intentions are wor
thy; but she doesn’t seem to
feel comfortable with her vo
cabulary.
More to the point is what
purpose the book serves. There
is a great deal of high flown
wordiness to be got through
before we find the theme—we
really should want to be saints
after all. This is a very sound
and well-known point of Cath
olic doctrine. The analysis of
Catholic types, however edify
ing, seems to be overdone in
the current fondness for psy
chology. Thus the theme does
not evolve smoothly.
Anyway, just who is this
“Little Man of the Church”?
And how come he needs “Off
beat Spirituality?” The Church
offers a great deal of very on-
beat spirituality to all comers.
THE RANGE OF REASON,
by Jacques Maritain, Scrib
ners, 1961, $1.45, 226 pp.
Reviewed by
Flannery O'Connor
In this book made up of ten
chapters from Raison Et Rai
sons and eight essays from oth
er sources, Maritain covers a
variety of philosophical topics
and their social extensions, in
which the range of reason can
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be illustrated. The age of the
Enlightenment substituted rea
son for revelation, with the
result that confidence in rea
son has gradually decayed
until in the present age, which
doubts also fact and value, rea
son finds few supporters out
side of Neo-Thomist philoso
phy. Maritain’s has been one
of the major voices in modern
philosophy to reassert the pri
macy of reason. All his work
springs from confidence in it.
He puts it in the proper per
spective, where it serves and
not substitutes for revelation.
This book contains abridged
discussions of most of the sub
jects that Maritain has devoted
whole works to. Most readers
who have any interest in Mari
tain at all will prefer the long
er works on these various top
ics, but The Range Of Reason
is good for introducing those
new to Maritain to the wide
range of his thought.
YOUR FUTURE IN ARCHI
TECTURE, by Richard Roth,
A.I.A., Richard Rosen Press,
1960, 159 pp., $2.95.
Reviewed by
Frank D. Loveife
Wanted! High school or
trade school students who can
draw! Do you want.to engage
in an interesting profession,
meet notable people, perform
work which will be a satisfac
tion to you, delight to others,
and a lasting monument to
your abilities? Do you want a
distinguished member of this
profession to give you his for
mula for success? If so, buy or
borrow this book and get the
facts on the life of an architect.
Mr. Roth has done his pro
fession a great service in so
ably presenting it in a form
that allows the talented stu
dent to decide if he has a fu
ture in architecture. Mr. Roth
describes the temperament
needed by a student, how to
evaluate his abilities and out
lines a plan for entering this
work by which the student
can make the most of his time
to acquire the necessary ex
perience.
The author gives details of
his personal life, which has
been fruitful and varied, and
stresses the need for acquiring
a well-rounded education, in
cluding extra-scholastic social
activities and travel.
A valuable and practical fea
ture of this book is the chap
ter on self-evaluation, and the
lists of architectural schools,
chapters and state organiza
tions.
Mr. Roth closes with the re
assuring; thought that there
will always be a need, and an
increasing one at that, for spe
cialized buildings of all types
and for the men who can de
sign them. However, I will
echo his shibboleth: You Must
Be Able To Draw!
CATHOLICS ON CAMPUS,
by William J. Whalen, Bruce,
1961, 125 pp., paper, $1.25.
Reviewed by
Eileen Hall
Although the traditional
Catholic ideal has been “every
Catholic child in a Catholic
school,” it is becoming increas
ingly impossible to meet that
ideal because of many factors,
chief of which perhaps is the
financial one.,
Mr. Whalen, father of sev
eral young children and at
present on the faculty of Per
due, shows that tuition and
fees at private colleges have
increased 165 per cent in the
past decade and will continue
to rise, that the cost of college
training for children of mod
erate income families has be
come almost prohibitive except
at state supported colleges, and
no relief is in sight.
In this small book he ex
amines the advantages and dis
advantages facing those Cath
olic young people who, inevit
ably, will attend secular
schools now and in the future;
the moral and intellectual
problems they will have to
solve; the help available from
the Newman Club and other
sources; and the necessity for
students, parents and educa
tors to take a realistic view of
the situation as it exists.
DODD DISIRIBU
COMPANY
»■
FRANK BIENERT, Manager
1644 WATERVILLE COURT
MACON, GEORGIA
Sunday, December 10th
CATHOLIC LIBRARY ASS’N.
TO HONOR CONTRIBUTORS TO
“A MEMOIR OF MARY ANN”
ATLANTA — On the publi
cation of A Memoir of Mary
Ann, the Atlanta Unit, Catho
lic Library Association, will
hold a book party honoring
contributors to the volume.
