Newspaper Page Text
Published By The
Catholic Laymen's
Ass'n Of Georgia
THE SAVANNAH BULLETIN
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH
QUESTION BOX
ON PAGE 4
Vol. 38, No. 20.
MONROE, GEORGIA, SATURDAY, MARCH 8, 1958
10c Per Copy — $3 a Year
March Officially Proclaimed As Vocation Month
Ptesars-Wide Tridum
Scheduled March 17-19
BISHOP'S HOUSE
222 East Harris Street
Savannah, Georgia
March 1, -1958
My dear People:
The words ol our Divine Master, “Come follow Me,” as
sume tremendous proportions when we think in terms of the
apostolate to souls in the Diocese of Savannah.
Statistically, the Diocese of Savannah has only 21 diocesan
priests, yet geographically we cover an area much largei than
Ireland, in the 88 Counties which comprise this Diocese there
is an overall population of 1,700,000, of which number less than
25,000 are Catholics. Indeed, the phrase “The Harvest is great
but the Laborers few” is filled with meaning for us. Unless
we obtain more priests we shall be greatly deterred in our
efforts to bring Christ, our Divine Savior, into every County
under our spiritual jurisdiction. Our most critical need is
priests.
Our Divine Master will give us priests but we must pray
and make sacrifices. From our Catholic homes must come can
didates for the priesthood. From our own Diocese; from the
soil of Georgia we look for other Ambassadors of Christ to
bring all men to a knowledge of the truth.
The month of March is designated as “Vocation Month.”
Priests, Sisters, parents and children are asked to pi ay fervent
ly during this month for vocations to the sacred priesthood.
A special triduum will be conducted in every parish and mis
sion of the Diocese, beginning on March 17th and concluding
on March 19th. *
In this centennial year of the apparitions at Lourdes we
beseech Mary, the Immaculate Mother of God, the Mother of
the Great High Priest, to intercede in our behalf.
Begging you again to pray for vocations to the priesthood
and imparting to you and your loved ones my paternal bless
ing, I am,
Devotedly yours in Christ,
thomas j. McDonough
Auxiliary Bishop of Savannah.
SAINT MARY'S HOME—Pictured here is St. Mary’s Home in
Savannah. Plans have been announced for the formation of St.
Mary’s Home Guild to help the Diocese maintain the home.
First Meeting Sunday, 3:30 P. M.
ANNOUNCE FORMATION OF
SAINT MARY’S HOME GUILD
SAVANNAH — Organizational
plans are now complete for the
St. Mary’s Home Guild and the
first meeting has been set for
Sunday, March 9, at 3:30 P. M.
His Excellency, Bishop Thomas J.
McDonough, has invited the Cath
olic women of Savannah and
Chatham County to attend this
meeting. Every Parochial organi
zation should be well represented.
Sunday afternoon. They are anx
ious for all of Savannah to come
to the Home and see the man
ner in which the Home is main
tained. Benediction of the Most
Blessed Sacrament will close the
initial meeting.
Membership in the St. Mary’s
Home Guild will be open to all
who are interested in the Home.
The Guild will assist the Diocese
The Sisters of Mercy will spoil- of Savannah in the support of the
sor an Open House at St. Mary’s I institution and its members will
Home beginning at two o’clock I assist the Sisters of ■ Mercy in
supplying the needs of the girls
who reside at St. Mary’s. The
Guild will be an interparochial
organization and will be affiliated
with the Savannah Deanery-
Council of Catholic Women. The
Very Reverend John D. Toomey
will be introduced and installed
at the meeting, and a proposed
constitution will be presented to
the membership.
In a letter dated Februray 25th,
Bishop McDonough urged every
priest and pastor in Chatham
county to attend this special
meeting.
CLERICAL *
APPOINTMENT
The Most Rev. Thomas J.
McDonough announces the ap
pointment of the Rev. John
F. X. Fallon, newly ordained,
as assistant at Holy Family,
Columbus.
The appointment was effec
tive February 20th.
Bishop Confirms
Invalid Convert
In Private Rite
BAINBR1DGE — Mrs. Roscoe
Burke, of F.D.R., a small rural
community south of Donaldson-
ville, received the Sacrament of
Confirmation from His Excellen
cy Thomas J. McDonough, at a
private Confirmation which took
place in her home.
Mrs. Burke, an invalid for the
last ten years, became interested
in the Catholic Church through
her readings of the Knights of
Columbus convert course. Mrs.
Burke had completed all of the
mail order course before contact
ing Fr. Hilary Deck, O.F.M. for
formal instructions. Following the
course of instruction, Mrs. Burke
was received into the church
about five years ago.
Mrs. Burke has never been in
side a Catholic Church because
of her invalidism. She anticipates
her first when the new church at
Bainbridge is dedicated.
