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MAY 19, 1934 THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA SEVEN Facts, Logic Led Him Into Church, John Moody Asserts They Proved to Him Exist ence of God, Divinity of Christ and Foundation of Church by Christ (By N. C. W. C. News Service) WASHINGTON — Telling his au dience of Catholics and non-Catho- lics that once he had “grasped the great underlying doctrines of the Catholic Church, all those seeming ly detached dogmas, which are us ually the stumbling blocks for non- Catholics, fell logically into place and offered no further difficulty,” John Moody, nationally-known layman and convert, delivered an address on “Why I Became a Catholic” at a meeting here of the Convert’s League of the Catholic Daughters of America. The Most Rev. John M. McNamara, auxiliary bishop of Bal timore, presided at the meeting. Mr. Moody, who is president of Moody’s Investors Service, began his address by telling some of the more frequently expressed opinions of non- Catholic friends regarding his con version. It w y as attributed, he said, to his “love of pageantry and pomp”, his impulsiveness; he was “enticed into the Church by a plotting Jesuit priest”; it was “his escape from the realities of life”; he was “getting old and childish—his mind must be de caying.” ROME BRANCH, C.L.A., WILL MEET SUNDAY B. S. Fahy President of Group in Georgia’s Young est Parish (Special to The Bulletin) ROME, Ga.—The Rome branch of the Catholic Laymen’s Association of Georgia, in St. Mary’s parish, of which the Rev. Joseph G. Cassidy is pastor, will hold its annual meeting Sunday afternoon at five o’clock. State President Alfred M. Battey and Richard Reid, publicity director, will attend the meeting. B. S. Fahy, one of Rome’s leaders in business and civic affairs, is president of the Rome branch, in Georgia’s youngest par ish. THE FIRST FRUITS OF BIRTH CONTROL Decline in Population Brings Mounting Per Capita Debt DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH BISHOP’S HOUSE Savannah, Ga. My Dear People: Your Bishop asks you to help him educate our students for the priesthood. Even in the cities we have not a sufficient number of priests. And the poor places of the diocese are in many cases almost wholly neglected. Remember that without priests we have no Sacraments, no Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, no Churches. Last year we received in the annual Collection $3,068.85. We spent $4,400.00. I beg of you in your charity to help towards provid ing priests not only for the cities, but for all Georgia. I pray that the Holy Spirit may bring you His seven fold Gifts and that He may remain with you forever. Faithfully yours in Christ, “Now it will be noticed,” he said, *'that not a single one of these critics gives any consideration to the idea that one may have become a Catholic for the very simple reason that he had found Catholicism to be true—or believed he had found it to be true— end everything contradictory to it false.” Pointing out that it was an objec tive and not a subjective experience which turned his thoughts toward the Catholic Church. Mr. Moody said: “I decided to dig into this seemingly fantastic religion by the same objec tive methods that had made me ‘fat with facts’ in Wall Street. And this is why I sometimes say that Wall Street led me into the Catholic Church. I would first try to find and examine the foundations df this strange objective religion; it would be time enough to pass judgment on the details after I had ascertained the strength or weakness of the base.” His investigations, Mr. Moody said, demonstrated to him that Catholic Christianity, unlike all other faiths, is built on a foundation of concrete, provable facts. The first of these, he said, is that the existence of God is not a mere assumption or postulate of “faith” or “hope”, but can be de monstrated and proved by human reason. The second fact, he referred to is the Catholic contention that Je sus Christ was the Son of God. The Catholic interpretation of the Sav iour’s life on earth and of His teach ings is completely and wholly true, Mr. Moody said, pointing out that it is supported by a weight of objec tive evidence which “has not been dislodged one iota after 19 centuries of controversy. “I. for one, could not get away from this line of reasoning. And by the same token