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FEBRUARY 17, 1934 THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA THREE Florida Holy Name Convention Held at San Antonio 7TH ANNUAL MEETING AN EMINENT SUOOESS Bishop Barry Pontificates at Opening Mass. George Ber gen Reelected President (Special to The Bulletin) SAN ANTONIO, Fla.—Before a temporary altar erected at the en trance of St. Joseph’s Church, with the church grounds as a sanctuary, St. Joseph’s Plaza the nave, the sky as a roof and palms swaying in the gentle breezes from the Gulf as an awning, the Most Rev. Patrick Bar ry, D.D., Bishop of St. Augustine, officiated at the Mass Sunday, Janu ary 28, which opened the seventh an nual convention of the Diocesan Holy Name Union. The Rev. Thomas Hoffman, O.S.B., was assistant priest, the Rev. The odore Ray, S.J., Tampa, and the Rev. Lewis Fesser, O.S.B., deacons of hon or, the Rev. Alvin Kontrik, S.C., Ybor City, deacon of the Mass, the Rev. Marion Bowman, O.S.B., sub deacon. and the Rev. J. F. Enright, pastor of St. Paul’s Church, St. Pe tersburg, master of ceremonies. The choir from St. Joseph’s Orphanage, Ybor City, conducted by the Sale- siand Fathers, sang the Mass. The Rt. Rev. Francis Sadlier, O.S.B., D.D., Abbot of St. Leo and many clergy assisted at the Mass. Rev. A. L. Wagner, S.J., principal of Sacred Heart College, Tampa, deliv ered the sermon. Father Wagner as serted that this is the day, of the com mon man, who is now coming into his own in every field, as indicated by recent events in various parts of the world. It is a day of great op portunity as well as of great danger, he asserted, a day in which Catho lic leadership is eminently necessary, a day when Catholic Action is most essential. Father Wagner indicated particu larly two leading and most important channels of Catholic leadership, the Catholic school and organizations like the Holy Name Society, spon sored by ecclesiastical authority. A Communion breakfast at the par ish school hall followed. Father Ber nard delivered the address of wel come and presented Bishop Barry, who was the only speaker. After complimenting Father Bernard and the members of the Holy Name So ciety of the parish for the splendid manner in which they were handling the convention, and the women of the parish for the way in which they arranged the bountiful breakfast, Bishop Barry commended the Holy Name Society of the Diocese for its zeal for the honor of the Holy Name. Tire annual convention is not a demonstration of strength, Bishop Barry said, but a demonstration of faith. The purpose of the‘Holy Name Society is to honor and glorify God, he asserted, and it has no purpose but the increase of the honor given to the Holy Name. Catholics who wish to engage in politics join polit ical organizations; those who wish to develop their own particular lines of business join organizations for that purpose; they join the Holy Name Society only for the purpose indicat ed by the name of the society itself. Bishop Barry urged the Holy Name men not merely to refrain from dis honor to the name of God, but to be otherwise careful and exemplary in their speech. He referred to those who sometimes for the sake of a laugh will even in a public address violate the canons of propriety and morals, something a true Holy Name man and true Catholic will never do. The convention sessions were held in the school hall, President George T Bergen, of Tampa, presiding. The roll call of societies indicated that every part of the Diocese was repre sented, and the principal topic of dis cussion was the extending of the in fluence of the Holy Name Society in the Diocese by the organization of new parish units. A plan suggested by President Bergen was unanimous ly adopted. Mr. Bergen was re-elected presi dent for the coming year; other offi cers named included M. Westerndick, Tallahassee, first vice president; D. G. Nordman, DeLand, second vice president; M. K. Kane, St. Peters burg, treasurer; J. W. Wickham, Tampa, secretary, and John O’Keefe, Lakeland, marshal. Messages of greeting were received from Stephen Early, in the name of President Roosevelt; Governor Dave Sholtz, Congressman J. Hardin Pe terson, and Judge J. W. Sanders, of Dade City. The boys' band from the orphan age entertained in St. Joseph’s Pla za with a band concert in the after noon, a program which was followed by the principal lay address by Rich ard Reid, editor of The Bulletin, Au gusta, Ga., and president of the Cath olic Press Association of the United States, whose subject was the Holy Father, and Rome in the Holy Year. Large Families Cradles of Genius, Fr.Foulkes Asserts In Interview in the Macon News He Points Out Moral and Other Evils of the Practice of Birth Control Florida Holy The Rev. Bernard Weigl, O. S. B., Spiritual director of the San Antonio Holy Name Society, host to the con vention. Name Leaders George T. Bergen, Tampa, presi dent of the Diocesan Holy Name Un ion, re-elected at the convention held at San Antonio. (Special to The Bulletin) MACON, Ga.