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Serving
Georgia's 88
Southern Counties
DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH EDITION
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH
Vol. 43, No. 10
Published By The
Catholic Laymen's
Ass'n of Georgia
SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1962
10c Per Copy — $3 A Year
LEAVES FOR ROME - Bishop Thomas J. McDonough (third from
right) and Rt. Rev. Msgr. T. James McNamara (fourth from right)
wait for train which will take them to New York and Jet flight to Rome
for the Ecumenical Council. On hand to say “Bon Voyage” were several
priests of the Diocese. They are left to right, Rev. Herbert Wellmeier,
Rt. Rev. Msgr. Andrew J. McDonald, Rt. Rev. Msgr. John D. Toomey,
Rev. Francis J. Donohue, all of Savannah, and the Rt. Rev. Msgr.
Daniel J. Bourke of Augusta.
1
GOAL OF THE
CONFRATERNITY DRIVE
OCTOBER, 1962
1. Construction of new wing to St. John
Vianney Minor Seminary.
The overwhelming success of the vocation drive to invite
young men from the soil of Georgia to serve God as Priests
has made it necessary to add a new wing to the minor semi
nary. We have enrolled at the Seminary seventy boys. The
facilities constructed last year were, we believed, more
than adequate. The new construction is now in progress.
We appeal to you for sacrificial contributions. The new fa
cilities, plus equipment, will cost $40,000.00
2. Education of young men for the Priesthood.
The prayers of our religious and faithful are being heard.
We are educating 115 students who will, one day, serve
as priests of the Diocese of Savannah. The future is promising
but the sacrifices of today most demanding. Formerly many
who were blessed by God with earthly riches established
burses for the education of priests. Today we depend en
tirely upon the generous offerings of the faithful. To educate
our seminarians we need, in addition to the annual collection.
$25,000.00
3. Orphan and,Dependent Children.
The welfare of our orphaned and dependent children is
quite capably provided at St. Mary’s Home and St. Joseph’s
Home. The children in these homes reflect the gracious
kindness of the Sisters who direct the institutions. Of all the
worthy causes presented to our people the homes for dependent
children seem to receive the priority of their charity. We
are grateful for the annual collection and for the superb
work of St. Mary’s Guild. In addition to these wonderful
agencies of charity we need. 5 000 00
4. Renovation to Our Mother Church — The
Cathedral of St. John the Baptist.
From some sources we have heard rumors that our faith
ful wondered why they are requested to contribute towards
the renovation of the Cathedral Church. It is the Mother Parish
of the Diocese which over the years has given generously
to the work of Catholic expansion in the Diocese of Savannah.
From the Cathedral Parish we have been blessed with many
vocations to the Priesthood and the Sisterhood. In fact,
it would be impossible to measure the debt of gratitude we
owe to the Cathedral. Furthermore, it is the Bishop’s Church-
and all Catholics are privileged to assist the Cathedral Parish.
The Cathedral is a symbol of our Faith; it is the beginning
of our Faith in Georgia.
$30,000.00
5. Carmel Monastery.
The faithful of the Diocese refer to Carmel as a spiritual
storehouse and a fortress of prayers. The good Sisters depend
upon donations to make ends meet. It is difficult to liqui
date their building debt (presently $85,000.00) without our
help in the Confraternity Drive. We have pledged to give
them annually towards the reduction of debt. $5,000.00
6. Mission Churches.
Mission Churches are beginning to dot the rural areas
of the Diocese of Savannah. During the past five years eighteen
Mission Churches have been constructed for God's glory
and the salvation of souls. Just think of all the Masses of
fered in these new Mission Churches. We contemplate build
ing three Mission Churches this year and two parish halls.
To assist in this work we ask through the Bishop's Confra
ternity Drive.
$30,000.00
7. Contingency Fund.
During the year many calls for financial assistance come
to us from every area of the Diocese. In most instances
we assist readily these appeals. Land must be purchased
for new parishes and missions; maintenance must be supplied
to our very poor parishes. Through the Confraternity Drive
we provide automobiles for the missions; pay the teachers’
salaries; and take care of the insurance. We estimate for
these purposes. $25,000.00
K. of C.
Plans New
Council
SAVANNAH - A new Knights
of Columbus Council is being
formed in Savannah.
Location of the second Coun
cil in the city will be in the
Southeastern section near De-
Renne avenue. Several sites
are now being surveyed.
Savannah Council 631, the
mother council of Georgia, was
organized more than 50 years
ago.
