Newspaper Page Text
DECEMBER 16. 1933
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC DAYMEN'S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
SEVEN
Msgr. Mitchell Cites Life
of Capt. Rice as Example
In Sermon at Solemn Re- 14100 IT PlTUEnDM
quiem Mass at Cathedral™AoO A I llA l ntUflflL
He Recalls His Services to, rf|Q PADTAIM DIPC
the Church in Georgia lUrl llAMAIIl flluL
(Special to 'rhe Bulletin)
SAVANNAH, Ga. — Taking his
text from Apoc. XIV, 13: “Blessed are
the dead who died in the Lord. From
henceforth now, saith the Spirit, that
they may rest from their labors, for
their works follow them.” the Rt.
Rev. Msgr. Joseph D. Mitchell, V. G..
pastor of St. Patrick's Church, de
livering the sermon at the Solemn
High Mass of Requiem at the Cath
edral of St. John the Baptist Novem
ber 29 for the repose of the soul of
Capt. P. H. Rice, K. C. S. G.. cited
the life and the activity of Captain
Rice for the Church as examples for
the laity of Georgia and elsewhere to
follow. The Most Rev. Michael
J. Keyes, D. D., Bishop of Savannah,
presided at the Mass and pronounced
the absolution.
“Every Requiem Mass has two par
ticular effects,” Monsignor Mitchell
said in part. “It assists the soul of
the person for whom it is offered and
it reminds us all that one day we, too,
will be called upon to render an ac
count of our stewardship before the
Eternal Throne.
“But as we gather here this morn
ing before the altar to assist at this
Mass for the late Captain P. H. Rice,
uniting our prayers with those of
the j>riest for the repose of his im
mortal soul, we cannot be unmind
ful of the lessons taught by the qual
ities of mind and heart of this belov
ed and distinguished Catholic lay
leader.
“Of Captain Rice’s love for his
city, state and nation, and of his no
table civic services I shall not speak.
They have been recorded in splendid
editorial tributes in the newspapers
©f Augusta, Savannah, Columbus and
elsewhere, and laudatory as those
editorial tributes were, they in no
way exaggerated the results of his
labors for his comrpunity, common
wealth and nation, nor the sterling
qualities of heart and soul of which
♦hey were an outpouring.
“We are concerned especially to
day with Captain Rice, the Catholic
layman, and with his career
Catholic lay leader. He was an hum
ble man. He sought in his own hum
ble way to serve his parish, his Dio
cese, the Universal Church, but his
humble, enthusiastic and able labors
won for him recognition, entirely un
sought, as the outstanding layman of
Georgia, and one of the most distin
guished Catholic lay leaders of the
United States; it won him honors
from the Holy Father himself.
“Captain Rice was not interested in
one phase pf Catholic activity mere
ly, but in every phase. Every effort
in his parish for over a half-century,
every community and Diocesan ac
tivity, had his sympathetic interest
and ztalous assistance. The Sacred
Heart Cadets , the St. Vincent de
Paul Society, the Holy Name Society,
the Diocesan Orphanges, the retreat
movement — these and numerous
other activities were beneficiaries of
his enthusiastic labors.
“Conspicuous among the achieve
ments of Captain Rice were those he
accomplished for the Knights of Co
lumbus. Coming in contact with the
order in his business travels in other
parts of the country before it was
well started on the program of ex
tension which carried it to every
community of size in the United
States and to countries beyond our
borders, he recognized its value to
the Church and resolved that Geor
gia should have Councils of the
Knights of Columbus.
“Captain Rice alone did not intro
duce the Knights of Columbus into
Georgia, but no one was more influ
ential than he in bringing the order
to our state or in its development af.
ter it was established here. He served
as the first £rand knight of Patrick
Walsh Council at Augusta, a post he
occupied for many years at differ
ent periods, and he served the Knights
of Columbus also as state deputy,
master of tlie fourth degree and
member of the supreme board of the
order.
“A native Georgian, a Georgian
who loved his native state with every
fibre of his being, he was deeply dis
tressed by the wave of anti-Cath-
olic prejudice which began to develop
in it a generation or more ago. As
state deputy of the Knights of Co
lumbus he successfully advocated a
movement for the distribution of lit
erature about the teachings and prac
tices of the Church, a misunderstand
ing of which was, in his opinion, the
basis lor the anti-Catholic feeling so
evident in those days; the work was
financed by an assessment paid by
the members of the Knights of Co
lumbus of Georgia to the state coun
cil. This was years before the found
ing of the Catholic Laymen’s Associa-
iton of Georgia; it was the first stir
rings of the movement which was to
develop in later years into the lay
men’s Association.