Even men who can make both
ends meet are getting bored—
they keep hoping they will over
lap a little.
Lourdes Connotes Hope In Troubled World
SAVANNAH — Speaking on
“The Savannah Catholic Hour,”
one of the longest sustained re
ligious programs in radio, Bishop
Thomas J. McDonough called the
story of Lourdes a “Spiritual ro
mance founded in faith an su
stained by the penetrating love
and affection of Mary, the Mother
of Christ for the children of tjhe
whole world.”
“Lourdes, to all Catholics,” said
Bishop McDonough “connotes
hope in a troubled world.” He
recalled briefly the chronicle of
events and apparitions which fin
ally led the Bishop of Tarbes, in
which Diocese Lourdes is located
to decree that “We judge that
Mary, the Immaculate Mother of
God, did really appear to Berna
dette Subirous on the 11th day
of February, 1858, and on certain-
subsequent dates, eighteen times
in all, in the Grotto of Massa-
bielle, near the town of Lourdes;
that these appearances have ev
ery mark of truth and that the
belief of the faithful it well-
grounded.”
The Bishop pointed, out that
this declaration followed the most
searching investigation of Berna
dette and many witnesses, over
a period of four years. “Pope af
ter Pope approved of Lourdes,”
said Bishop McDonough. “Lourdes
is a Shrine of Miracles. Lourdes,
as one of the Popes stated is the
most worthy of places to pray for
peace . . . Pope Pius XI said
that Bernadette’s 1 o V e can be
summed up in three words; she
was faithful to her mission, she
was humble in renown, she was
strong in trial. Many of the weak
who visit Lourdes take home
their afflictions with them, but
after a visit to Lourdes their af
fliction is no longer a burden but
a blessing.”
Quoting a French Bishop, His
Excellency declared “For those
who believe in God no explana
tion is necessary; for those who
do not believe in God no expla
nation is possible.
Calling Lourdes a land of mira
cles and a place where an ava
lanche of grace takes place, Bish
op McDonough likened his listen
ers to pilgrims “in memory.”
“Like Bernadette, We too, will
recite our rosary all the time
while Mary smiles down upon
us,” he said. “We will look at the
many, many pilgrims kneeling be
side us and in their faces we will
behold peace and love for God in
His Immaculate Mother ... We,
too, will cry out with all present
—“Lord, that I may see,” “Lord,
that I may hear,” “Lord that I
may walk.” Lourdes has the an
swer, we must have the faith. In
this Centennial year let all of us
come to Jesus, through Mary, and
in strident tones cry out—“Our
Lady of Lourdes pray for us,
“O, Mary, Conceived without
sin, pray for us who have re
course to thee.”
“Heed Message Of Our Lady,”
Archbishop’s Pastoral Urges •
FIRST TEEN-AGE NURSES AIDES CAP* ED—Ten Aqumas High School students were capped in services at the American
Red Cross Chapter Headquarters in Augusta, becoming the first class of junior and senior high school students to win their nurses
aides’ certificates. They are (front, 1-r) Barbara Schafer, Mildred Mulherin, Carolyn McIntosh, Katheryn Fox and Josephine Agee.
Standing (1-r) Gail Meton, Clarise Holley, Rebekah Paulos, Sandra Salmon and Beverly Powell.—(Fitz photo by Vernon Gould).
Nations First
Teen-Age
Burses Aides
Receive ‘Caps’
AUGUSTA — The nation’s first
teen-age Red Cross nurses aides
were capped in ceremonies at Red
Cross Chapter headquarters here.
Ten Aquinas High School stu
dents received their caps in the
ceremonies conducted by Mrs.
Franklin W. Reese, chairman of
Red Cross Service Groups.
The first teen-age nurses aids
are Josephine Agee, Katheryn
Fox, Clarise Holley, Carolyn Mc
Intosh, Gail Meton, Mildred Mul
herin, Rebekah Paulos, Beverly
Powell, Sandra Salmon and Bar
bara Schafer.
Plans for this . training group
got underway last spring in Au
gusta to help provide more nurses
aides for local hospitals. The
course, started last, fall, was held
in cooperation with St. Joseph’s
Hospital and Aquinas High
School.
SAVANNAH — Most Rev.
Thomas J. McDonough, Auxiliary
Bishop of Savannah, has official
ly designated March as Vocation
Month in the Diocese of Savan
nah.
At a recent meeting convened
by Bishop McDonough, plans
were laid for an intensive cam
paign designed to interest the
youth of the Diocese In vocations
to the Priesthood. Present at the
meeting were Very Rev. Msgr.