The book party will be held
Sunday, December 10, at 3:00
p. m. in Sacred Heart Audito
rium, 310 Courtland Avenue,
N.E., Atlanta. Featured partici
pants will include Sisters Al
ice and David of the staff of
Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Home, Atlanta, who shared in
the authorship of the book,
and Flannery O’Connor, of
Milledgeville, author of the
Memoir's introduction.
Copies of A Memoir of Mary
Ann will go on sale on Decem
ber 7. Notre Dame Book Shop
will have autographed copies
on sale at the December 10
book party.
The Catholic Library Asso
ciation, Atlanta Unit, with
headquarters at 2674 Johnson
Road, N.E., Atlanta 6, is spon
sor of the book party. Sister
Marie Charles, S.N.D., of the
St. Pius X High School facul
ty, is chairman of the library
group.
Tickets for the book party
($1.00 for adults, 50c for stu
dents) are available in advance
by mail from the library asso
ciation, and over the counter
at Notre Dame Book Shop, At
lanta. They will also be on sale
at the door on December 10.
MY GOD AND MY ALL,
Franciscan Herald Press, 1960,
288 pp., 85c.
Reviewed by
Jane Woodham
This Franciscan parish pray
er book is comprehensive and
charming. It would make an
excellent constant companion;
for, besides the Mass, it con
tains all the most cherished
prayers, litanies, devotions,
hymns and Holy Day gospels.
The format is as pleasing as
the contents with a clear, help
ful index and clean attracting
line illustrations. Small enough
in size for the pocket or purse.
STORYBOOK SHELF
By MICHELE CARAHER
OLD FAVORITES
If it seems impossible to
find the books you yourself
loved as a child—perhaps the
Blue Fairy Book, The Peterkin
Papers, Wild Animals I Have
Known, or the pre-Disney
Wizard of Oz—you might try
Looking Glass Library. This
welcome publishing idea start
ed three years ago when Jason
Epstein and Clelia Carroll re
alized that “so many wonder
ful children’s books were eith
er out of print, too expensive
or too hard to find.” They de
cided to issue some of these
old favorites in a newer, low
priced format.
Since then they have man
aged to put out twenty-eight
titles with the aid of just one
assistant and a book designer,
Edward Gorey. Quite a shock,
if you think of publishing
houses as full of pipe-smok
ing, meditative editors. Of
course, they could limit their
choice to the sort of books
which have been tested—and
passed with honors—by gener
ations of young readers.
The Looking Glass Library
offers books like the famous
Red Green, and Blue Fairy
books by Andrew Lang, Men
and Gods by Rex Warner, A
Book of Nonsense by Edward
Lear (with the author’s own
hilariously screwy illustra
tions), The War of Ihe Worlds
by H. G. Wells, and Oito of
ihe Silver Hand by the great
Howard Pyle. Quite often the
stories are illustrated with the
original artwork. There are
anthologies: The Looking
Glass Book of Verse (over 300
poems), The Haunied Looking
Glass: Ghost Stories, The
Looking Glass Book of Stories.
Not all the choices are
equally successful, however.
The Story of the Amulet by
E. Nesbit, Countess Kate by
Charlotte M. Yonge, and sev
eral others, though well-writ-
ten, are a little old hat for
most of today’s siblings. Tar-
ka the Otter is one of the fin
est nature books written, yet
Walt Disney may make it dif
ficult for the less mature child
to take. Still, the value of all
the Looking Glass titles is this:
they offer a wide sampling of
literary style for the curious
youngster.
Best of all, each sells for
$1.95. They are well-bound,
considering the price, nicely
printed and illustrated. There
are line drawings on the cov
er as well as jacket, which re-
mirids one (surface-wise only,
of course!) of those enjoyable
39c Roy Rogers, Lone Ranger
dime store books from post
war days. The Looking Glass
Library set makes a fine idea
for reminiscent adults and the
secret world of after school.
CHILDREN'S
BOOKS RECEIVED
Black Beauly by Anna Sew
ell (Golden Press; $1.00. Ages
8-12. A brighter, abridged edi
tion of a favorite horse story.
El Blanco by Rutherford
Montgomery (Golden Press).
A.ges 8-12. Walt Disney’s con
tribution to the wild horse
sagas.
101 Dalmations adapted by
Walt Disney (Golden Press;
$1.00) Ages 8-12. A gargoylish
“cute animal” story, in the
worst possible taste.
Sister Beatrice Goes West by
Catherine C. Anderson (Bruce;
$2.95). Ages 9-12. An enjoyable,
fast moving novel about a
sports minded sister and her
boys.
Little Nellie of Holy God by
Sr. M. Dominic, R. G. S.
(Bruce; 50c). Ages 5-8. Despite
the title, it is a matter of fact
story of an unusual little girl.
