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The Bulletin
.. of the Catholic Laymen's Association of Georgia ..
“To bring about a friendlier feeling among Georgians irrespective of Creed.”
VOLUME II
DECEMBER, 1920
NUMBER 1
A CHRISTMAS GREETING
During this month we will celebrate the Birth of the Babe of Bethlehem, so I wish to extend
to each and every member of the ' Association the Season’s Greetings for a happy and joyous
Christmas. Let us join in thanking our Infant King for the favors bestowed upon us during the
year and beg of Him to bless our work in bringing about the aim and object for which we are
organized, “A friendlier feeling among Georgians irrespective of creed.”
P. H. RICE,
State President.
THE DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH
The Diocese of Savannah embraces the State of
Georgia and has an area of 59,4 75 square miles, and
has a population of nearly three millions, of whom
about 1 7,000 are Catholics. The Diocese was erected
in 1850 by Pius IX. It formerly was a part of the
Diocese of Charleston, and, of course, before that
was included in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Its
first Bishop, Francis Xavier Gartland, was the Vicar
General of the Philadelphia Diocese and was conse
crated on November 1 0, 1 850. There was only one
qhurch in Savannah at that time. In future articles
it is proposed to tell somewhat of the story of Cath
olicity in Savannah. Bishop Gartland died of yellow
fever on September 20, 1854. The Diocese was with
out a Bishop for three years until August 2, 185 7,
when Rev. John Barry, a priest of the Diocese, was
consecrated second Bishop of Savannah. Bishop
Barry died in Paris, France, November 21, 1859. His
successor was Rt. Rev. Augustine Verot, who had
been consecrated Vicar Apostolic of Florida, April
25, 1858. Bishop Verot, at the division of the Dio
cese, returned to Florida and on March II, 1870,
Rt. Rev. Ignatius Persico, who had resigned his See
in India, and was engaged in mission work in this
country, was appointed by Pius IX Bishop of Sa
vannah. He resigned the See and returned to Rome,
where he was created a Cardinal. On April 27, 1873,
Rev. William H. Gross was consecrated Bishop of
Savannah, where he remained until appointed Arch
bishop of Oregon in 1885. The Holy See then trans
ferred the Rt. Rev. Thomas A. Becker, first Bishop
of Wilmington, Delaware, to Savannah; Bishop Becker
had been consecrated with Bishop (now Cardinal)
Gibbons on August 16, 1868. Bishop Becker died at
Washington, Ga., July 29, 1899. On June 3, 1900,
the present Bishop of Savannah, Rt. Rev. B. J. Keiley,
was consecrated.
Bishop Gartland had with hjm for some time Bishop
Barron, a priest ordained in Ireland,' but who volun
teered for the missions in the States and came to
Philadelphia, where he was warmly welcomed by
Bishop Francis Patrick Kenrick, then Bishop of Phila
delphia, and afterwards Archbishop of Baltimore.
Father Barron remained in Philadelphia for some time.
When the colonization of Liberia by colored people
from the United States was attempted, Father Bar
ron offered his services in that deadly field. A large
number of free negroes, many being Catholics from
Maryland, went out to Liberia. Father Barron was
afterwards made Vicar Apostolic. He was conse
crated at Rome, and securing some half dozen priests,
went back. Every one of the priests, save one, died,
and Bishop Barron was forced to leave. He came
back to Philadelphia and then went to St. Louis
whose Bishop was the brother of the Bishop of Phila
delphia. Bishop Gartland was a friend of Bishop
Barron, as they had both been priests in Philadelphia
Bishop Barron came to Savannah to help Bishop Gart
land. They both died at the residence of Mrs. Michael
Prendergast, as the Bishop’s house was unroofed by
a cyclone while he was dying, and Mrs. Prendergast
brought the two Bishops—Bishop Barron being also
near death—to her house. Bishop Gartland’s suc
cessor, Father John Barry, was loved and revered in
Georgia, and even after his consecration was almost
always called “Father Barry.”
Bishop Verot is yet well remembered by the older
Savannahians. He was active and zealous. Bishop
Persico remained but a short time here. He was born
in Naples January 30, 1823. He entered the Ca-