Bishop Keyes Presides, Msgr.
Croke Celebrant — Msgr.
Mitchell Delivers Sermon
'1 shall not say that Captain Rice
•lone is responsible for the existence
•f the Catholic Laymen’s Association
of Georgia, but I will and do say that
he was the moving spirit in ito or-'
(Special to The Bulletin)
SAVANNAH, Ga.-The Most Rev.
Michael J. Keyes, D. D., Bishop of
Savannah, arose from his sick-bed to
preside at the Solemn High Mass of
Requiem at the Cathedral of St. John
the Baptist November 29 for the re
pose of the soul of the late Capt. P.
H. Rice, K. C. 9. G„ Augusta, presi
dent-emeritus of the Catholic Lay
men's Association of Georgia. Bishop
Keyes had hoped to officiate at n
Pontifical Mass, but physically un
able to do so at the time, he insisted
nevertheless in presiding at the Mass
and in giving the absolution.
The Very Rev. Msgr. Jos. F. Croke.
rector of the Cathedral of St. John
the Baptist and chancellor of the Dio
cese of Savannah, was the celebrant
of the Mass, the Very Rev. Boniface
Bauer, O. S. B., pastor of Sacred
Heart Church, deacon, the Rev. T. J.
McNamara, pastor of Sacred Heart
Church, Milledgeville, sub-deacon
and the Rev. H. J. Barr of the Cathe
dral master of ceremonies. The Very
Rev. Edward P. McGrath, S. M., pas
tor of Sacred Heart Church, Atlanta,
and the Rev. H. F. Clark, pastor of
St. Anthony’s Church, Atlanta, were
chaplains to Bishop Keyes. The ser
mon, delivered by the Rt. Rev. Msgr.
Jos. D. Mitchell, V. G., pastor of St.
Patrick'® Church, will be found else
where in this issue.
Delegations of the clergy and of the
laity from various cities in the state
and elsewhere attended the Mass, the
family of Captain Rice occupying the
front pews. The children from the
Marist School and from St. Vincent
School and Academy, attended in i
body. Representatives of the religi
ous orders of men and women of tne
city and Diocese were also present.
A detail of Benedictine Cadets acted
as an escort of honor. T^ie choir
under the direction of James B.
Copps sang the Mass.
Clergy present at the Mass in addi
tion to those mentioned included the
Rev. Raphael Adams, O. F. M.. Calli-
coon, N. Y., the Rev. J. B. Franck-
hauser, S. J., Augusta, the Rev.
Joseph E Moylan, Atlanta; the Rev.
Thomas A. Brennan, Albany; the Rev.
Thomas L. Finn, Washington; the
Rev. James Reilly, S. M., and the
Rev. Marion Perry, S. M., Brunswick;
the Rev. John Crean. Columbus; the
Rev. Joseph R. Smith, the Rev. G.
Obrecht, S. M. A., the Rev. A. Gall,
S. M. A., the Rev. James H Grady,
the Rev. John Mullins, the Rev.
Joseph Tobin. O. S. B., the Rev. Ste
phen Dowd. O. 9. B.. and the Rev.
Norbert McGowan, O. S. B., Savan
nah; the Rev. Wm. J. Harty, S. J.,
Macon.
T rihute of Cardinal Hayes
to Late C. L. A. President
His Leadership an Inspiration. He Wires
Bishop Keyes
In a telegram to the Most Rev. Michael J. Keyes,
D. D., Bishop of Savannah, His Eminence, Patrick Car
dinal Hayes, Archbishop of New York, pays a touching
tribute to the late Capt. P. H. Rice, K. C. S. G., and ex
presses his sorrow at his passing.
"May I express to Your Excellency,” Cardinal
Hayes wires Bishop Keyes, "and to the family and
friends cf the late Sir Patrick Rice, my sincerest sym
pathy on the death of this outstanding Christian gentle
man. I met him for the first time during war day's, and
the fine impression he made on me has never passed.