Andrew McDonald, Chancel
lor, Rev. Marvin LeFrois,
Diocesan Director of Voca
tions, Rev. John Cuddy, Su
perintendent of Schools, Rev. Wil
liam Coleman, Vice-Chancellor,
Rev. Herbert Wellmeier, Diocesan
Director of Youth Activities and
Rev. Francis Donohue, editor of
the Savannah Bulletin.
A campaign was outlined,
which will include a Diocesan
wide Triduum for vocations to
begin in all churches of the Dio
cese on March 17th and ending on
March 19th, the Feast of St. Jos
eph. Talks on vocations to the
Sacred Priesthood will be given
by guest speakers in the high
schools of the Diocese.
The talks will be followed up
by youth rallies, to be held in
SAVANNAH — In a recent
Lenten Pastoral letter, His Ex
cellency, The Most Reverend
Gerald P. O’Hara, Archbishop-
Bishop of Savannah and Apostol
ic Delegate in Great Britain urg
ed ;he people of the Diocese of
Savannah to heed the message of
the Blessed, Virgin at Lourdes.
Said the Archbishop, “Penance,
Penance, Penance,” she cried.
They understood; they , knew
that was Our Blessed Mother’s
message.”
His Excellency noted that the
cry of “Penance” is the message
of the Church during the Lenten
season. “Good for us if at least
we realize that the demands of
Lent are serious and inescapable.
Good for us if we were raised in
a home which met those demands
generously.
Good Catholic mothers do not
let their children forget the
claims of Lent. They say the right
word about Morning Mass and the
Stations on Fridays. May God re
ward them for their firm and
prudent training! They echo
faithfully the message of Our
Lady and the Church,” he said.
The Archbishop said that those
who take the message to heart are
following in the footsteps of the
Saints. “A long face is no part of
our Lenten Observance,” he said,
quoting form the Gospel accord
ing to St. Matthew, “When you
fast be not like the hypocrites,
sad . . . Annoint thy head and
wash thy face that thou appear
not to men to fast but to thy Fa
ther who is in secret; and thy
Father who seeth in secret will
repay they.”
Archbishop O’Hara also urged
all who can do so to join the Doi-
cesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes,
which will leave New York on
April 22nd, and extended to all
Easter Blessings.
Georgia Girl
Will Receive
National Award
SAVANNAH — Word was re
ceived here recently from the Na
tional Catholic Rural Life Con-
Bishop Confirms
At TIiomasvilEe «
The Most Rev. Thomas J. Mc
Donough, auxiliary bishop of
Savannah, administered the
Sacrament of Confirmation Mon-
day, February 17, at eight P. M.,
at St. Augustine’s Church Thomas-
ville.
Those confirmed came from
Camilla and Bainbridge as well
as Thomasville. Around 200 were
present.
Immediately following the serv
ice a reception was held in the
Friary to honor the bishop on
his first visit to Thomasville.
PATRICIA PROUTY
ference that Miss Patricia Marga
ret Prouty has been judged wor
thy of the Catholic God-Home
Community Award. Miss Prouty
is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs
M. J. Prouty, Rt. 6, Norwood Av
enue, Savannah, and a member of
the Harrock Hall 4-H Club.
A junior at St. Vincent’s Acad
emy, she has been actively en
gaged in 4-H Club work for the
past six years and recently was
awarded the Danforth award for
leadership.
Plans have been made to pre
sent the award medal at the an
nual observance of 4-H Sunday
on March 16, at 9:15 A. M. at St
James Church of which Miss
Prouty and her family are mem
bers. The Very Reverend John D
Toomey, Pastor, will present the
award. The handsome bronze
medal is engraved as a “Youth
Award” of the National Catholic
Rural Life Conference and bears
a cross and a CHI-RHO symbol.
It is attached to a ribbon bearing
the papal colors of yellow and
white.
Remember Your
Pledge To The
Bishop's Campaign
the three deaneries of the Dio
cese. A special feature of these
rallies will be motion pictures
and film strips dealing with Sem
inary and Priestly life.
Posters reminding the Faithful
to pray for vocations will be dis
tributed to all schools and
Churches in the Diocese.
It is hoped that through this
campaign young men from this
Diocese will be moved to offer
their lives to the work of streng
thening and spreading the Faith
in their own home Diocese in
the ranks of the secular clergy.
At present, although the Dio
cese of Savannah is geographical
ly one of the largest east
of the Mississippi River, there are
only twenty-one Diocesan Priests.
Of this number, only seven are
natives of Georgia.
In a letter which appears else
where on this page Bishop Mc
Donough said, “Our Divine Mas
ter will give us priests but we
must pray and make sacrifices.
From our Catholic homes must
come candidates for the priest
hood. From our own Diocese;
from the soil of Georgia we look
for other Ambassadors of Christ
to bring all men to a knowledge
of the truth.”
