Newspaper Page Text
OCTOBER 25, 1930
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
5
Former Savarmahictn
Dies in Detroit
Funeral of Capt. Wilson Held
From Savannah Cathedra^
of St. John the Baptist
(Special to The Bulletin)
SAVANNAH, Ga. — Capt. M. Edw.
Wilson, prominent former Savannah-
ian, died in Detroit, Mich., Oct., 11.
Mr. Wilson was ill with pneumonia
for several weeks.
Funeral services were held in Sa
vannah Oct., 16, from the Cathedral
of St. John the Baptist. Interment
followed in the Cathedral Cemetery.
The pallbearers were Vincent Skef-
fington, James W. Hennessy, William
G. Sutlive, Joseph O. Maggioni, Fer
dinand Neuberger and Arthur Pearce.
The Republican Blues, now Regi
mental Headquarters Battery, 118th
Field Artillery, acted as honorary es
cort. The escort consisted of Captain
Frank S. Thornton, Lieut. J. T.
Greene, Master Sergt. James Mar
shall, First Sergt. Joseph Cranman,
and Sergts. Moore, Winters, Pearlman
and Crosby.
The Sanctuary Society of the Sa
cred Heart Church held a card party
on October 15, at the Catholic Wo
men’s Club rooms. Mrs. E. T. Skef-
fington and Mrs. F. A. Smith super
vised the arrangements for the affair.
The Knights of Columbus indoor
ball league got under way October 13,
with two games at the Benedictine
Armory. About seventy-five of the
members of the council have joined
the four teams which have been
formed. The schedule call for twen
ty-four games, two a night. Jim To
bin, Bill Kenkins, Harry Robinson,
and Dick Fogarty are captains of the
four teams organized.
The educational committee of the
Catholic Women’s Club entertained
with a card party on October 21, at
their club rooms. Mrs. C. R. Pat
terson was chairman of the committee
in charge.
At the October 6, meeting of the St.
Vincent’s Academy Parent-Teacher
Association, Father Croke gave an in
formal talk asking the members for
their full co-operation witht he asso
ciation. The society gave a card par
ty at the DeSoto Hotel on Oct. 17.
Frain-Nueslein—The marriage of
Miss Ann Elizabeth Frain, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Frain, to James
George Nueslein -was solemnized at
the Sacred Heart Church October 8.
Rev. Fr. Norbert, O. S. B., assisted
by Rev. Fr. Aloysius, O. S. B., offi
ciated. After the ceremony the bride
and groom left for Cuba on their wed
ding trip.
o-
Station WSB, Atlanta, which
has been t broadcasting the
Catholic Hour of the National
Council of Catholic Men
through the cooperation of
First Vice President J. J. Hav-
erty of the Catholic Layman’s
Association WSB has gone on
its winter schedule with
the change from daylight sav
ing to standard time in the
East, and its schedule during
the winter, as before daylight
saving time went into effect,
does not permit it to broad
cast the feature regularly,
Lambkin Kay, radio director
of the station, which is spon
sored by the Atlanta Journal,
announces.. The Catholic Hour
will be broadcast by WSB the
first Sunday of the month,
however, and the fifth Sunday
when the calendar permits. It
is anticipated that when the
time changes again the pro
gram will be broadcast from
Atlanta every Sunday. All oth
er stations broadcasting the
Catholic Hour will continue to
do so.
-6
The funeral of Anderson Bell, who
died October 11, was held from the
Sacred Heart Church. Interment fol
lowed in the Cathedral Cemetery. Mr.
Bell was a native Sovannahian and is
survived by one son, Joseph H. Bell;
two daughters, Mrs. Nellie White of
Savannah and Mrs. Marie Skinner of
Columbus; two sisters, Mrs. Emma
Yokum of Savannah, and Mrs. Susan
Zehnbar of Jacksonville.
An interesting meeting of the Sa
cred Heart P.-T. A., was held October
7, at the school building. Mrs. Elton
Wright, president, conducted the
meeting. An interesting talk was made
by Rev. Father Aloysius, O. S. B., as
sistant pastor of the Sacred Heart
Church. Standing committees, seven
in number, were announced for the
ensuing year. On October 24, the as
sociation gave a Hallowe’en party at
the Benedictine Armory. Mrs. L. H.