His leadership in the Catholic Laymen’s Association was
an inspiration to Catholic Action throughout the coun
try. May his noble soul rest in peace eternal.”
ganization, and that in its develop
ment from a small, unknown group
into an orgnization whose fame has
spread not only to every section of
the United States, but to every cor
ner of the world, no one has contrib
uted more than the valiant Christian
gentleman whom we mourn today.
“It was he who made the arrange
ments for the original meetings. It
was he who secured for the associa
tion the services of its first publicity
director, and the services of Mr. Far
rell’s successor when God took him
away from us so suddenly, at the
height of his career. Captain Rice
became president of the association
when it was but three years old; he
remained president until within a
half-month of his death, and even
in that interim he was as enthus
iastically active in behalf of the as
sociation as in any period of its his
tory.
‘There are many phases of Captain
Rice’s life on which we might dwell
with profit. He was a devoted hus
band, a loving father, an humble
parishioner, an upright citizen, a suc
cessful business man who did not al
low his business to interfere with his
religious duties, a friend of the poor,
the lowly and the orphaned as well
as of the famous and of the mighty,
a just, genial, kindly, God-loving
man.
“How the people of Georgia looked
forward each year to the annual con
vention of the Catholic Laymen's
Association. It was the memory of
Captain Rice’s contagious enthusiasm
which, having. brought them to the
convention, inspired them with zeal
for the cause to which he had given
his heart and the labors of his days
and nights, and sent them back to
their various communities to spread
the zeal and enthusiasm and opti
mism they caught from his radiant
personality.
“TTie Catholic Laymen's Associa
tion of Georgia is famed throughout
the world. Our Holy Father has
blessed it repeatedly. We Georgia
Catholics are proud of it. But this
is a time to^stop for an examination
of conscience and to ask ourselves
what right most of us have to be
proud of it.
‘"Dte Catholic Laymen’s Associa
tion of Georgia has been made what
Notable Trihutes to Life
and Work of Captain Rice
•Continued on Page Eight)
When the news of the death of Cap
tain Rice became known, messages of
sympathy and tributes to him poured
in from all parts of the nation to the
Most Rev. Michael J. Keyes, D. D.,
Bishop of Savannah, to the family of
Captain Rice and to the Catholic
Laymen’s Association of Georgia.
BISHOP KEYES on learning of
Captain Rice's death immediately
wired his sympathy to the family, ex
pressing regret that the state of his
health made it impossible for him to
attend the funeral, and stated that
the Very Rev. Msgr. Jos. F. Croke,
chancellor of the Diocese, would rep
resent him. He advised the family
that a Pontifical Mass or a Solemn
High Mass Coram Ep'iscopo would be
offered the following Wednesday at
the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist
for “the man after Mr. Farrell who
made the Catholic Church known
and respected in Georgia. In the
death of Captain Rice the Diocese of
Savannah loses one of its best men
and the Bishop of Savannah has lost a
man whom he trusted.”
BISHOP WALSH of Charleston,
writes: “The news of Mr. Rice’s
death came as a shock- For all my
memories of him were of his energy
and activity. Keenly alive to the
Church’s problems and opportunities
in the Southland, Pat Rice’s soul was
fired with zeal. He seemed to have
no thought but of the Church. His
glowing countenance always flashes
before me when I read these words
of Our Lord: ‘I am come to cast fire
on the earth, and what will I but
that it be kindled.’ Georgia has lost
a great lay apostle. May God rest his
kindly soul.”
BISHOP BARRY of St. Augsutine,
wrote Bishop Keyes: “On my return
this morning from the Southeast
Coast of Florida I found your letter
awaiting me containing the sad news
of the demise of Sir Patrick H. Rice,
K. C. S. G. We feel the loss of this
good man just as keenly as his other
numerous friends in the Southeast
will miss him. He was a splendid
example of the finest prdouct of Ca
tholic teaching and practice any
where. We regret that it was not
possible for us to attend his
obsequies. May he rest in peace.”
BISHOP GEROW of Natchez, in a
letter to Bishop Keyes, said: “I have
just heard of the death of Sir Patrick
H. Rice, K. C. S. G- Certainly during
his lifetime he has done much for
the honor and glory of God and the
good of Holy Mother Church. What
a wonderful thing it would be if all
our Catholic men were as interested
in the Church and as zealous in the
promotion of her welfare as he was.
