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i Vol. 43, No. 6 SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, SATURDAY, AUGUST 18, 1962 10c Per Copy — $3 A Year Prelate Sees Secularism As U.S. Official Religioa If Trend DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH EDITION OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH HELPED STAFF CAMP VILLA MARIE - Pictured with His Excellency Most Reverend Thomas J. McDonough, D. D. f are some of the seminarians who helped staff Camp Villa Marie during the Summer. They are, left to right, as follows: Michael Smith, Roy Cox, Sherwood Mac Donald, Robert Wilkerson, Jepta Tatum, Frank Nelson, Gerald Daley, Cabell Marbury, and Williav Simmons. At the far right is Very Rev. Williav V. Cole man, director of St. John Vienney Seminary, Savannah. - (Carroll-Burke Photo) IN CHRISTIAN LIVING Sisters Of Mercy Hold Second Leadership Camp SAVANNAH - The Sisters of Mercy, Province of Baltimore, are sponsoring for the second consecutive year a Leadership Camp in Christian Living, Au gust 13-21, at Camp Villa Marie, near Savannah, Georgia. The central theme this year centers around the mature Ca tholic leader. The gathering will attract approximately 40 stu dent leaders from the nursing schools and high schools staffed by the Sisters of Mercy. The institutions represented: Mercy Hospital, Baltimore; St. Joseph Hospital, Savannah; St. Joseph Infirmary, Atlanta; Mercy High School, Baltimore; Mercy High School, Mobile; Mount de Sales High School, Macon; Mount St. Agnes High School, Baltimore; PacelliHigh School, Columbus; Pensacola Catholic High School, Pen sacola; Holy Trinity High School, Washington; St. Vincent Academy, Savannah. The staff includes: Reverend John Oetgen, O.S.B, Belmont Abbey College, Chaplain; Sister Mary Felicitas, R.S.M., Mount de Sales, Macon; Sister Mary Amabilis, R. S. M., St. Pius X; High School, Atlanta; Sister Mary Judith, R.S.M., Mount St. Agnes College, Baltimore; Sis ter Mary Kristen, R.S.M., St. Joseph Infirmary, Atlanta; Sis ter Mary Claudene, R.S.M., St. Vincent Academy, Savannah; Sister Mary Maris Stella, RSMv and Sister Mary Frederick, R. S. M., Mercy High School, Baltimore; Sister Maryjogues, R.S.M., Our Lady of Sorrows School, Homewood, Alabama; Sister Joseph Mary, R. S. M. and Sister Mary Rosina,R.S.M., Holy Trinity High School, Wash ington. The object of the week’s ses sion is to afford student leaders opportunity to learn techniques of leadership as well as to gain a wealth of background infor mation on current problems, In order to achieve this pur pose a number of prominent men and women will address the group and lead discussion sessions. The speakers and their topics are as follows: “Confraternity of Christian Doctrine” - Reverend James E. McSweeney, Chancellor, Dio cese of Raleigh, N.C. “The Mature Catholic Lead er” - Reverend John Oetgen, O.S.B., Belmont AbbeyCollege, Belmont N. C. “The Ecumenical Council” - Reverend John Cuddy, Superin tendent of Diocesan Schools, Savannah, Ga. “Youth and Scripture” - Rev erend James Harrison, Prin cipal, St. Pius X. High School, Atlanta, Ga. “Communism” - Mr. Joseph Hutton, Savannah, Ga. (Continued on Page 8) BISHOP GREETED BY FATHER Hugh J. McDevitt, 83-year-old father of Bishop Gerald V. McDevitt, kisses the Bishop’s ring after consecration cere monies in the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul, Philadelphia. At left is Sister Gerald Vincent, sister of the Bishop, a teacher at St. Hubert’s High School, Philadelphia. Bishop McDevitt becomes Auxiliary to Archbishop John J. Krol of Philadelphia. (NC Photos) IS' Jir ✓ , f* ^ f§' '• „ ' * ■ NEW SAVANNAH COUNCIL OFFICERS - New officers of Savannah Council 631, Knights of Columbus, were installed by July 25th by District Deputy Daniel J. Keane. Seated left to right: T. F. Walsh, Chancellor; J. K. Ebberiwein, Deputy Grand Knight; Karl Holmen, Grand Knight; D. J. Keane, Advocate; T. J. O’Hayer, Warden; Standing left to right: J. J. Scott, Jr., Outside Guard; T. F. Haviland, Outside Guard; J. F. Shearouse, Treasurer; P.J. Roach, Recording Secretary; J. E. Moylan, Inside Guard; D. L. McClellan, Lec turer; J. G. Butler, Jr., Trustee; C. E. Hernandez, Trustee; E. P. Powers, Trustee. Ab sent when picture was made was J. F. McDonough, Financial Secretary. - (Photo Wil liams Studio) In Prayer Case Ruling Continues PITTSBURGH, (NC) - An archbishop speculated here that secularism will become America’s official religion if the trend illustrated by the U.S.Supreme Court’s prayer decision continues. Baltimore’s Archbishop Lawrence J. Shehan told the Ancient Order of Hibernians national convention here that Federal aid to education must be viewed in light of this trend. He warned that exclusion from Federal aid of private and church-related schools would be “a tremendous blow” to religion and “a tremendous victory” for secularism. The role of the American Hierarchy in the political field is to preserve Catholics’ religious freedom from this secularism, he said. Archbishop Shehan, national AOH chaplain, spoke at the Mass offered (Aug. 7) by Bishop John J. Wright of Pittsburgh, which opened the convention. Taking issue with those who see the Supreme Court’s ruling in the New York public school prayer case as of limited