Newspaper Page Text
Bishop Turner Makes Spirited
Plea for Catholic Publications
Three Out of Four Catholic Families Do Not Subscribe to
Religious Newspaper, He Asserts^-Catholic Journalism
Should Wield Greater Power, Archbishop Hayes Declares
Buffalo.—Out of approximately
4,000,000 Catholic families in the
United States, there are 3,000,000
that do not regularly receive a
Catholic newspaper, according to
the statement of the Bight Rev.
William Turner, Bishop of Buffalo,
in a letter to the priests of the
Buffalo diocese, in which he pleads
for their active support of Catholic
press month.
“It is an acknowledged fact,” de
clares Bishop Turner”, that our
Catholic people do not generally
support our religious publications as
they should. You know hy your ex
perience among your people and hy
the protestations of fathers and
mothers of families who are alive
to their responsibility as parents,
. that the home life of Americans
among all creeds and classes leaves
much to he desired at the present
day. Without attempting to assign
blame for the conditions which we
deplore any one may say in all
truth and justice that the reading
matter which finds its way into the
home, with its salacious details of
divorce trials, its appallingly realis
tic description of crime, its un-
blushingly pagan discussion of such
problems as birth-control and
crimes of sexual passion, is, to say
the least, not suited to the im
mature minds of young and adoles
cent children.
“Indeed, it is no exaggeration to
say that much of the reading mat
ter that is so freely admitted into
our homes is fraught with more
danger to the soul of the child than
the most virulent diseases are with
danger to its physical health. Mod
ern science and efficient public con
trol teach us to guard the bodies
of children from sickness and dan
ger of death. The conscience of
Christian parents should teach them
to be equally vigilant when there
is danger of the death of the soul
of the child. Now restraint is dif
ficult and the direct exclusion of
all suggestive matter from the reach
of the inquistive child practically
impossible. A corrective, if not a
substitute, is found in our Catholic
weekly papers, in which nothing
ever appears but what is healthy,
wholesome and edifying.
Catholic Papers Interesting.
“And let us not evade our duty
by saying that such reading matter
is uninteresting. Interest can and
should be developed. The mind, like
the body, can be educated to ap
preciate wholesome food. Indeed,
the best effect of good reading is
to promote a distaste for what is
too highly flavored to be whole
some. The child who finds delight
in what is good and pure and elevat
ing will grow into the man or wo
man whose taste throughout lift will
be to seek the best in literature and
arc and shun what is evil salacious
and soul-degrading. •
“Now the Catholic weekly paper
not only furnishes news of Catholic
interest, but it also explains,
through the writings of qualified
exponents, the teachings, his his
tory, the institutions, the discip
line and the practice of the Catholic
Church.
“It describes, criticizes and places
an estimate on books, plays, music,
magazine articles, and, in general,’
on the output of the press and the
publishing houses, the amusements,
the pastimes, the customs and
styles of the day'. Week after week
its comments on these topics, when
thoroughly read and considered,
keep the Catholic man or woman
up-to-date in matters of public in
terest and furnish the weapons of
controversy' when controversy is
thrust upon one, and even for him
who abhors controversy they fur
nish the material ror~ intelligent
and accurate answers to the queries
ol non Catholics.
“There was, indeed, a time when
these claims on behalf of the Catho
lic press might have seemed ex
travagant. But today they arc fuliy
justified. In addi, on to its local
resources for news-gathering and
editorial writing, the Catholic news
paper has at its disposal the re
sources of the National Catholic
Welfare Council’s News Service,
with its correspondents in all the
large cities at home and abroad and
its corps of trained journalists and
experts in its regular pay list. To
those who, in the past, may have
given up their Catholic paper be
cause it did not come up to their
expectations, I should recommend
that the Catholic paper of today be
t>r
given a lair and impartial trial.”
Archbishop Hayes on the Press.
New Yor.—Catholic journalism is
far removed from the position of
power prestige and influence it
should and could occupy in this
country, declares the Most Rev. Pat
rick ,1. Hayes in a letter to the
clergy of the New York achdiocese
requesting them to .devote special
attention on Sexagtsima' Sunday to,
the work of the Catholic, press.
“'Hie time has come”, said Arch
bishop Hayes in his communica
tion, “when we must look to the
good that can he done and the ceil
prevented by a live, progressive and
attractive Catholic press, in the
face of the tremendous powers for
good or evil which secular journal
ism enjoys and wields today'. Mod
ern journalism has its own schools,
colleges, large endowments for the
scientific training of editors and
writers, who for the multitude in
terpret past and current events,
and would public opinion. More
over, the press has become, these
latter years, a mighty engine of pub
licity, intelligently managed by the
experienced student of human
psychology, to stimulate the aver
age reader to accept cleverly con
cealed propaganda for and against
legislation, popular movements,
new or old schools of thought, con
duct or economics.