I could not deny the fact that Christ had founded a visi ble Church and made Peter its head; that he had promised to be with this Church to the end of time and to guard it from teaching error. And this being so, then this Church must be in existence still, its head must be the successor of Peter, and as a teacher of faith and morals, it must necessarily possess infallibility. This Church must be one Church and not several; it must teach what Christ taught, and nothing else. And the only living Church which met these requirements was the Catholic Church. There was no other.” Returning to the dogmas of the Catholic Church, Mr. Moody told how he came to accept them. “I too,” he said, “was sure I could never accept them all. How. then, did I come to accept them? Only because I dug through the wall of the city to see for myself what was really within. What I found inside were several things which fascinated me—among them being something called the doc trine of the Supernatural, to which is joined the doctrine of Grace, and also something called the Communion of Saints. And for me at least, these doctrines turned out to be the key to everything else.” Mother By FATHER JEROME, O. S. B. To North and South . . . around you, From East to mellow West, Her glory beams as ever By all the world caressed. Each daughter, son, is brim ming With wonderment elate That a frail woman ventured So unafraid to wait Beside long, pain-racked hour, And there, with bated glee, Swung wide life’s golden portals For helpless you and me. (For Mothers Day, ISM) (From the University of Notre Dame Religious Bulletin.) A recent study shows that South Bend’s birth rate dropped from 25 per thousand in-1920 to 14 in 1933. We are informed that this drop parallels that of the nation as a whole. The South Bend News Times, commenting on this condition, remarks: “Had South Bend’s rate continued at the 1928 lev el there would at the present time be 1,777 more youngsters in the city who would have needed medical attention, kindergarten, clothes, food, and even tually another school or two, with the consequent employment of more teachers, not to mention the labor and materials in building the schools themselves.” That’s only the start. Birth control advocates have been filling our ears with nasty propaganda about the economic need of controlling popula tion. Cutting down the population has destroyed jobs, markets for food, and the like, and has increased tax-, ation and public debt. One thought we wish to add is this: the burden of paying the debt incurred today is go ing to fall on the shoulders of the boys and girls,the young men and wo men of today, and it is going to be a heavier burden by virtue of the low er population, which will give a high er per capita debt, and it will have to carry on the expense of over building indulged in during recent years. Selfishness always overreaches. “Legion of Decency” Motion Picture Campaign Growing u Legion of Decency in Raleigh Diocese » (Special to The Bulletin) RALEIGH, N. C.—In line with oth er members of the American hier archy, the Most Rev. William J. Ha- fey, D. D., Bishop of Raleigh, foster ed the “Legion of Decency” in the diocese by the establishment of the Legion in each parish as a means of combating the evils attached to many current motion pictures. From over the diocese gratifying results have been recounted, indicating an active and widespread co-operation on the part of the Catholic laity in laboring for a better type of cinema produc tions. The Raleigh Times editorially comemnted on the work of the Bish ops in this matter, advancing the opinion that such action is the most effective method for effecting re forms in the motion picture industry. The Effect of the Work of Georgia’s Catholic Laymen From an Address Delivered in Chicago to the N. C. C. M. National Convention by Simon Baldus, Managing Editor of Extension Magazine. The South is generally considered prejudiced and bigoted. This is a state of mind one may expect to find wherever Catholics are numerically negligible—a decid ed minority, as we are in the Southern states. I believe, though, that within recent years a change for the better has taken place. There are still sections where there is a great deal of animosity towards the Catholic Church and clergy to be found; still people who, if not actively, at least passively hate