Cooper was general chairman of the
affair. At the close of the meeting
the members enjoyed several selec
tions rendered by Mrs. Theresa Hub-
ner, accompanied by Miss Margaret
Steeg.
Mrs. Sarah McQuillan, widow of the
late Edward McQuillan, died on Mon
day, October 8 ,and the funeral took
place from the Cathedral of St John
the Baptist. Interment followed in the
Cathedral Cemetery. Mrs. McQuillan
was well known. She is survived by
a son and several grand-children.
William J. Ryan, prominent Sa-
vannahian, was sworn in as deputy
sheriff of Chatham County on Oc
tober 10. Mr. Ryan succeeds T. P.
Wright.
Mr. Ryan has been connected, for a
number of years, with the Screck-
Monahan real estate concern.
Brady-Wolfc—The marriage of Miss
Elizabeth Anne Brady to Frank R.
Wolfe was solemnized on October 16,
by Rev. Father Knox at the Bishop’s
residence. After the wedding, the
couple left for Florida on thir wed
ding trip.
On October 12, Savannah Council,
Knights of Columbus, celebrated Co
lumbus’ Day with an all-day outing
at the Benedictine camp. On Octo
ber 11, the Fourth Degree assembly
celebrated the occasion with an oyster
supper at the club rooms. The sup
per was served by ladies of the Cath
olic Women’s Club. Mrs. J. B. Mc
Donough was in charge.
A beautiful mosaic shield was pre
sented to the Council by James Pelli.
The shield which is a splendid piece
of work was made entirely by hand.
Mr. Pelli was thanked on behalf of
the council by James F. Glass. Rev.
Fr. T. J. McNamara made an inspiring
address on “Christopher Columbus”
N. T. Stafford, deputy grand knight,
acted as toastmaster on the occasion^
On October 14, the Ladies’ Auxili
ary of the Blessed Sacrement church
held a meeting at the parish hall.
Final plans are being made for the
booth at the Georgia State Fair which-
Will be in progress the week, October
Scientist Believers,
Fr. McClorey Says
(By N. C. W. C. News Service)
NEW YORK. — While propaganda
has persuaded many to believe that
science and revelation cannot be re
conciled, the fact is that by far the
greater number of genuine scientists
have been believers in revelation, the
Rev. John A. McClorey, S. J., de
clared in his address on “Scientists
and Sciolists,” in the “Catholic Hour,”
October 19. The “Catholic Hour,” is
sponsored by the National Council of
Catholic Men and is broadcast over a
network of the National Broadcasting
Company from Station WEAF here.
“Great is the power of propagan
da,” said Father McClorey. “Through
its instrumentality the persuasion has
become cjuite common that science
and revelation cannot be reconciled
Yet, as a matter of fact, by far the
greater number of genuine scientists
have been believers in revelation.
The two Bacons, Copernicus, Kepler,
Kircher, Newton, Harvey, Descartes,
Ampere, Volta, Mendel, Lord Kelvin,
Clarke-Maxwell, Faraday, Pasteur,
these are a few of the great believing
scientists who occur to the mind at
once. Can any group of non-believ
ing great scientists be compared with
these?
“The gigantic intellects of the pa
tristic age—Augustine, Ambrose, Je
rome, Athanasius, Leo Basil, Chrysos
tom and Nazianzen—were steeped in
devotion to Christianity. Nearly all
the thinkers of the Middle Ages, with
Thomas Aquinas, Duns Scotus, Al-
bertus Magnus, and Bona venture at
their head, were holy as well as
learned men. In poetry, Shakespeare,
Dante, Milton Tasso, Calderon, Cor
neille, and Racine; in sculpture and
painting, Michael Angelo, Raphael,
Murillo, and Titian; in music, Mozart,
Chopin and Gounod; in architecture,
the builders of the Gothic Cathedrals;
in eloquence. Bossuet, Massillon,
Lacordaire, Burke, Chatham, Pitt,
Fox and Webster. We do not sub
scribe to the statistical argument nor
take satisfaction in merely counting
heads, but we do maintain that it is
a fact that great scientists and great
intellectual leaders in every age have
found no difficulty in reconciling
their scientific knowledge with their
faith in revealed truth. This fact is
a valid argument against those who
say that the two are inherently in
compatible.
