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The Official Organ of
the Catholic Laymen’s
Association of Georgia.
THE BULLETIN
Member of the National Catholic Welfare Council News Service.
“TO BRING ABOUT A FRIENDLIER FEELING AMONG GEORGIANS. IRRESPECTIVE OF CREED”
The Only Catholic
Newspaper Between Bal
timore and New Orleans
TEN CENTS A COPY.
VOL. HI. NO. 1.
AUGUSTA, GA., JANUARY 25, 1922.
$2.00 A YEAR
ISSUED SEMI-MONTHLY
FR. BYRNE DIES
IN NEW ENGLAND
AFTER OPERATION
Passing of Chaplain at Fed
eral Penitentiary in Atlan
ta Shocks Diocese—Fune
ral in Connecticut.
REVMlCHftEU eJ.BYiaitE
Atlanta, Ga.—Rev. Michael J.
Byrne, chaplaii at the Federal Peni
tentiary at Atlanta for the past four
years, died at Carney Hospital, Bos
ton, Mass., January 9, following an
operation. He was buried two days
later in Norwich, Conn.) his boy
hood home.
Father Byrne had been in ill
health for some time, but was able
to attend to his duties as chaplain
until recently. An operation prom
ised a permanent cure, and he went
to Boston to undergo it. His death
followed.
Few priests have had careers as
interesting as that of Father Byrne.
Born in Norwich, Conn., Nov. 22,
1857 lri " “"rly studies were intend
ed to fit him VJ \-Cl- " T>»\i]ql on _
iat order . Ill health prevented him
from achieving his ambition. His
brothers were members of the fam
ous “Eight Bells” theatrical com
pany, and he decided to accompany
them as- business manager and pub
licity agent in their travels. In this
capacity he traveled practically
every state in the Union and several
foreign countries, and on many oc
casions appeared behind the foot
lights himself.
At the age of 37 he was united
in marriage to Miss Mary Scanlon
of Norwich, a boyhood friend. Two
sons, Dr. John F. Byrne, who served
through the world war as a major in
the 324th Field Artillery, James J.
Byrne of Cambridge, Mass., State of
Maine representative for Associated
First National Pictures, and one
daughter, Miss Mary Byrne, a Unit
ed States army nurse, just returned
from Siberia, were born.
In 1908 Mrs. Byrne died, and in
liis grief his thoughts again turned
to the Church and Holy Orders. At
the age of 51 he started his studies
for the priesthood at St. Francis
College, Loretto, Pa. He was ordain
ed by Bishop Garvin, at the Cathe
dral at Altoona, Pa., and assigned to
the Diocese of Savannah. After a
few years of parish work in Savan
nah, he was made chaplain at the
Federal Penitentiary in Atlanta.
Father Byrne’s success in his work
among the men at the Federal Pen
itentiary was littlo short of phenom
enal. When the suggestion was
made that a Catholic chaplain be
named for the institution, Bishop
Keiley selected Father Byrne, and
he seemed to have been made to ord
er for the position. The high es
teem in which he was held by the
(Continued on page 12)
THE NEW BULLETIN
The Bulletin greets you today
in a new form, and we trust it is
on» of which our readers ap
prove. The Bulletin in its new
form will publish matter simi
lar to that carried up to this
time, and state, national and
world news of interest in addi
tion. It proposes to place be
fore its readers not only Catholic
news, but news about Catholics
as well.
It is particularly desired to
publish the activities of Catholics
in Georgia. Daily newspapers
have a staff of reporters to gath
er such news. The Bulletin
must depend on members of the
Laymen’s Association and other
readers for such information.
News items of interest to
Catholicss are welcome.
The ' Bulletin belongs to its
readers. Every member of the
Catholic Laymen’s Association of
Georgia is a part owner. The
editor invites suggestions de
signed to improve The Bulletin.
Two heads are better than one;
the 2,000 heads in the Laymen’s
Association are a thousand times
better than the two'. What do
you think of The Bulletin? Let
us hear your suggestions.
Savannah and Charleston
Among Those Which Gave
More Than Their Share.
Record Incomplete.
Washington, D. C.—Four dioceses
of the United States have proved
by records that they supplied more
than their percentage of Catholic
soldiers to the armed forces of
the country during the world war,
according to Daniel J. Ilyan of the
Department of Historical Records
of the National Catholic War Coun
cil.
The four dioceses are Indianapolis
in Indiana, Burlington in Vermont,
Charleston in South Carolina and
Savannah in Georgia.