It is proposed that the new
unit of the Knights will have
club, facilities, a swimming
pool, playground area and youth
center, according to Nicholas
S. Kenny, chairman of the or
ganization committee. Kenny
and Vestus J. Ryan, committee
secretary, were named by Dan
iel J. Keane, district deputy.
Both Kenny and Ryan are
past grand knights of Savannah
Council and also past district
deputies. Ryan, a member for
20 years, is a past state sec
retary and state warden of the
Georgia K. of C.
Kenny said authorization for
the organization of the new
council was secured from Su
preme Headquarters by Jos
eph Zwicknagel, state deputy
in Atlanta.
PRAY FOR OUR
PRIESTLY DEAD
REV. JAMES A. KELLY
Oct. 16, 1876
RT. REV. MSGR.
JOSEPH F. CROKE
Oct. 19, 1951
RT. REV. MSGR.
LOUIS F.X. BAZIN
Oct. 21, 1916
Oh God, Who didst give to
thy servants by their sacredotal
office, a share in the priest
hood of the Apostles, grant,
we implore, that they may
also be one of their company
forever in heaven. Through
Christ Our Lord, Amen.
“Most Articulate Expression Of Faith
99
Confraternity Fund Drive
Minimum Goal Is $140,000
WORKERS TO CALL
SUNDAY, OCT. 21
SAVANNAH - On Sunday, October 21st, hundreds of campaign
workers representing the Bishop’s Confraternity of the Laity
will call at every home in the Diocese of Savannah, seeking
funds for diocesan projects.
Minimum goal of this year’s
drive is $140,000.00. Funds
collected in this annual effort
will be distributed for the con
struction of a new wing to St.
John Vianney Minor Seminary
in Savannah; for the education
of seminarians at St. John's
and other seminaries; for the
care of dependent children of
the Diocese at St. Mary’s Home
in Savannah and St. Joseph's
Home in Washington, Georgia;
for the renovation of the Dio
cese’s mother church, the Ca
thedral of St. John the Baptist;
for the continued operation of
the Carmelite Monastery; and
for the building of Mission
Churches in rural and sparsely
populated areas of the Diocese.
The Bishop’s Confraternity
of the Laity was organized four
years ago by His Excellency,
the Most Reverend Thomas J.
McDonough, to provide an al
ternative to periodic capital
funds drives involving long
term pledges.
Instead of pledges, Catholics
of the Diocese are now asked,
in October of every year to
make a cash contribution to
ward the works of the Diocese.
In a letter read in all church
es of the Diocese on Sunday,
Oct. 7th, Bishop McDonough
referred to the work and
sacrifice of “Our forefathers”,
who “gave us a rich spiritual
inheritance which has kept our
faith inviolate,” and declared
that “We, of today, are charged
with the obligation of adding to
the spiritual and material gifts
given us.”
He urged Catholics to be
“particularly generous” this
year “so that we will be able
to complete the new construc
tion at St. John Vianney Minor
Seminary.”
Ground for the new wing was
broken last month and it is
anticipated by seminary autho
rities that construction will be
finished in the early spring.
Bishop McDonough noted that,
in contrast to the small num
bers of young men studying for
the Diocesan priesthood in past
years, the Diocese of Savannah
now has 115 seminarians in
several houses of studies.
He also noted, in a pamph
let distributed throughout the
diocese that there are now se
venty students at St. John Via
nney.
Referring to the necessity of
diocesan-wide contributions to
ward the renovation of the Sav
annah Cathedral, the Bishop
declared, “It is the Mother Pa
rish of the Diocese, which over
the years has given generously
to the work of Catholic expan
sion in the Diocese. . .”
The Cathedral is a symbol of
our Faith; it is the beginning
of our Faith in Georgia,” he
said.
In a separate letter to pas
tors of the Diocese, Bishop Mc
Donough designated Sunday, Oc
tober 21st as the day for collec
tion of contributions to the Con
fraternity drive. He directed
that sermons on Sunday, Oct. 7
and Sunday Oct. 14 should be
directed to Diocesan needs and
the inability of the Church to
fulfill its mission of "strength
ening and spreading the Faith”
without the “wholehearted,
prayerful, sacrificial gener
osity of the WHOLE church,
here in south Georgia - Bishop,
priests, religious and laity.”
Pastors have asked parish
ioners to remain at home during
the early hours of the afternoon
of Oct. 21st, to receive cam
paign workers and make their
contribution.
INDEX
MARRIAGES 5
EDITORIALS 4
DORIS ANSWERS YOUTH.. . . 4
OBITUARIES. 5
Fr. Levernier
At Sylvania
SYLVANIA - The Rev. Don
ald Levernier has been appoin
ted assistant pastor of Our
Lady of the Assumption par
ish.