DR. DANIEL W. SHEA DIES—
PHYSICS DEPARTMENT HEAD
(By N. C. W. C. News Service)
WASHINGTON.—Dr. Daniel Wil
liam Shea, head of the Department of
Physics at the Catholic University of
America here, died at his home in
Greenland, N. H., October 17. Dr.
Shea would have been 71 years old on
November 27. He had been a mem
ber of the Catholic University faculty
since 1895.
Born in Portsmouth, N. H., in 1859,
he was graduated from Harvard
University with the Bachelor of Arts
degree in 1886, and the Master of
Arts degree in 1888. He received the
degree Doctor of Philosophy at Fried
rich Wilhelm University, Berlin, in
1892. He was a member of the New
Hampshire House of Representatives
from 1886 until 1888, and served as a
professor at the University of Illi
nois.
26 to November 1. The Auxiliary
gave a card party on October 16.
At the regular monthly meeting of
the Catholic Women’s Club held on
October 14, Rev. Fr. Boniface, O. S. B.,
gave an interesting lecture on the
"Passion Play.” Father Boniface was
introduced to the members by Rev.
Fr. T. L. Knox, chaplain of the club.
On Monday evening, October 27,
the entertainment committee will
stage a style show under the direc
tion of Miss Margaret Reynolds. The
committee will stage a minstrel on
November 18 and the rehearsals for
the play are under the direction of
Rev. Fr. Norbert, O. S. B.
The educational committee, under
the direction of Mrs. Charles Peter
son, has begun its activities again
this year. A committee was appoint
ed to visit the Detention Home each
Tuesday during November, for the
purpose of helping with the work of
that institution. Mrs. Joseph E. Kel
ly, president, presided over the meet
ing.
Mrs. Mary Dunn, daughter of Mrs.
Matthew F. Dunn and the late Dr.
Dunn, has returned to Notre Dame
College in Baltimore for her senior
year.
History of Catholicity in
Edgefield Covers Century
Church There, Recently Ren
Lynch in 1860. Bishop Eng
Bishop Barry of Savannah
The historic old church at Edge-
field, S. C., one of the oldest in this
section, located on the Aiken Missions
of which Rev. George Deitz is pastoi,
and in particular charge of Rev.
Alfred Kamler, has just been reno
vated, the renovation including the
repainting of the interior, installing ot
electric lights and fixtures and other
improvements. The following article
on the church, written by Rev. Henry
F. Wolfe, chancellor of the Diocese of
Charleston, indicates in convincing
fashion the historic importance of this
venerable little church.
ovated, Dedicated by Bishop
land, Bishop Reynolds and
Attended the Mission
“Vicar Foreign” to the Bahama Is
lands, which were at that time under
the jurisdiction of the Bishop of
Charleston. There he was most fav
orably received and honored by Gov
ernor Bayley. He celebrated divine
service at the residence of the Spanish
Consul.
REV. HENRY F. \VOLFE, M. A.
The earliest history extant of the
Catholic Church in the Edgefield dis
trict dates back to about 1828. Dur
ing Bishop England’s time the scat
tered Catholics in this vicinity, were
occasionally visited by him and his
clergy, and principally by the Very
Rev. John Barry, pastor of Augusta
and Columbia successively. He later
became the second Bishop of Savan
nah. After Bishop England’s death,
his successor, the Right Rev. Ignatius
Reynolds, attended this mission from
time to time. Divine worship was
celebrated ip the old Court House, ac
cording to the Catholic Miscellany,
founded by Bishop England in Char
leston, the first Catholic paper to be
edited in the United States.
When the See of Savannah was
created, in 1850, Georgia was separat
ed from the Diocese of Charleston, the
Rev. Timothy Bermingham was resi
dent pastor at Columbus, Georgia.
At the division of the diocese, Bishop
Reynolds was Anxious to retain Dr.