ef fect, he said: “The decision has to be regarded not merely from the actual wording, but also from the whole context of the case from the trend it illus trates, and from the logical and probable effects of that trend. “It has been the practice of the court to refuse to accept cases where petitioners have failed to show substantive rea sons for complaint,” the Arch bishop continued. “Here we had a simple prayer, to which the only possible reason for objec tion was that it was a prayer. “It was a prayer which, to all appearance, had the over whelming approval of parents within the State of New York,” he said. “No one was obliged to recite it or to signify ap proval of it. The few allegedly aggrieved parents and their children had, therefore, no sub stantive basis for their com plaint. “Yet the court reached out, as it were, to take this case in order to deliver a sentence which would ban the use of the prayer from all public schools of the state. If we look at this case in the light of trends, it seems clear that we are threat ened with the establishment of secularism as a state religion.” Speaking of secularism as a religion is not using a meta phor, Archbishop Shehan added. The Supreme Court itself has applied the term “religion” to both ethical culture and cul tural humanism, he noted. Secu larism seeks to ban God and set up humanity or a code of human ethics as the object of worship, he explained. In education, the Archbishop said, limiting Federal aid to public schools “would place on Catholic elementary and sec ondary schools a burden which, in all probability, would make impossible the achievement of any future reasonable ob jective.” Regarding the Church’s role in America, the Archbishop pointed to a “rather sympathe tic and favorable” supplement on the U. S. Catholic Church in the August issue of Atlantic Monthly magazine as an example of the change for the better in the attitude of non- Catholics. But he challenged one article, “The Catholic Politician,” by Prof. D. W. Brogan which, the Archbishop said, “practically identifies the Catholic politician with the Irish politician” and exaggerates clerical infulunce in politics. The article inaccurately states that the tone of the American Catholic Church’s approach to politics was set by an immigrant Irish Hier archy and clergy with the old- country habit of excessive po litical activity and flocks pre pared to accept it, the Arch bishop said. “The central concern of the Bishops and priests in the po litical field has been the pre servation of religious freedom for themselves and particularly for their people,” he said. “When there has been a ques tion of legislation involving the norms of the natural law—as in divorce, birth control, and the publication of obscene literature—the Catholic clergy of this country have felt an obligation to speak out and, as responsible citizens, to use whatever influence they had, to uphold what they considered right. “As for the exercise of their leadership in the political field, their overriding concern has been the deveolpment and pre servation of religious free- don,” he said, noting that re ligious freedom is involved in questions of education. It was in defense of this re ligious freedom that Archbishop John Hughes of New York en gaged in political action in the 19th century and fought the exclusive use of the Protestant version of the Bible in public schools, Archbishop Shehan said. “The effect of his effort was the complete elimination of the Bible from the public schools, but this was not his intention. His purpose was simply to pre serve the religious liberty of those children whose religious education was his special re sponsibility,” the Archbishop declared. Preservation of religious freedom and Catholic education in the U. S. depends not on the political influence of the clergy but the action of an enlighten ed and determined laity, he con cluded. NEW PRIEST FOR DIOCESE - Bishop Thomas J. Mc Donough, is pictured as he presented “faculties” to Father Ralph Attanasio. Father is on loan from the Diocese of Patterson, N. J. for a two year period. He has been assigned as assistant “pro tern” to the Cathedral in Savannah. - (Photo by Carroll Burke) TO SERVE TWO YEARS Rev. Ralph Attanasio Welcomed To Diocese SAVANNAH - The Rev. Ralph Attanasio arrived August 7th, on loan from the Diocese of Pat terson, for two years service in the Diocese. He has been assigned as assistant- “pro tern” to the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. Father Attanasio was or dained in the Chapel of the American College of Louvain, ANNUAL RETREAT FOR MEN Camp Villa Marie August 24 - 26, 1962 1. Retreat—Silence, prayer, presence of God - where am I? Where am I going? There is no better place to spend August 24, 25, 26th than on Retreat at Camp Villa Marie. 2. Register through: Msgr. McDonald’s office - AD 40601 or write P. O. Box 2227, Savannah. Mr. Edward Brennan - Ad 6-4804 or write 309 E. 53rd Street, Savannah. Mr. John Kelleher, AD 60708 or write 526 E. 46th Street, Savannah. Mr. James Daly, AD 43511 or write 737 E. 37th Street, Savannah. 3. Registration fee: $5.00 4. Retreat opens - 8:00 p.m. Friday and closes Sunday at 3:00 p.m. No meal served Friday evening. If you cannot come for the entire retreat, come for part of it. 5. Age: Adults and high school students may attend. 