—Recalling that Benja min Franklin was one of ten chil dren, Washington one of six, Jeffer son Davis one of ten, Thomas Jeffer son one of ten, and James Madison, Washington Irving and General Pershing one of eleven in their re spective families, the Rev. David J. Foulkes, S.J., in an interview pub lished in the Macon News showed that large families frequently are the cradles of genius and asserted that empty cradles are too often the price of a full garage and a life of ease and amusement. Father Foulkes was giving a mis sion at St. Joseph’s Church, the Rev. F. J. Clarkson, S. J., pastor, and his statement was occasioned by position of the president of the Georgia Medi cal Society, Dr. C. H. Richardson, who was quoted in the press as ad vocating sterilization and birth con trol as methods of remedying cur rent conditions. “The Catholic Church condemns birth control as sinful on the ground that it violates the natural law,” Father Foulkes said in his published statement. “Man cannot attain the development suggested by nature without society; society cannot exist if the generative function be per verted. The preservation of the hu man race, imperatively demanded by right reason and order, can be se cured only by means provided by nature. According to nature’s law, the effect of the union of the genera tive principle is, of itself, procrea tion. Birth control is therefore a violation of the natural law, and of its nature, forbidden. “God has implanted in man certain appetites, desires, or tendencies ac companied by faculties and powers to satisfy them. To misuse the faculty of speech by lying or the ap petite for food or drink by gluttony or drunkeness, to steal or to kill, is to violate the natural law. Similarly to use for any other purpose a faculty ordained by God only for the perpet uation of the human race is a viola tion of the law of nature and an of fense against God, the author of na ture. “Birth control is similarly for bidden and prohibited by the positive law of God. He commands and or dains that through the mating of the male and the female in lawful wed lock the human race increase and multiply. “He unmistakably avenges this crime of birth control as in the case of Onan, Gen. 38, 9:10, ‘And there fore God slew him. because he had done a detestable thing’.” “The men and women who prac tice birth control are in the eyes of God Herods strangling His inno cents. They wear on their foreheads the mark of a Cain and like him they are outcasts. For such there cannot be a Heaven. “Is there then a binding obl’ga- tion to procreate children? Not necessarily. The husband and wife may legitimately abstain from the use of their marriage rights. And hence we assert that the only legiti mate way of limiting the family is, birth-control through self-control, which spells abstinence, either total or partial. “Part of the report of the Federal Council of churches is as follows: ‘Very laige families tend to produce poverty, to endanger the health and stability of the family, to limit the educational opportunities of the chil dren, to overstrain the mother and take from her, her own chance for a life larger than the home.’ “Even though very large families tended to produce poverty, poverty is no crime. Parentsof large families must economize, must deprive them selves of many so-called luxuries and make sacrifices, but what a splendid reward is theirs when their children gather around them in their declining years to chant their grati tude. “If you gather information con cerning many of our great statesmen, and national heroes, you will find they invariably spring from very large families. Benjamin Franklin was the eighth of 10 children; Jefferson Davis was the tenth child; George Washington was the first of six; Longfellow was the second of eight; Daniel Boone was the sixth of nine; Thomas Jefferson the third of ten; General John Pershing the first of 11; Washington Irving the last of 11, and James Madison the first of 11. “The accursed assumption back of birth control is the materialistic tenet of our day that this life is our all and that there is no reward for the hardships suffered here. If there be no aftermath, no heaven or hell, why make any sacrifices to propa gate a race destined to final extinc tion? Why generate earthly taber nacles for the image of God. our im mortal souls, if there be none. So reason the Bolshevists of Russia and the fools of today who say in their heart there is no God, when nature animate and inanimate proclaims that fact to highest heaven. “They say very large families tend to endanger the health and stability of the family. The president of the American Medical