Bermingham and invited him back to
South Carolina. He complied with
out hesitation, leaving a devoted con
gregation and a city where he was es
teemed by every class and denomina
tion of citizens. The Bishop offered
him the choice of Columbia, where
he was erstwhile pastor for twelve
years. Father Bermingham, never
theless, accepted St. Andrew’s
Church, Barnwell, where no priest
had ever been resident, and made it
his headquarters. He was to care for
Edgefield, Graniteville, Clinton, Dr.
Burt’s, Dr. McDonald’s, and General
Jones,’ to whose homes he went once
a. month to celebrate Mass—the prin
cipal rite of the Church ordained by
Christ to afford the faithful an op
portunity to receive and worship the
living Body and Blood of CJirist
under the appearances of bread and
wine.
After the lapse of a year, Dr. Ber
mingham accepted the pressing in
vitation of General J. Jones of the
Graniteville-Edgefield District, to be
come a resident in his household.
This happy relation was only termi
nated when the General was appoint
ed by the State of South Carolina to
superintend the construction of the
new State Capitol at Columbia. Gen
eral Jones, although he was not a
Catholic, was a great benefactor to
the Catholic Church at Edgefield.
From then on, Father Bermingham
went to Charleston, where he lived
with Bishop Lynch at the Cathedral,
attending his missions regularly.
During all this time, Dr. Berming
ham, preached, periodically, and by
public announcement through the
“Edgefield Advertiser”—in a little
chapel built by his friend, Dr. John
H. Burt, and a convert, eight miles
from Edgefield Court House. There,
citizens of all classes and denomina
tions in the vicinity assembled to hear
the zealous missionary, and most of
them for the first time, and to hear
Catholic doctrine and morals, which
he forcibly and impressively preached
—to the conviction of many.
The happy result of this was that a
gentleman who had been a regular
and an attentive hearer—Dr. Elbert
Bland of Edgefield, opened and head
ed a subscription list for the building
of a Catholic Church at the Court
House. He was generously assisted
not only by the few Catholics, but
likewise by several non-Catholic
friends. The amount collected was
two thousand dollars, a large sum in
those days.
Father Bermingham purchased a
four acre lot for the sum of three
thousand dollars, although he did not
have a dollar for this object. He left
Edgefield and travelled far and wide
on a collecting tour, returning in a
few months with funds to pay for the
lot. Dr. Bermingham set out on his
second tour for money travelling to
New Orleans and thence to Canada.
On his return work at the Quarry
began January 28, 1858. The following
month, _ February 4, the cornerstone
was laid by Dr. Patrick N. Lynch,
Administrator of the Diocese of Char
leston. The stone contains a copy of
the last issue of the Catholic Miscel
lany, the current day’s “Edgefield Ad
vertiser,” a silver medal of the Imma
culate Conception, and also the ori
ginal subscription list of the citizens
of Edgefield towards the Church, and
a Latin document written by Dr.
Lynch.
In January, 1859. Dr. Bermingham,
owing a debt of five thousands dol
lars on the Church, went to Charles
ton to beg. Thence he went to Ha
vana, Cuba, and to the principal
cities seeking donations for the Edge-
field Church. He was especially in
debted to the Bishop of Havana and
General Concha. He also went as
(Special to The Bulletin
WASHINGTON, D. C. — The im
pressive ceremony of departure of
the -Rev. Timothy Brosnahan, S. M.,
for the foreign missions, was held
at Marist College, here October 9.
Father Brosnahan follows several
other Marist missionaries, who, in
recent years, after completing their
training at Marist College have an
swered the call to the mission field
of Oceanica. Among these was the
, • * . , , , , jlRev. Thomas Wade. S. M., first Vicar-
On his return to Edgefield, he had ApostoUo of the Northern Solomon
ott tne oebt^i s i anc js, who is to receive episcopal
sufficient funds to pay
and to complete the church all but
fourteen hundred dollars. At the time
of its dedication it is said that the
church had no peer apart from the
Cathedral of Charleston, south of the
Potomac. It is of Norman style ar
chitecture and was designed by Major
John R. Nierensie, the architect of the
State Capitol at Columbia. The edifice
is of massive native granite quarried
and cut about four miles away. In
the tower was placed a bell cast at
Menelly’s factory, Troy, New York.