6. Work: We need your assistance for the following: a - Readers at meals, b - Mass servers. c - Readers at Mass and other spiritual exercises, d - Librarian, e - Waiters in dining room, f - Kitchen helpers, g - Ground keepers. h - Reception Committee - to register and place retreatants. Your participation in these activities will give you a greater share in the success of the retreat. 7. Fee: The truly poor are never excluded from our retreats. A minimum of $10.00 in addition to re gistration is expected of each man. No one but God knows your contribution. 8. Silence: Must be maintained to make the retreat spiritually successful. 9. Charity: If you are interested in making this re treat, you must have several friends whom you want to come along. Contact them- and sign them up also. 10. Non-Catholics are cordially invited to attend. Name Address Telephone Registration fee Work - see No. 6 Belgium on June 29, 1958. Or daining Prelate was the Most Rev. Joseph P. Hurley, Arch bishop-Bishop of St. Augustine, Fla. Assignments following or dination included two years as assistant at St. Andrew’s Church, Clifton, N. J. and an assignment at Blessed Sa crament Church, Patterson, N. J. Born in Brooklyn N. Y. on March 29, 1929, Father Atta nasio is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Attanasio. He at tended Public School in Brook lyn; Stuyvesant High School, Brooklyn; St. John’s College, Brooklyn where he received an A. B. Degree in 1950; St. John’s School of Law, Brooklyn where he graduated in 1952 with an Ll.B. Degree. He entered the seminary in September of 1952 for the Dio cese of Patterson. He studied at St. Paul’s Abbey, Newton N. Y. for one year. There he had special training in Latin. After this he attended Seton Hall College, New Jersey for one additional year of training in Latin. Father persued his Theologi cal studies at the American College of Louvain, Belgium from 1954 to 1958. Expect 5,000 At K. of C. Convention BOSTON, (NC) - Come 5,000 persons are expected to attend the 80th anniversary meeting of the Knights of Columbus Supreme Council, to be held here August 21 to 23. The convention will be open ed with a Pontifical High Mass offered by Bishop Charles P. Greco of Alexandria- La., Su preme Chaplain of the K. of- C. Richard Cardinal Cushing, Archbishop of Boston will preach. Supreme Knight Luke E. Hart will preside over approximately 400 official delegates at con vention business sessions. Cardinal Cushing and Hart will be speakers at the conven tion dinner, August 21, follow ing presentation of the annual reports of the supreme officers. On August 22 elections will be held to fill seven places on the 21-man board of direc tors of the fraternity. On the closing day of the convention, the delegates will act on resolutions. These are expected to include statements on the recent Supreme Court school prayer ruling and on Federal aid to private schools. The Knights of Columbus has more than 1,140,000 members in almost 5,000 councils in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippi nes. The fraternal society has been inactive in Cuba since shortly after the Castro re gime came to power there. TO PRESENT TV PROGRAM ON COUNCIL NEW YORK, (NC) - The CBS Television network will present a discussion on the forthcoming Second Vatican Council on its “Lamp Unto My Feet” program from 10:00-10:30 a.m. (EDT), Aug. 26. Discussing the subject “Christians and the Council,” will be Father Thomas Stran- sky, C.S.P., a member of the permanent staff of the Vatican Secretariat for Promoting Church Unity; John Mannion, executive secretary to the Nat ional Catholic Liturgical Con ference, and Dr. George Croth- ers, the program’s host. Viewers are advised to check their local listings for time and channel of the discussion, which is a presentation of the public affairs department of CBS news. Catholic Social Action Needed In Latin America MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, (NC)--A gunuine atmosphere of Catholic social teaching is needed in Latin America, the general secretary of Pax Ro- mana said here. Thom Kersteins of the Ne therlands was in Montevideo for the 25th convention of the international Catholic organi zation of students and profes sionals. Ker steins added that too much stress is put on communism in Latin America, an emphasis that could increase its danger. What is truly important, he said, “is to create a genuine climate of Christian social doc trine. It is necessary not to exaggerate the importance of communism, since it is already experiencing an internal crisis throughout the world.” He stated that communism is unable to solve the problems which its propaganda takes ad vantage of. Kersteins said he noted in Latin America “a dangerous tendency to everything or no thing. This is dangerous be cause the people lose interest when no immediate results are in sight.” He cited as an example for the area the tasks undertaken by Catholic students in India, who combine their studies with (Continued on Page 8) INDEX MARRIAGES 3 LEGION OF DECENCY 3 EDITORIALS DORIS ANSWERS YOUTH.. . . OBITUARIES BOOK REVIEWS Serving Georgia's 88 Southern Counties Published By The Catholic Laymen's Ass'n of Georgia m n