“The popular notion is that the
press thinks with the people and
not for them. We know the subtle,
persuasive, convincing and compell
ing influence of the press. In view
of all this we are confronted with
the serious and urgent responsibili
ty of making the printed word more
potent for the spread of Catholic
truth and the defense Qf the Church
against ignorant or bigoted mis
representation and injustice. We
cannot expect the secular press to be
more than fair and jusj Nor is it
their duty to expound or defend
Catholic teaching and practice. That
is our own obligation. The lofty
mission of the Catholic press in our
age has been insisted upon very
strongly, time and time again, by
the Sovereign Pontiffs; namely, ‘to
preserve the principles or order and
of faith where they still exist, and
to draw them forth from the ob
scurity into which impiety or re
ligious indifference may have con
signed them.”
ALABAMA BENEDICTINE
CELEBRATES JUBILEE
Very Rev. Boniface Seng, Di
rector of St. Bernard’s Col
lege, Twenty-Five Years a
Priest.
St. Bernard, Ala.—Ecclesiastical
dignitaries from all parts of the
South gathered here Feb. 21 and 22
on the occasion of the silver gaccr-
dotal jubilee of the Very Rev. Boni
face Seng, O. S. B., vice-president
and director of St. Bernard col
lege.
Father Boniface was born in Chi
cago, Sept. 15, 1867, and attended
St. Joseph’s school, in charge of the
Benedictine Sisters. At an early age
lie entered St. Vincent’s Collge,
Beatty, Pa p but at the end of his
sophomore year.in the college course
was forced to leave school on ac
count of his health. For five years
he devoted himselr to business in
Chicago, hut when the late Abbot
Mengcs was seeking candidates for
the new monastery lie proposed to
found in northern Alabama, Father
Boniface joined him and became
subsequently the first novice of the
new St. Bernard’s anbey. He made
his novitiate at Belmont abbey,
North Carolina, and after his ordi
nation was installed as vice-presi
dent and director of St. Bernard’s
college, a position he has occupied
since. He is widely known in edu
cational circles, not only in the
South but throughout the country.
Among those present at the relig
ious ceremonies and other observa
tions which marked the ceremonies
were Most Rev. John W. Shaw, D.D.,
archbishop Of New Orleans; Rt. Rev.
Edward P. Allens, D. D., bishop of
Mobile; Rt. Rev. Mgr. Daniel A.
Brady, V. G.; Mobile; Very Rev.
William A. Keriigan, LL.D., dean,
pastor of St. Paul’s church, Bir
mingham; Rev. Frederick J. Hearth,
Chicago; Rev. P. Leo Mayer, O.S.B.,
Waynesburg; Very Rev. P. Ambrose
Reger, O. S. B., the last two class
mates of the jubilecan; Rev. M. A.
Grace, S. J., Spring Hill college;
Rev. Charles C. Conaty, Taunton,
Mass.; Rev. Thcocore Ostcrrieder,
O.S.B., who preached the jubilee
Sermon, Ryley, Ohio; Rev. Joseph
Tomerlin, Iinsley; Rev. Thomas J.
Early, Anniston; Rev. John O’Kelly,
Birmingham; Rev. Patrick J. Turner,
Montgomery; Rev, Fr. P. Robert,
O.S.B., Tupelo, Miss.; Rev. Walter
J. Tobin, East Lake; Rev. Joseph
M. Sheridan, Albany; Rev. Thomas
Kennedy, Huntsville; Rev. Emmet
Kennedy, Mobile; Rev. Patrick
O’Leary, Eufaula; Rev. Malachy A.
Kittricx, Ensley; Rev. Edward J.
Shea, Birmingham; Rev. Benjamin
Platto, Pensacola, Fla.
CATHOLIC GOVERNOR
Elected in Buenos Aires--So
cialists Defeated.
Boenos Aires,—The election for
Governor and Vice-Governor of the
Boenos Aires province has result
ed in a defeat for the Socialists,
according to the “Southern Cross,”
anil a triumph for the Radical Party,
which is the term here given to a
progressive political organization
that is working constitutionally in
the interests of Argentina and
whose successful candidate for gov
ernor, Dr. Cantilo, is a Catholic.'
Dr. Moreno, the Conservative can
didate, who is a “liberal” with all
that the name implies in Argentina,
had secured the sympathy of Social
ist leaders because of his “anti-cler
icalism,” hut, despite the coalition
of these forces, the Radical major
ity was a handsome one and Dr.
Cantilo will have a majority of eight
votes over the Conservatives and
sham Bolshevists in the Electoral
College.