Norwegian Folk Tales from
the collection of Peter Asb-
jorensen and Jorgen Moe (Vik
ing Press; $5.00). The famed
tales of trolls, ogres and other
bedtime creatures.
A MEMOIR OF MARY
ANN, by the Dominican Nuns
of Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Home; introduction by Flan
nery O’Connor. Farrar, Straus
and Cudahy, 1961, 134 pp.,
$3.50.
Reviewed by Leo J. Zuber
Mary Ann Long lived twelve
years; nine of them she spent
at the cancer home in Atlanta.
There, and in that time, little
doubt about, she gained eter
nity. Written by those who
knew her best, this memoir is
no saccharin, maudlin volume.
True, it may draw a tear but
it will be as honest a tear as
you are ever likely to drop.
In brief, Mary Ann, born in
Louisville in 1946, developed
cancer on the left side of her
face. By the time she was three
and a half years old, her case
was diagnosed as incurable.
What was there to do other
than make her comfortable
and await the inevitable?
That’s precisely what didn’t
happen. Even though there
was no lack of love for her,
quite the contrary in fact, for
very practical reasons her
family could not care for her.
So, at a tender age, she came
to the Free Cancer Home in
Atlanta. There she found that
common bond which united
her to the other incurables and
to the Dominican sisters whose
vocation it is to care for such
as these whom God has singled
out. For Mary Ann this was
the real beginning.
She romped and played her
way into the hearts of all the
patients, even the sour, grum
py ones. Her parents, non-
catholics, asked that she be
baptized; she progressed spi
ritually to her first commun
ion, confirmation, and, in time,
extreme unction.
Surrounded by nuns who
loved and cared for her, she
wanted to become a nun. Im
possible; but she could and did
become a Dominican Tertiary.
She liked hamburgers, hot
dogs, and Dagwoods; she loved
her puppydogs, first Scrappy,
then Mickey. She didn’t care
much about school work, but
she was bright and ever alert.
She was mischievous and she
was normal in most ways. At
times, heavy- hearted, she
found her way into the con
fessional because she had been
more than mischievous. Early
she sensed her condition; nev
er did she let it become her
predicament. God evidently
wanted her as she was and that
was that.
It is impossible to explain
how the influence and reputa
tion of this engagirig little per
sonality spread,far beyond the
confines of her hospital home.
But they did even while she
lived. Now the sisters who car
ed for her have made certain
that a far wider audience in
some degree may come under
that same influence. Here is a
living, vivid, twentieth centu
ry picture of Christ with a
child at His knee but with the
child high-lighted. There is no
tragedy in Mary Ann’s life.
Look and see for yourself.
This book is twice blest.
Once by the nun’s story of
Mary Ann. Twice by the forth
right and perspective-laden in
troduction by Flannery O’Con
nor. Mary Ann’s story was not
lived nor can it be told out of
focus with the lives of the re
ligious who staff the Atlanta
cancer home. The order, the
Servants of Relief for Incur
able Cancer, was established
by Rose Hawthorne, daughter
of Nathaniel Hawthorne. The
introduction traces significant
ly a meaningful bond from Na
thaniel Hawthorne’s experi
ences and writings through his
daughter’s life which led her to
found so remarkable a work
which, enduring today, largely
set the stage for Mary Ann’s
brief role. No reason why the
little player should have
known that background.
There’s every reason why you,
the reader, should know and
be caught up in its web.
You owe yourself this book;
it will make a difference in
your lfie. You owe your friends
this book. It will make a dif
ference in their lives.
JOURNEY OF LOVE, by
Helen Louise Hartmann and
Janice Brickey, St. Anthony
Guild Press, 1960, 99 pp., $1.25.
Reviewed by
Jane Woodham
This is the Way of The Cross
for Mothers, written by two
mothers who know what it is
to lose one’s golden patience
from everyday little trials such
as “trying to phone an order
to a store and getting two busy
signals, two wrong depart
ments and then learning that
the store is all out of that
item . . The authors bring
into focus with the Passion of
Christ the particular occupa
tional hazards of the mother’s
daily life, and they do this
with rare common sense and
wit. The writing is good, solid
and inspirational.
THE WHOLE STORY, by
Martin J. Healy, S.T.D., Con
fraternity of the Precious
Blood, 1959, 690 pp., $1.00.
Reviewed by
Jane Woodham
The book is what the title
says. It is the story of God and
man from the beginning of the
world told in simple style for
easy reading. A good basic
book for everir family.
THE BULLETIN, November 25, 1961—PAGE T
Apostolic Delegate's
Sallies, Diplomacy
Delight To Newsmen
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The
Apostolic Delegate to the U. S.,
on a two-day swing of the
Little Rock diocese, delighted
newsmen with his anecdotes
and deft diplomacy.