everything that is Catholic. But it is not so pronounced as it once was. In one state — Georgia—a tremendous change has taken place. Some years ago a Catholic Laymen’s Association was organiz ed there and through the vigilance and intelligent action of its members broke down the ancient barrier of preju dice and misinformation and established a most affable attitude towards Catholics among the people of Georgia. They did this chiefly by keeping in touch with the Press of the state. They subscribed for practically every paper — at least all the important ones—carefully watching then- editorials, special articles and news items, and whenever anything unfair or offensive to Catholics was published in any of them, the editor’s attention was called to it in a courteous, gentlemanly way; the correct interpretation was given, or the correct information or version was provided; and in nearly all cases the editors played fair. Today the entire Press of the State of Georgia can be said to be exceedingly fair to Catholics, thanks to the intelligent methods pursued by the Catholic Laymen’s Organization of Georgia. What has been accomplished there can be duplicated in other states where similar conditions prevail. (Parenthetically I’ll say that con troversy was not indulged in. I consider controversy, generally speaking, as not only ineffective but often harmful to us). Pledges Against Indecent Pictures Are Being Signed From Coast to Coast WASHINGTON. — Action by addi tional diocesan groups in every sec tion of the country marked the prog ress of the campaign being waged against indecent motion pictures. “Le gion of Decency” pledges are being distributed to parish organizations and to individuals, ’and pastors, from their pulpits, are asking all Catholics to refuse to attend films which fail to come up to proper moral standard. The Most Rev. Michael J. Gallagher, Bishop of Detroit, addressed a letter to members of the clergy calling “all decent-minded citizens to joint action in cleaning and disinfecting this fear ful and constant menace to the mor als of the nation and the purity of heart of innocent childhood”. Addressing a congregation of more than 500 persons in SS. Cyril and Methodius Church, Slovak, Ark., the Most Rev. John B. Morris, Bishop of Little Rock, said: “I consider the salacious motion picture the most demoralizing influ ence of the present day.” He asked that every Catholic in the diocese join the “Legion of Decency” and sign the pledges that are being distributed. IN SPOKANE the Diocesan Coun cils of Catholic Men and Catholic Women are co-operating with the Most Rev. Charles D. White, Bishop of Spokane, in launching the legion movement in that diocese. The outline being followed is that formulated by the Episcopal Committee on Motion Pictures. BISHOP GERKE, of Tucson, has arranged that all pastors distribute the pledges, have them signed and re turned to his office by May 15. THE SAN DIEGO Council of Cath olic Women has made public the text of a letter addressed to the motion picture producers of the country out lining a program of decency in film production. SODALISTS are. urged to partici pate in the campaign for clean mov ies in a call issued by The Queen’s Work, published by the Jesuit Fathers at St. Louis, and a similar appeal has been made by Mariana, publication of the Student Sodality Conference of Western New York, Pennsylvania and Ontario. IN DENVER one hundred thousand copies of the pledge of the “Legion of Decency were distributed throughout the Diocese to be signed at the order of the Most Rev. Urban J. Vehr, Bishop of Denver. The pledges were printed by The Register, diocesan weekly. Copies of an article written for The Ecclesiastical Review by the Most Rev. John J. Cantwell, Bishop of Los Angeles-and San Diego, showing the extent of evil influences in the mo tion picture industry, were sent to all priests in Colorado. ALBANY has given enthusiastic and widespread response to the Cru sade for Clean Movies launched in this diocese by the Most Rev. Edmond F. Gibbons, Bishop of Albany. Priests in many parishes have appointed committees to co-operate in the cru sade. Sermons were delivered in ev ery church on Clean Movie Sunday, May 6. During the following week speakers addressed the children in the parochial schools, explaining the purposes of the crusade. Organizations of Catholic men and