Based on their population in
1918, the Catholics of the United
States should have furnished 830,-
' 3 ‘ -> the fighting foi-ccs of the
country. j* j s estimated however
that the number of C«i holies who
saw service was much larger than
that; the computations, b- ed on
different statistics, indicating in
some instances that the number of
Catholics exceeed one-third the to
tal enrollment in the various
branches of the service.
Based on the Catholic population
of Indiana the diocese of Indian
apolis should have supplied 5,295
men to the service. It is already
proved by the records to. have
given (i,670. Burlington, which
should have given 3,060 has to date
shown the names of 3,336 Catholics
who served. Savannah gave 880
Catholics, whereas, based on Cath
olic population, its quota was 723;
Charleston has already furnished
403 names, when but 392 were re
quired.
It is more than probable that
these dioceses that have already
gone “over the top” on their
Catholic quotas will add materially
to the lists which they have al
ready forwarded io the national
headquarters. The Catholic Lay-
'men’s Association of Georgia is now
working on its records and is still
adding many names to its lists.
Director Ryan points out that
while 6,728 parishes have furnished
at least partial records of the num
ber of their men in the service,
4,466 parishes have as yet failed to
send in any records of their mem
bers who were enlisted.
“There is scarcely any doubt,” he
declares “that the records when
complete will show that Catholics
contributed more than their quota
of the population to the war. Just
(Continued on page 2.)
Pope Benedict XV Dead at Rome
In Sixty-Eighth Year of His Age
And in Eighth of His Pontificate
\ POPE BENEDICT XV—HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS
End Comes to Two Hundred
and Fifty-Ninth Successor
of St. Peter in Early Morn
ing Hours Sunday.
(By N. C. VV. C. News Service.)
(By N C. W. C. News Service)
“Such a Little Pope!” These wer|
the words which sprang involunta
ily to the lips of a special corresj
pondent of the National Cathol
Welfare Council News Service, w
was in Rome in May, 192Uto repr
sent the Catholic Press of the Uni
cd States on the occasion of ti
elevation of Archbishop Dougheri
of Philadelphia to the Cardinalatj
when the correspondent attended t
Pope’ Mass in his private chapel arj
received Holy Communion from
hands. The Holy Father pass
through the chapel doors and pausi
so long at the foot of the aisle, tur
ing this way and that to give h|
blessing very sweetly and freely
all about him, without a sign of hu
ry, that the correspondent cou
easily study him where he knelt wit:
in reach of the Holy Father’s han
His height was about five feet six."
seven, and though the Popo w;
small, his figure was perfectly pr
portioned, and he was distinguishe
by the dignified, subtle grace whici
sometimes characterises men of d
minutive but symetrical frame.
The correspondent particularly n
ticed the grace with which he mov
his hands when engaged in the gre
Benedict XV, the two hundredth
and fifty-ninth successor of St. Pet
er as Popo of Rome and Vicar of
Jesus, Christ, Supreme Pontiff, is
dead. He died Sunday, January 22,
seven years and four months after
his election as Pope, which occurred
on September 3, 1914.
The World War had begun only
the month before. His pontificate
ran its course co-incidentally with
the most extensive and desolating
war from which the world'ever suf
fered and came to its close when all
the terrible problems created by or
culminating because of the universal
conflict are stiil far from solution.
Giacomo (James) della Chiesa, was
born ;n Pegli, in the Diocese of
Genoa, Italy, November 21, 1854. He
was the scion of an ancient and
noble family, of the ancient ligurian
nobility, which has been termed “a
democratic aristocracy.” Members
of the della Chiesa family are prom
inent in the learned professions in
Italy. His- father was the Marchese
della Chiesa, and his mothci the
Marchesa Giovanna Migliorati. Both
died years ago. The elder brother
of the late Pope, Admiral della Chi
esa, inherited the title. Many rep
resentatives of the della Chiesa fam
ily fought in the Italian Army during
the War, and a favorite nephew of
the late Pontiff gave his life at the
front for his country.
The Pope was a delicate child and
when he was born grave doubt was
expressed that he would live many
days. It is said that as early as his
thirteenth year he pleaded with his
father for permission to study for
the priesthood. That permission
was not won until seven years later,
when at the age of twenty, Jamc3
della Chiesa displayed to his fath
er the diplomas which he had won in
obedience to his father's desire that
he should study for law, but reiter
ated his own desire to enter Holy
Orders. He was educated in the Ca-
pranica College, Rome, and the Ac
ademy for Noble Ecclesiastics, and
was ordained priest on December 21,
1878.
His great natural ability, animated
strengthened and directed by the fer
vor of his vocation, caused him to
grow steadily and rapidly into the
confidence of those to whom he min
istered and in the esteem of his su
periors. His early career as an ec
clesiastic was a providential prepar
ation for the task which awaited