Archbishop Egidio Vagnoz-
zi’s quips about the down-to-
earth humor of His Holiness
Pope John XXIII brought roars
of laughter from the journal
ists.
The Archbishop said that
just to make conversation “I
once asked the Holy Father
how many people were work
ing in the Vatican, and he said
‘About one half.’ ”
“The Holy Father,” said
Archbishop Vagnozzi, “is very
kind and understanding . . .
He is a man with a great heart
. . . a stout man with a stout
heart.”
Recalling that after he was
appointed Apostolic Delegate
to the U. S., he went to Rome
to visit Pope John, the Arch
bishop related this anecdote:
“I told him I was scared by
the responsibilities assigned to
me. And the Holy Father re
plied, ‘You’re scared! What
about me?’ ”
“I’ve known the Holy Father
for many years,” said the
Archbishop. “I spent a delight
ful month with him in Turkey
during World War II. And he
recalled his many years of
service to the Vatican, 10 years
in Bulgaria and 10 years in
Turkey. And at that time, he
said he was considering re
tiring.”
Archbishop Vagnozzi was
asked (Nov. 11) by a reporter
to comment on the report that
“a prominent Baptist recently
said that President Kennedy
has been acting more like a
Baptist than a Catholic.”
The Archbishop remarked:
“That shows what a good dip
lomat the President is.”
On November 10 the Arch
bishop was duly appointed a •
good will ambassador for the
state of Arkansas. At an eve
ning reception in Catholic High
School in Little Rock, he re
ceived a formal citation, signed
by Gov. Orval E. Faubus, nam
ing him an “Arkansas Travel
er.”
Earlier in the day, he gave
proof that he well merited the
honor. After receiving a spi
ritual bouquet and a cluster of
roses from a group of young
girls of Holy Souls School, he
was asked by two other girls
to grant the pupils a free day.
At the conclusion of his ad
dress to the student body, the
Archbishop granted the re
quest.
Archbishop Vagnozzi was ac
companied on his trip by Bish
op Albert L. Fletcher of Little
Rock and Msgr. Francis A. Al
len, pastor of Holy Souls par
ish, Little Rock, who was a
classmate of the Archbishop in
Rome.
The group traveled by train
to Texarkana, then drove to
Little Rock, stopped en route
to visit Our Lady of Fatima
parish in Benton.
The Archbishop said in a
sermon in Holy Souls parish
that the world “needs more of
a spirit of prayer.”
“The world today seems to
be submerged by the kingdom
of evil,” he stated. But “we
should not be discouraged if
occasionally we see victory
over goodness ... To assure
final victory over evil we must
pray to the Lord . . . pray fer
vently.”
He said the people of the
U. S. “are blessed with many
of the better things,” but they
need to be careful not to for
get “to practice virtue.”
At a news conference (Nov.
11) he said he admires the
“restraint with which the
Catholic Bishops of the U. S.
have worked to solve the na
tion’s racial problem.
“I feel,” he stated, “that the
Bishops have shown a great
comprehension of the problem
without going to extreme ac
tions which might have cre
ated strong feelings and made
a solution of the problem more
difficult. I admire their re
straint.”
In commenting on the dan
gers of communism, he stated:
“I believe a good sound labor
movement is the best answer
to communism.”
He defined such a movement
as one that is “led by people
who are really interested in
the welfare of the worker and
his family and who will be
reasonable with management
so that they will not hurt the
concern, but so that a good
share of the income goes to
the working man.”
The Archbishop stressed sev
eral times during his visit that
an apostolic laity is one of the
great needs of the Church. He
said that he had “found an in
clination to avoid talk of re
ligion” when the subject comes
up in conversation.
Catholics “should be anxious
to talk religion,” he said, “even
in private conversation, par
ticularly with people who have
wrong ideas and prejudices
about the Church.”
Reveals Secret's
Of Peaceful Life
VATICAN CITY (NC)~The
sceret of a peaceful life, His
Holiness Pope John XXIII told
participants in a general audi
ence here, is the realization
that there is life after death.
“If life is lost in material
ambitions,” the Pope said (No
vember 8), “it becomes nothing
more than a source of dissatis
faction and unhappiness. If, in
stead, the unavoidable worries
of life are reldieved by faith
and by the realization that
true life awaits us at the. end
of our earthly journey, then
we will have serenity and
peace.”
KARSTEN and DENISON
FEEDS
,r! !iJ ' Mini t i i'
MACON, GA.
J. H. Starr J. H. Starr, Jr. F. J. Starr
STARR
ELECTRIC
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