women adopted resolutions supporting the campaign. METHODISTS CO - OPERATE — Seventy congregations of the Meth odist Episcopal Church in the Fresno- Glendale district have joined in the campaign launched by Catholics of the Diocees of Monterey-Fresno to crusade for clean motion pictures. ‘MICHIGAN CATHOLIC’ RECOMMENDS FILMS Gives List of Unobjectionable Motion Pictures The following list of motion pic tures has been recommended by The Michigan Catholic, official organ of the Diocese of Detroit, after a care ful scrutiny of various film services and reviews: Take the Stand (Adults), I’ll Tell the World, Twenty Million Sweet hearts, The House of Rothschild, Stand Up and Cheer, City Limits, Bot toms Up, The Voice of Ireland. Previously recommended: Chance at Heaven, One is Guilty, Rhythm in the Air, No Greater Glory The Man Trailer, A Voice in the Night Beggars in Ermine You’re Telling Me Mur der in Trinidad Harold Teen Melody in Spring Wild Cargo The Countess of Monte Cristo David Harum Death Takes a Holiday The Cat and the Fid dle, Little Women. Cradle Song, One Man’s Journey, Alice in Wonderland, Lady for a Day, The Show-off, As the Earth Turns, Three on a Honey moon, Son of Kong, In the Money, Invisible Man, This Side of Heaven, Midshipman Jack, Counsellor-at- Law, Duck Soup, The Lost Patrol, Spitfire, As Husbands Go, Beloved, The Right to Romance, Her Sweet heart, The Line-up, The Ninth Guest, The Crime Doctor, Before Midnight, Massacre, Let’s Fall in Love, The Poor Rich. King of Wild Horses, Eski mo, Straightaway, The Chief, Devil Tiger, The Fighting Code, Hold the Press, I Am Suzanne ,Keep ’Em Roll ing The Kennel Murder Case, Love Past Thirty, Rider of Justice, Once to Every Woman, Through the Centu ries, Six of a Kind, Fog, Fugitive Lovers, Man of Two Worlds, Thirsty Swords and The World Changes. Recent Deaths of Catholic Notables THE REV. FRANCIS A. BRIDGE, Maryknoll missionary who returned to New York a few months ago after five years in Manchuria, died late in April at the age of 39. He contracted his fatal illness on the Manchurian missions. Bom at Midland, Pa., he was an alumnus of St. Vincent Col lege and a World War Overseas vet- ARTHUR CUNNINGHAM, control ler of the City of New York, and widely known as an able economist and administrator and an exemplary Catholic layman, died suddenly May 5 at the age of 40. FATHER ALEXIS MALLON, S. J., famed archeologist and Biblical stu dent, first director of the Pontifical Biblical Institute, died late in April in Bethlehem at the age of 59. He had lived in the Holy Land 21 years. BISHOP HURAULT of Nancy in France was fatally stricken after a meeting of deans of his Diocese. He was 60 years old and during the war served in the hospital corps of the French Army. COUNT EMMANUAL DE LAS CASAS, one o fthe outstanding de fenders of the Church in the dark days in France a generation ago, is dead at the age of 80. He was a member of the Senate since 1903. Of. fered a post in the cabinet in 1917, he refused unless diplomatic relations would be resumed with the Holy See; although it was not done at the time, he lived to see his wish fulfilled. THE REV. J. J. FERDINAND, S.S.J. bom in Baltimore in 1860, and for 38 years a missionary among the color ed people of the South as a Jose- phite Father, died late in April at Hot Springs, Ark. FR. ZEPHYRIN ENGELHARDT, noted Franiiscan historian of the Padres of California, died May 1, at Santa Barbara, Cal., at the age of 82. Father Zephryn was bom in Kentuc ky in 1851. and entered the Fran ciscans in Cincinnati in 1872, 62 years ago. 4 Colored Priests to Be Ordained May 24 By Bishop Gerow at Bay St. Louis, Miss. (By N. C. W. C. News Service) BAY ST. LOUIS. Miss.—The first colored priests of the Society of the Divine Word will be ordained at St. Augustine’s Seminary here amirl elaborate ceremonies May 23. The Most Rev. Richard O. Gerow. Bishop of Natchez, will officiate at the cere monies. The four newly ordained priests will celebrate their first Masses the following day. Bishop Gerow will preside on that occasion and the Most Rev. Daniel F. Desmond, Bishop of Alexandria, will preach the sermon. The ordinations and first Masses will take place in an outdoor sanctu ary. Additional altars will be placed) in the open-air sanctuary for the user of the new priests. The new priests will be sent out to labor among colored people.