Association, Dr. W. G. Morgan, a non-Catholic, vehemently denounced birth con trol in a statement published in the Washington Herald a day or two after the church’s council pronounce ment. “Dr. Morgan wrote: ‘I read in this morning’s press with surprise and re gret the action taken by the Council of Churches on birth control. I can not believe any considerable propor tion of the 23,000,000 individuals making up the membership of the 27 American Protestant churches will endorse the findings of that council. “ ‘The questin of birth control is of vital importance to the future of our country, since it affects directly the survival of the white race and its dominance in world progress. If this social practice were to be uni versally endorsed and adopted, it would open the door to unbridled dominance of the basest passions and give rise to the most widespread physical abuses. “ ‘To establish the habit of thwart ing nature is, in the long run. a dan gerous practice, and invariably leads to moral degradation and disaster. It would strike a death blow to self- control and to the dominance of the home. The arguments in favor of birth control are subtle and seductively given to self-indulgence and selfish ness. “ ‘I trust that the voice of the lead ing and thinking men and women of the country will be promptly raised in protest,’ concluded Dr. Morgan. “History of older times, when fam ilies were larger, shows that women were then healthier on the average than they are now in spite of all the progress that medicine and surgery have made. “They say very large families limit the educational opportunities of the children. The country is full of free primary schools, and any boy or girl with a bit of stamina and backbone can work their way through college and university. “The striking fact, however, that we witness today, is that so-called higher education turns out scoun drels of the worst tye. Genuine education begins in the home. “They say very large families tend to overstrain the mother and to take from her own chance for a life larger than the routine of the home. “The modern married couple wants no limiting to their quest for unbridled pleasure; dancing and movies; bridge and golf, auto rides and every kind of amusement cer tainly interfere with the routine of the home. That kind of life is so large that the Almighty is about tired of it. “We are asked to picture a world in which there will be standing room only with countless millions starving, because the world will not be suf ficiently productive to feed them. We need no other answer to this su premely silly talk than to witness our surplus crops of cotton- wheat and fruits. “Kill off the demand for our prod ucts and you will protract the pres ent depression through the years un til he becomes a chronic ailment, yes, you will se the birth control of pros perity and its final obsequies. “The Catholic Church as the inter preter of morality does not allow the modern fallacious doctrine of expediency to still her voice. Pri marily and fundamentally she does not deal in terms of population trends and optimum concepts. She speaks in terms of right and wrong, and so speaking, she declares simply and ef fectively. in language that admits of no' misinterpretation that birth con trol, in the popular sense of the word, is wrong. “Any use whatever of-matrimony exercised in such a way that the act is deliberatley frustrated in its na tural power to generate life is an offense against the law of God and nature, and those who indulge in such are branded with guilt of grave sin.” Bishop Ernest Stires, Episcopalian Bishop of Long Island, at a fare well dinner to the Rev. Dr. Francis J. Healy, transferred from Garden City to St. Joseph's Church, Brook lyn, as pastor, called Father Healy, who is editor-in-chief of the Brook lyn Tablet, “an ideal neghbor and one who has devoted his life to the interest of his parishioners. (Bishop Stires was formerly pastor of the Episcopalian Church of the Good Shepherd, Augusta, Ga. Tennessee Valley Project Stresses Need of Missions Bishop Gerow and Bishop Hafey Outline Conditions in Territory to Be Developed (BY N C. W. C. NEWS SERVICE) NATCHEZ.—That section of the great region embraced in the Ten nessee Valley project which extends into the territory of the Diocese of Natchez presents, in the opinion of the Most Rev. Richard O. Gerow, Bishop of Natchez, ample reason why Catholics of America should under stand and support home mission en terprise. The TVA project, Bishop Gerow notes, affects a portion of Tishomin go County, in the extreme northeast comer of Mississippi, and in that county there are not more than two or three Catholic souls, no church or chapel, or church property of any kind. “As a matter of fact,” Bishop Gc- row said, “the entire northeastern portion of the State of Mississippi has very few Catholics.” The Bishop pointed out that the area covered by three parishes which have resident priests extends over 12,650 square miles, almost equal to the combined area of the states of Massachusetts and Connecticut. Within this vast re gion there are ten chapels, attended once a month by a priest, and the Catholic population of the entire area is 724. “In all this area,” Bishop Gerow said, “there is no Catholic school or any kind of Catholic institution ex cept these little frame churches and chapels.” SIMILAR SITUATION IN NORTH CAROLINA RALEIGH.