Father Levernier is a native
of Glenview, Ill. He attended
Loyola Academy and Loyola
University in Chicago and took
one year of philosophical stud
ies at Mount St. Mary’s Semin
ary in Norwood, Ohio, and four
years of theological studies at
the Glenmary Seminary in Glen
dale, Ohio.
He was ordained on May 28,
1961, and has served in parish
es in western North Carolina
during the past year.
Bishop’s Office
Diocese of Savannah
223 Abehcohn Stheet
Savannah, Geohoia
October 1, 1962
My dear People:
The progress of our Diocese is a constant source of inspiration. Even though
we are numerically small, the faith of our Fathers is strong and resolute even in the
remote areas of the State. Our forefathers gave us a rich spiritual inheritance which
has kept our faith inviolate. Our good bishops, our dedicated religious, our loyal laity
have literally spent themselves for the Kingdom of God on earth.
We, of today, are charged with the obligation of adding to the spiritual and mat
erial gifts given us. If we dedicate ourselves resolutely to the cause of building up
the House of God on earth, our treasure will increase day by day.
Your prayers and material assistance during the past five years have been a
constant source of edification to me. The numbers of our seminarians have reached
115; our new mission churches have increased by a score; new schools; convents;
parish halls; rectories and other institutions have been constructed. In a word we
owe so much to Almighty God for His Providential care.
Once again we are prepared to embark upon the Bishop’s Confraternity of the
Laity Drive. The funds realized from this drive have made possible most of the mission
construction work carried on in the Diocese. In fact, it is the most articulate expression
of how the Laity of the Diocese of Savannah participates in the extension of our Faith.
All of the projects merit your most charitible interests.
This year, however, I am urging you to be particularly generous, so that we
will be able to complete the new construction at St. John Vianney Minor Seminary.
The love of our new seminary has captured the imagination of all. Please do not turn
down our appeal for assistance in the Confraternity Drive. God will not be outdone in
generosity.
Begging your prayers upon the work imposed upon me and pledging you a rem
embrance in my daily mass and prayers, I am,
Devotedly yours in Christ,
A- ^
Bishop of Savannah
Bishop Dedicates
New Aquinas Gym
AUGUSTA - “Today is a day
which should gladden our
hearts.” Bishop Thomas J. Mc
Donough told the crowd gath
ered for the dedication cere
monies at Aquinas High
School’s gymnasium.
The ceremonies opened with
the blessing of the building by
the Bishop, followed by a mu
sical program by the Aquinas
Girls’ Glee Club under the di
rection of Sister Anne Richard,
C.S.J. Fourth Degree Knights
of Columbus formed a guard
of honor for the Bishop.
Master of Ceremonies was
the Rt. Rev. Msgr. Daniel J.
Bourke, V. F., president of
Aquinas High School and pas
tor of St. Mary’s on-the-Hill
Church. Prior to introducing the
speakers, Monsignor Bourke
said that the “simple but im
pressive ceremonies just wit
nessed had fulfilled a long
standing need of the school,”
Bishop McDonough paid tri
bute to those responsible for
the new facility, particularly to
Mr. John McDonald for his ef
forts in building the new gym
nasium.
The Rev. Ralph Seikel, Mod
erator 0 f Aquinas High told
those gathered that “my heart
is full—I have been waiting a
long time for this day.” The
Augusta Educator envisages the
gymnasium as “a center of
Catholic activity in Augusta. . .
for the High School students,
the grammar school children
and the adults.”
Father Seikel expressed his
thanks to Sister Mary James,
principal of the Girls’ section
of the school and to Brother
Alphonse of the Marist Broth
ers who heads the Boys’ divi
sion.
The gymnasium, which is 90
feet by 114 feet, is equipped
with folding bleachers which
will seat 600 for athletic events.
The building will be put to im
mediate use in the physical
education program at the school
and will, for the first time,
provide a home for the Aquinas
basketball teams.
(See Photo Page 8)
MASS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE FOR ROME - Photo was taken during
Solemn Pontifical Mass for success of council offered prior to Bishop’s
departure for Rome. Left to right: Rev. JosephStranc, Rev. John Cuddy,
Rev. Herbert Wellmeier, Bishop McDonough and the Rev. William
V. Coleman.
SEMINARIANS ENTER CATHEDRAL - First year seminarians in
procession to the Cathedral where they were invested with the sur
plice by Bishop Thomas J. McDonough. The ceremony took place at
the conclusion of the Pontifical Mass offered October 2nd for the success
of the council.
-jit Hi
d3e CjenerouS to the C^onj^ratenxity the cjCciity C^c
ampcuan