The Socialists are badly beaten
in the first five districts, hut made
a gain in the sixth district, where
they obtained 10,823 votes, as
against 7,149 in the same section in
1918, and have secured two electors.
These two electors are all that Dr.
Memo will gain from his cealition.
HOTELS FOR STAGE GIRLS URGED
Washington, D. C.,—The estab
lishment of suitable hotels and club
rooms where women of the profes
sional stage can stay while en tour
has been recommended here by
Brandon Tynan, president of the
Catholic Actors’ Guild, as one of the
most important works that can he
carried out in the great'centers of
the population of the United States
l>y those interested in stage people.
Mr. Tynan will direct the atten
tion of the Catholic Actors' Guild
to the situation and expects that a
definite attempt will be made to
carry' on the work in several large
cities.
AUSTRIAN CATHOLIC AT
UNIVERSITY OF MEXICO
Vienna—Further evidence of the
recognition of Austrian Catholic
scholarship abroad is given by the
Mexican Government’s appointment
of Dr. Rudolph Schuller to the post
of professor of general ethnology in
the National University of Mexico.
Dr. Schuller belongs to a group of
scientists of which Father William
Schmidt, S.V.D., who recently receiv
ed the Volncy Prize, is perhaps the
most distinguished.
Dr. Schuller a few months ago
wrote an article for the ethnological
periodical, “Anthropos,” dealing
with the relationship between the
Maya-Quitse and the Carib-Aruac
tribes from a linguistic point of
view. This article attracted the at
tention of the Mexican government
and resulted in the invitation of Dr.
Schuller to take the chair of general
ethnology in the National University
The Publication, “Anthropos,” is is
sued by Father Schmidt and a num
ber of other Catholic missionaries.
SUGGEST POPE
For Membership in Famou-
French Academy.
Paris,—Several academicians have
announced their intention of pro
posing Pope Pius XI for associate
membership in the Academy of In
scriptions and Belles Retires as
soon as a vacancy occurs. This is
the first time that a Pope has been
suggested for membership in any
of the French academies. While be
was still Cardinal Archbishop of
Milan the new Pontiff was proposed
for the scholarly achievements.
Cardinal Mercer belongs to the
French Academy of Moral and Po
litical Science. King Victor Eman
uel of Italy is a member of the
academy to which it is proposed
Pope Pius be elected, and Queen
Marie of Roumania is a member of
the Academy of Fine Arts.
SCHOOL FOR NUNS
Conducted by Knights of Co
lumbus at Washington.
Washington, D. C„—Eighty sist
ers of eight different congregations
are taking the several courses in
education inaugurated for their
benefit by the Knights of Columbus
Evening School of Washington.
With one exception this is the only
course of the sort conducted by any
Knights of Columbus School in the
country.
The classes continue from 9
o’clock in the morning until 5 p. m.
each Saturday. The lecturers arc
members of the faculty of the Cat
holic University and persons on the
staff of the National Catholic Wel
fare Council. They arc Rev. Leo
McVay, whose subject is “The Art of
Study;” Dr. Ann Nicholson, “Meth
ods of Teaching English;” A. C.
Monahan, “Educational Measure
ments,” and Leo O’Rouke, “Intelli
gence Tests.”
Those taking the course are Sisters
of Charity, Sisters of the Holy Cross
Dominican Sisters, Sisters of Mcrsy,
Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur,
School Sisters of Notre Dame, Ursu-
linc Sisters and Sisters of Provi
dence.
ST. VIATOR COLLEGE DRIVE.
Chicago,—With a pledge of $50,-
000 from the Carnegie Foundation,
and backed by a powerful alumni
association to which some of the
best known men in Chicago belong,
St. Viator College at Rourbouais,
has secured the permission of Arch-
Rishop George W. Mundelein for a
campaign in the Chicago Archdio
cese for a $500,000 extension fund.
SUBMITS RESOLUTION
Morrison-Sullivan Dry Goods Company I
Dry Goods and Notions
23 BROUGHTON STREET, W.
SAVANNAH, GA.
Why not take advantage of the Knights
of Columbus Evening School?
For information apply to—
CHAS. B. CANNON, Principal.
Marist College, Atlanta, Ga.
JULIAN E. WINGO, Principal.
118 Bay St. Savannah, Ga.
QUICK SHOE
REPAIRING SHOP
223 Eighth Street
Augusta, Ga,
Work done while you wait.
We Use Best Material Only
Telephone 2265.
SAFETY OF PRINCIPAL
MARKETABILITY
STABILITY OF INCOME
are the tests we apply to investments offered to our cus
tomers.
Advice freely furnished upon any investment matter.
BOND DEPARTMENT
THE CITIZENS AND SOUTHERN BANK