—In that section of the Tennessee Valley area within the Diocese of Raleigh, embracing all or part of 15 counties, there exist no Catholic schools or institutions of any sort. Knowledge of this fact, the Most Rev. William J. Hafey, Bishop Mr. Reid was presented by Mr. Bergen. Following the speaking program, the procession started for the march to St Leo Academy, where the con vention closed with Solemn Bene diction of the Blessed Sacrament, Bishop Barry officiating. Father Bernard officiated at the renewal of the Holy Name pledge. The closing services, like the opening Mass, were held in the open air. The boys’ band from the orphanage led the proces sion; the Tampa delegation was led by Boy Scout Troop Nine, Tampa; the color guard from Gordon Crothers Post, American Legion, Dade City, took part in the procession. Lakeland was chosen for the 1935 convention. It was announced by Bishop Barry that the Rev. M. Fen nell, pastor at Plant City, is the new Spiritual director of the Diocesan Hely Name Union, succeeding the Rev. P. J. McGill, chancellor of the Diocese, who was forced to relin quish the post by press of other du ties. of Raleigh, said should “bring home to us all the need of more nissicn- ary work in the un-Catholic parts of our country.” “West of Asheville.” Bishop Hafey said, “we have only one parish lo cated at Waynesville. The pastor is the missionary covering the entire section.” Birth Control ‘Heresy* Baptists Are Told Federal Judge Discusses It at Philadelphia (BY N. C. W. C. NEWS SERVICE) PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — Federal Judge George A. Welsh, in an ad dress here at the annual dinner of the Baptist Social Union of Philadel phia, referred to the doctrine of birth control as a “heresy”, which “car ries the seeds of its own destruction and is being promulgated to main tain an economic order that is based on the mere possession of wealth.’ He deplored the spread of birth control propaganda and.declared that the churches must oppose the doc trine or perish. He hailed “the dawn of a new day which finds millions interested in the welfare of their neighbors and a growing spirit of friendliness, among the nations.55 Dr. Johnson Discusses Federal School Aid Presents Position of Private ly Supported Schools The San Antonio parish Holy Name Society was warmly commended for the able manner in which the con vention was handled. Chief credit for the arrangements is given to Fa ther Bernard Weigl, O.S.B., spiritual director of the St. Joseph’s Holy Name Society at San Antonio, the officers of the society, Oliver Hoehn, president, Louis Tourscher, vice president, Peter Dunne, secretary, Joseph Herrmann, treasurer, and William Nally, marshal, the members of the society, and the ladies of the parish, with the Benedictine Fathers at St. Leo Abbey, headed by Ab bot Francis, and the Sisters at Holy Name Academy, also co-operating generously. WASHINGTON. — Although he is opposed to Federal aid to education and is not convinced that the emer gency warrants it, nevertheless, if such aid is given it should be given in a way to benefit the children in privately - supported, non - profit schools as well as the children in public schools, the Rev. Dr. George Johnson, of the Department of Edu cation of the Catholic University of America, will declare in an article appearing in the February issue of The Catholic Educational Review. Detroit Pastor Dies at Lake Worth, Fla. Ill Health Compelled Father Fisher to Retire (Special to The Bulletin) LAKE WORTH, Fla.—The Rev. Edwin A. Fisher, formerly pastor of St. Patrick’s Church, Wyandotte, Mich., died here recently after an extended illness. Father Fisher was born in Wilkesbarre, Pa.. December 23,1871, and educated at Detroit Col lege and St. Mary’s Seminary, Balti more. After serving as assistant in parishes in Detroit, and as prison chaplain, he was named pastor of the Clinton, Mich., parish, and its mis sions, serving from 1906 to 1917 in that capacity. He became pastor at Wyandotte in 1917, but was forced by ill health to retire six years ago. Two sisters, the Misses May C. and Eliza beth V. Fisher, of Highland Park, Mich,, survive. Bishop Gallagher of Detroit pontifioated at the Requiem Mass, which was attended by Bishop Plagens, several monsignori and many priests.