D8LUMBUS DEANERY HEARS *
PLEA FOR H0RE VOCATIONS
DOUGLAS — The spring meet
ing of the Columbus Deanery
Council of Catholic Women was
held on Thursday, February 27,
in Douglas. The Most Rev. Thos.
J. McDonough, D.D., J.C.D., Aux
iliary Bishop of the Diocese of
Savannah, was the celebrant of a
Dialog Mass at St. Paul’s Church,
immediately preceding the meet
ing. Msgr. Andrew McDonald led
the clergy and ladies in the re
sponses. The ladies of the council
received Communion in a body.
The luncheon was held at the
Plantation Restaurant. The meet
ing was opened with the prayer to
Our Lady of Good Counsel, by
His Excellency. Mrs. George Han
na, of Douglas, president of the
host council, welcomed everyone
and Mrs. Richard Bettinger, of
Warner Robins, gave the re
sponse.
Father T. Howard Payne, pas
tor of St. John the Evangelist
Church, in Valdosta, gave an in
spiring talk on the need for reli
gious vocations in our diocese. He
stressed the urgent need of
“Workers in the Vineyard,” and
asked the prayers of everyone
during the month of March, which
has been designated “Vocation
Month.” The speaker stressed the
importance of the role of the
mother, in the guiding and nou
rishing of religious vocations in
her children.
Other members of the clergy
present were Father Gerard A.
Moran, pastor of St.
Paul’s, Douglas; Father Gerard R.
McDonald, O.F.M., Thomasville;
Father Henry L. Madden, O.F.M.
Americus; Father Finian F. Ker-
win, O.F.M., Bainbridge; Father
Thomas, Albany; Father Eugene
Card, Douglas and Alapaha.
His Excellency reiterated Fa
ther Payne’s appeal for prayers
for vocations, and announced that
there would be a Triduum
throughout the diocese, beginning
on March 17, St.. Patrick’s Day
and closing March 19, St. Joseph’s
Feast Day, for the intention of
religious vocations in the Savan
nah Diocese.
Mrs .Norman Boatwright, pres
ident of the Savannah Diocesan
C.C.W., told that the exhibits for
the diocesan convention, to be
held this year on April 19 and 20
at the Bon Air Hotel, in Augusta
would be shhrines honoring the
Centennial
Mrs. R. E. McCormack, of A1
bany, past President of the Sav
annah Diocesan Council of Cath
olic Women, Mrs. John T. Buck-
ley, of Augusta, Diocesan His
torian, and Mrs. H. S. Buckley
president of the Augusta Deanery
C.C.W., were honor guests.
The following deanery chairmen
gave reports at this meeting:
Cooperating with Catholic Chari
ties, Mrs. Frances Wrosdick, of
(Continued on Page Eight)
Plan Cana
Conference
At Augusta
AUGUSTA—Mrs. Eugene Long,
deanery chairman of the Family
and Parent Education Committee,
has announced that a Cana Con
ference will be held on Friday,
March 28, from 7:00 p. m. til
10:00 p. m., at St. Mary’s Parish
Hall, on Monte Sano Avenue, in
Augusta.
Rt. Rev. T. J. McNamara, V.F.,
of Savannah, Dr. Chas. Mul
herin and Mrs. Henry Holmes, of
Augusta, will be the speakers.
Very Rev. Daniel J. Bourke, V.F.,
pastor of St. Mary’s-on-the-
Hill Church, will serve as mode-
tor.
The Conference will begin
promptly at 7:00 p. m. with the
brief talks by the speakers, after
which written questions may be
placed in the question box, to be
answered after intermission.
There will be an informal social
hour, and coffee will be served
during the intermission.
Mrs. J. J. O’Connell is hospi
tality chairman. Co-chairmen are
Mrs. Norman Boatwright, Presi
dent Savannah Diocesan Council
of Catholic Women, Mrs. H. S.
Buckley, President Augusta
Deanery C. C. W„ and Mrs. Wm.
Barrett, President St. Mary’s La
dies Auxiliary. Co-chairmen for
refreshments are Mrs. E. J. Mc
Mahon and Mrs. Albert Rice. Mr.
J. J. O’Connell and Mr. Wm. Bar
rett will collect the written ques
tions during the intermission.
At 9:30 p. m., the group attend
ing this session, will proceed to
St. Mary’s Church, where the
couples will renew their marriage
vows, and the Conference will be
closed with Benediction of the
Blessed Sacrament.
The Augusta Deanery C. C. W.
extends a most cordial invitation
to all married couples, in this
area, to attend this Cana Con
ference.
Mrs. Louis Alexander of Dub
lin, and Mrs. Louis Battey and
Mrs. Ernest Dinkins, of Augusta,
are co-chairmen of the Family
and Parent Education Committee.