The organ was a gift of some liberal
citizens, Bishop Lynch, and a few
Catholics about Edgefield. Two
marble altars were placed in the
church and the paneling done in
various colored marble. Over the
main altar is a stained glass of the
Immaculate Conception of the Blessed
Virgin Mary, Patroness of the Chufch.
Those who have seen this church
might well visualize the dynamic per
sonality of Dr. Bermingham who
made it a part of the rock of the
ages.
The dedication was held on Sunday,
October 21, 1860. The Right Rev. P.
N. Lynch, D. D., Bishop of Charleston,
was accompanied by Rev. Felix J.
Carr, his secretary, Miss Hermine
Petit, Miss Elizabeth O’Gorman, and
Louis Barbot, members of the Cathe
dral Choir, Charleston. Bishop
Lynch celebrated a solemn Pontifical
Mass, assisted by Rev. Thomas Mur
phy of Wilmington, N. C., as deacon,
the Rev. J. J. O’Connell of Columbia,
as sub-deacon, the Rev. Felix Carr
as Master of Ceremonies, and the
Rev. T. Bermingham as Archdeacon.
Bishop Lynch delivered the sermon
followed by an address from the pas
tor. In the afternoon the Rev. J. J.
O’Connell preached on Holy Com
munion. It is interesting to note that
Miss Hermine Petit, the Cathedral
organist, played in Charleston, on tne
piano with the world-renowned Sigis-
mund Thalberg and received his eu
logy. Mr. Louis Barbot, basso-pro-
fundo, is said to have been the ar
chitect of the Episcopalian Church at
Barnwell, C. H., and remodelled the
Court House at Charleston. Bishop
Lynch was commissioned in 1864, by
President Davis to go to Europe on a
confidential mission as Minister-
Plenipotentiary of the Confederate
Government.
In sketching the history of Catho
licity and of the Church in Edgefield,
it is proper to record the names of
those who in addition to the contri
bution of their money, rendered ac
tual service in the construction of the
Church. They are as follows: Dr.
John Howard Burt, Charles Mathis,
Francis O’Connor, James Mathis, John
Bland, Louis Jones, Emmet Sibals,
General James Griffin, and Dr. El
bert Bland. Dr. Bermingham was es
pecially indebted to Col. A. Simkins
and Messrs. D. R. Durisoe and E.
Heese, Editors of the ‘Edgefield Ad
vertiser” whose “Kindly editorials
and artistic appreciation cheered and
encouraged him.” Father Berming
ham said of Dr. Bland, “He was
not only the first to commence
and subscribe to the list of the
subscription that originated the build
ing of . the Church, but also he per
sonally and by his influence and by
various other means, stood by and as
sisted Rev. Mr. Bermingham from the
day he went into the Quarry, until the
day he erected the cross on the
church. . . . Indeed, with regard to
all. our fellow-citizens, Rev. Mr
Bermingham can truly say, that dur
ing his three years intercourse with
them, while building, he has never
received an unkindness or discourtesy
in word or deed: but on the contrary,
every needed favor, every mark of re
spect and politeness has been ex
tended to him.”
Marist Father Leaves
f or Foreign Mission
Father Brosnaham Goes
From U. S. to Oceanica
consecration in Sydney on October
26 at the hands of the Apostolic Del
egate to Australia. Father Brosnahan
who is to sail from San Francisco on
October 23, is to be stationed under
Bishop Wade.
Last June Father Brosnahan com
pleted his studies at Marist College
and was ordained in the National
Shrine of the Immaculate Concep
tion on June 10, by Bishop McNa
mara. He lived for some years in
Washington, D. C., and has many
friends and relatives in this city. At
present his family is residing in
Brookline, Mass.
At 4 o’clock on the ninth of October
the formal Departure Ceremony took
place. Bishop Shahan presided. Af
ter the customary interrogatory
which recalls once more to the young
missionary’s mind the joys and trials
of his calling, Bishop Shahan preach
ed a very appropriate sermon on the
life of the apostolate and the Church
as a missionary organization.
After the sermon he gave Solemn
Pontifical Benediction. The Very
Rev. Romain Butin S. M., Provincial
of the Washington Province of the
Society of Mary, was deacon and
the Very Rev. Nicholas A. Weber,
S. M., Superior of Marist College,
was subdeacon.