I shall on the day of the Pontifical
Mass in Savannah for the repose of
his soul offer my Mass here in
Natcfrez for him.”
BISHOP TOOLEN of Mobile, in a
wire to His Excellency, the Bishop of
Savannah, expressing deep regret at
the news of the death of Captain
Rice, said: "I shall prayerfully re
member the soul of this gallant Ca
tholic layman who embodied in his
>erson the ideal of Catholic Action,
fly sincere condolences to the
Diocese of Savannah, the principal
loser by his death.”
BISHOP HAFEY of Raleigh writes:
'I am indeed grateful for the oppor
tunity of adding my word of con
dolence to the Diocese of Savannah
and the Catholic Laymen's Associa
tion in the loss of Captain Patrick H.
Rice. He lived his earthly existence
ever mindful that its termination
would be the beginning of life
eternal. Uncompromisingly Catholic
in thought and action. Captain Rice
won for himself a high place in that
small band of cuhured Catholic
gentlemen in Georgia and the other
Southern States whose leadership has
been a benediction to the Catholic
minority and whose lives were open
books from which the non-Catholic
majority gleaned the true answer to
unreasoning prejudice and at the
same time respect for the Faith and
the fairness of their Catholic neigh
bors. Captain Rice deserves to be
remembered as a forerunner and ex
ponent of the Laymen's Missionary
Movement in America.”
BISHOP MONAGHAN. Retired
Bishop of Wilmington, writing to the
family of Captain Riee to express Iris
sympathy and his own sorrow at the
loss “of my dear, life-long friend,”
said: “I have said Mass for the repose
of his noble soul, and I will continue
to pray that God will grant him that
crown of glory which he so richly
deserves for his life of faith and zeal
for God's Holy Church.”
ABBOT VINCENT TAYLOR,
Abbot-Ordinary of Belmont, in a
letter to Bishop Keyes, says: “There
are too few Catholic laymen of Cap
tain Rice's calibre not to bemoan his
passing. I extend to you and to the
Diocese of Savannah my sincere sym
pathy, praying, at the same time, that
God may raise up other men equally
as noble to aid you in your apostolic
work.”
HON. DAVID I. WALSH. United
States Senator from Massachusetts: “I
was shocked to learn of the death of
Captain Rice. I had a strong affection
for him and was a great admirer of
him both as a man and as a leader
of Catholic activities in Georgia. He
rarely ever came to Washington with
out calling upon me, and frequently
sent messages through mutual
friends. Only a short time ago I re
ceived a note from him. I can read
ily understand what a great loss his
death is to the members of his fam
ily and inded to the community at
large.”
BENEDICT ELDER: “He raised a
fine family, made a success in busi
ness, devoted a large part of his time
to true Catholic service of his fellow-
man and died at the ripe age of sev
enty-six ‘in the friendship of the
Lord,’ truly a worthy life and one that
the greatest among us should be only
too happy to equal, and the rest of
us to emulate.”
JACK J. SPALDING, K. M.: “We
were friends and I loved him. He was
the outstanding Catholic layman of
the South and accomplished more
than any other.”
MARTIN H. CARMODY, Supreme
Knight of the Knights of Columbus:
“Few indeed are those whose lives
have been so filled with good works
for God’s Church and his fellowman.
Truly can it be said that the life of
Captain Rice is beautifully complete
and garlanded with good works. May
God grant him eternal rest.”
JOSEPH SCOTT, K. S. G., Los An
geles: “Greatly shocked and grieved
by the news of Captai nRice's death.
He has left his family a legacy be
yond price, for his prodigious works
are written in the Book of Life. God
rest him in His Everlasting Arms.”
LUKE HART. Supreme Advocate of
the Knights of Columbus: “Few men
have contributed so much to the ad
vancement of the principles and ideals
which he held sacred, and his death
will leave a deep void not only in his
home but in the entire community and
among all of those interests with
which he was identified.”
DAVID GOIJ)STEIN, Boston “Lav
Apostle:” "As for Captain Rice, ail
that can be said of such a good Cath
olic gentleman, as I have known him
to be. is 'happy is he who dies in the
Lord’.”
EDWARD L. HEARN, former Rom
an Commissioner of the Knights of
Columbus and Past Supreme Knight
of the Order: “Mr. Rice was generous
and unselfish in his labors for the
welfare of his fellows. His work for
his faith and for his fellows endear
ed him to thousands who will meum
his death.”
POPE PIUS IS KEENLY
INTERESTED IN PRESS
Gives His Blessing to Cath
olic Press of United States
and Those Aiding It
‘Continued from Page Six)
paternalism or condescension.
His Holiness made a number of in
quiries about the state of the Cath
olic Pi ess in the United States. He
asked how many publications there
are, and when told that the Catholic
Press directory lists three hundred
and ten. he expressed great satisfac
tion. He was also visibly impressed
when informed, in answer to his ques
tion. that the circulation of these pub
lications is in excess of seven minion.
He showed a lively interest in other
phases of the American Catholic Press,
particularly the effect of current eco
nomic conditions on it,
Mnnsignor Brcslin then voiced to
His Holiness the petition of the presi
dent of the Catholic Press Associa
tion for a blessing for the American
Catholic Press. For an instant or two.
the Holy Father was silent, as if lost
in thought. Then he said slowly in
Italian:
'■Most gladly do We give Our bless
ing to the Catholic Press of the Uni.
ted States. There is no instrument
which can do more good for the
Church than the Catholic Press, par
ticularly in these days.”
0 C
I ( ALLS PRESS HIS VOICE |
o o
The Holy Father discussed the value
of the Catholic Press at length, re
peating his conception of its high of
fice which he expressed when he said
in a recent address:
"The Catholic Press is my voice. I
do not say that it makes my voice
heard, but it is my voice itself.”
No one in this wide world needs
the information contained in the Cath
olic Press less than the Holy Father,
who is among the most learned of
men, and whose sources of informa
tion perhaps surpass those of any oth
er living person. But His Holiness
reads the Catholic Press.
There is no pastor, priest or lay
man anywhere whose time is less his
own that that of the Chief Pastor of
the Church; compared to his multi
tudinous duties and crushing respon
sibilities those* of the most burdened
of us fade into insignificance. But
the Holy Father finds time to assist
the Catholic Press actively. He re
cently formally opened the new plant
of the Osservatore Romano, semi-of
ficial organ of the Vatican. Frequent
ly he takes occasion to emphasize the
importance of the Catholic Press. And
on this busy morning he gave of his
precious time to commend and bless
the Catholic Press of a country thou
sands of miles away.
“We express the hope and prayer
that the work of the Catholic Press
will ever have God's blessing and
bear abundant fruit.” l»e said. “We
bless not only the Catholic Press, but
all those wo are working with you
and all those who are aiding the Cath
olic Press any way.”
It is not without significance that
the Holy Father blesses supporters
of the Catholic Press — not readers
merely.
Despite the great number of people
awaiting the Holy Father and the in
numerable demands on his time, there
was nothing suggesting haste in the
audience. His Holiness conducts the
interview leisurely and yet without
loss of time; he gives one the feeling
that the time he devotes to you is
yours, and not taken from others
waiting to have a similar privilege.
O-
-O
I GIVES BLESSING IN ENGLI8H 1
0 — — 6
The Holy Father seldom speaks in
English in public. But as he prepared
to draw the interview to a close, he
graciously said:
“We grant you every blessing, ac
cording to your desire.” Every bless
ing,” he repeated, “according to your
desire.” And you may be certain that
every supporter of the Catholic Press
in the United States was included in
that desire.
I expressed my thanks. The Haly
Father extended his hand to Monsig-
nlor Brcslin and then to me. We kiss
ed the pontifical ring. He raised his
hand in blessing, smiled his farewell,
moved quietly from the room, and the
audience was over.
Friends have asked me how many
were in the Holy Fathre's entourage.
1 presume that he had an entourage.
Indeed. I know he had. But how
many there were or who they were.
I do not know. The Holy Father fill
ed my attention, my eyes and my
hear;.
Monsignor Breslin and I left the
Vatican by a private stairway near
the entrance of the Holy Father's pri
vate apartments. We crossed the me
dieval courtyard, and soon a taxicab
was rushing us from the protecting
shadows of St. Peter's across the Tiber
to the world beyond. But the world
did not seem the same, and never will
seem quite the same to me again. 1
had seen and met Christ’s View,