The ceremony was attended not on
ly by the members of the two Marist
houses in Washington, but also by
some of Father Brosnahan’s relatives,
by a number of Sisters from several
religious communities, and by rep
resentatives of the Wekanduit Society
of Trinity College.
Abbe Dimnet Net
to Debate Darrow
Ecclesiastical Authorities
Withhold Their Approval
Emily Caroline Dozier, was the first
child baptized in the Church of the
Immaculate Conception. The .first
children baptized in the Church after
the dedication were the children of
John A. Bland and Sally A. Watson.
The children were as follows: Arthur
Simkins,
(By N. C. W. C. News Service)
NEW YORK. — Ecclesisatical au
thorities of the Archdiocese of New
York have declined to give permis
sion for Abbe Ernest Dimnet, French
priest, author and lecturer, to debate
Clarence Darrow, an agnostic, on the
subject “Is Religion Necessary?” at
Mecca Temple on November 15, it was
disclosed here recently.
In the absence of His Eminence
Patrick Cardinal Hayes, the Rt. Rev.
John J. Dunn, Auxiliary Bishop of
New York, denied permission for
Abbe Dimnet to engage in the debate.
Canon Law requires that a priest
have permission from the Holy See
or from the Bishop of the Diocese
before engaging in any controversial
religious discussion.
That permission to debate Mr. Dar
row had been withheld from Abbe
Dimnet was revealed in letters made
public by the Discussion Guild which
was sponsoring the meeting. Abbe
Dimnet had written to the Guild, ad
vising them that the Chancery of the
Diocese of New York had declined
hmi permission for the debate. The
Abbe also declared that the matter
was closed so far as he was con
cerned.
ST. PAUL’S, BIRMINGHAM,
PLANS NOV. BAZAAR
, Avory, Elbert, Sophia, ,. , . --— * —
Alice, Catherine (Kate) Smiley. The-i which Mrs. Elsie Roll is president,
St. Barnabas Parish House
Opened in Birmingham
(Special to The Bulletin)
BIRMINGHAM. Ala. — St. Paul’s
parish here will conduct a bazaar
November 20-22, and Father Pathe,
director of the bazaar, has announc
ed the chairmen of the various com
mittees. A series of social features
for the benefit of the bazaar- will
precede it.'
St. Barnabas Parish House opened
recently with a splendid program.
Rev. Francis J. McCormack, pastor,
and Rev. Philip McCormack spoke.
The Altar Society of the parish, of
"MVc TTIoi/-* T? ^TT 7 „ ; j x
sponsors were Dr. Wm. M. Burt, and
Maria M. Burt. It is interesting to
record that Mr. and Mrs. John A.
Bland r were not Catholics, although
Mrs. Bland became a Catholic on Au
gust 22, 1869.
Several of the pastors of St. Mary’s,
Edgefield, have been very distin
guished clergymen. The Rev. Charles
Groghan was a chaplain with the
rank of Major in the Confederate
Army, as was also the Rev. L. P.
O’Connell, serving as Military Chap
lain to the Sisters of Our Lady of
Mercy of Charleston, who were in
charge of the Confederate Hospital at
Greenbrier, White Sulpher Springs,
Va. Although Bishop Persico’s ad
ministration antedates the foundation
of the church, still, as a pastor of the
Catholics of the Edgefield district he
deserves mention, because he is the
second Bishop who had labored on the
missions of the United States to be
raised to the Cardinalate.
If the Catholic Church lives and
labors in and about Edgefield today,
arranged the household furniture.
Mrs. Ellis Walker entertained the
Catholic Woman’s Club here at a re
cent meeting.
we owe it after God, to the sacrifices
of devoted and heroic bishops, priests,
and laity. To recall to the memory
of the present generation, and to
record to future generations the
achievements of the missionaries of
the past is the purpose of this sketch
of the Edgefield Church.
The sources are as follows:
Baptismal. Marriage, and Burial
Record of St. Mary’s Church, Edge-
field, begun by Dr. Bermingham and
containing in his own handwriting a
history of Catholicity in and about
Edgefield.
The U. S. Catholic Miscellany.
The Archives of the Diocese cf
Charleston.
O’Connell’s, “History of Catholicity
in the Carolina’s and Georgia.”