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JANUARY 31, 1936
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
SEVEN
Address of Bishop O’Hara at Civic Reception
*- 1 ■ — - ——
SAVANNAH’S KINDLY
WELCOME WILL BE
TREASURED FOREVER
Bishop O’Hara Reappoints
Vicar-General, Chancellor
His Excellency Also Renames Board of Diocesan Con-
snltors—Father Kavanagh Remains as His Secretary
Thos. F. Walsh, Jr., Extends
Greetings From the Laity
They Will Follow Their Bishop Not Only Dutifully But
Happily, He Assures His Excellency
“From My Heart I Assure
You I Am Glad to Be a
Georgian”, His Excellency
Says in Heartfelt Discourse
The cordial welcome extended
B?shop O’Hara made it easy for
him to come to Savannah, diffi
cult though it was to leave Phil
adelphia where he had formed
some i life’s dearest a'soda ions,
His ExceUency declared in his
aooress at the great civic recep
tion expended to him at the Cath
olic Club. “I shall love this city
and state and all its peonle,”
Bishop O’Hara said, “and from
now on will ever rejoice in Geor
gia’s successes and triam lis, just
as I hope to share in its diffi
culties and Problems and to have
a part, to the extent of my abil
ity, in helping to solve them.” His
Excellency’s address follows:
Less than human would I be were
I to remain unmoved by this splen-
d-r reception that you have tendered
me tonight and by the gracious words
that the speakers of this occasion
have addressed to me. From my heart
I thank you; your goodness to me
is m.st deeply appreciated. You cause
to arise within me those same senti
ments that I experienced in Phila
delphia when my appointment as
Bishop of Savannah was announced.
By letter and telegram so many won
derful messages of welcome came to
me, one whom you never saw; one,
perhaps, of whom hardly any had
ever heard that I was overwhelmed
by it all, and said to those of my
household: “The South surely de
serves its reputation for hospitality.”
This day itself shall speedily pass.
The echoes of your gracious words
shall shortly die into silence. Weeks,
months, year will follow one an
other. but as long as my hand will
be able to be raised in benediction
over you; as long as my tongue shall
be able to speak to you. and to plead
your cause before the throne of God,
this day and your thoughtful and
kindly welcome will never be for
gotten.
In expressing my gratitude and ap
preciation to the speakers of this
occasion and to all present, I am
well aware that your tribute is not
to nv humble person, but- rather to
the office that has been entrusted to
me.
□ □
EXPRESSES GRATITUDE ^
MONSIGNOR MITCHELL
The Most Rev. Gerald P. O’Hara,
D.D., J.U.D., Bishop of Savannah, has
renamed the Rt. Rev. Msgr. Joseph
D. Mitchell vicar-general of the Dio
cese and the Rt. Rev. Msgr. Joseph
F. Croke chancellor. The Very Rev.
Joseph W. Kavanagh, who has been
His Excellency’s secretary in Phila
delphia will continue in that capaci
ty.
MONSIGNOR MITCHELL has been
vicar-general under three Bishops,
Bishop Keiley, Bishop Keyes and
Bishop O’Hara, a record perhaps un
surpassed in this country and per
haps anywhere else. He is pastor
of St. Patrick’s Church.
MONSIGNOR CROKE, who served
as secretary to Bishop Keyes and
chancellor, is rector of the Cathedral
of St. John the Baptist, and was one
of the first priests ordained after the
consecration of Bishop Keyes.
FATHER KAVANAGH formerly
was assistant to the Rt. Rev. Msgr.
George Leech, D.D., then pastor at
Pottsville, Pa., who will be installed
this week as Bishop of Harrisburg;
Father Kavanagh has been closely as
sociated with Bishop O’Hara in Phila
delphia in recent years, being assign
ed to the Church of the Nativity, of
which Bishop O’Hara was pastor, as
well as serving His Excellency is his
secretary. Father Kavanagh is on
leave from the Archdiocese of Phila
delphia, for which he was ordained.
BISHOP O’HARA has also reap
pointed the Diocesan Board of Con-
suitors, the members of which are
1 am in a special manner grateful
to Monsignor Mitchell, chairman of
this meeting for his gracious words
on this occasion just as I feel in
debted to him and to Monsignor
Croke for the erficient and perfect
manner with which they arranged
all the details of the events of the
past two days.
I wish His Honor the Mayor to be
assured that his kindness to me this
evening is most deeply appreciated.
From hi. address I could see that he
is a man of scholarly attainments, as
well as of outstanding administrative
and executive ability; the people of
this beautiful City of Savannah are
to be congratulated for having chosen
so cultured and able a man as head
of the ity Government. His warm
hearted welcome, and his friendly
hand-clasp make me feel that we
have been friends for a long time.
The address of Mr. Walsh, distin
guished member of the bar. has prov
en illuminating and edifying. I have
learned much from his review of
Georgia history, and I thank him
for the pleasure that he has afford
ed me.
On the platform this evening. I had
wished to have at my side, my friend
from boyhood, Monsignor John Bon
ner. Superintendent of Parochial
Schools in the archdiocese of Phila
delphia. We grew up in the same
neighborhood and in the same parish,
and I recall how in boyhood I ad
mired and envied him his athletic
prowess as boys are wont to do. That
admiration took on a more serious
and sacred character when later on
I saw him directing his footsteps to
wards the sanctuary. An ideal priest
and gentleman, he has done splendid
work in Perfecting the Catholic school
system throughout th_ Archdiocese
of PhiladelDhia. He has held impor
tant state and national .ffices in the
fielc of Catholic Education.
-O
AD TO BE GEORGIAN J_
From my heart I assure you all that
I am glad to be a Southerner and a
Georgian. On occasions such as this,
things are sometimes said by way of
compliment for the sake of pleasing
one’s listeners, but I want every one
to know that I am speaking with pro
found sincerity, and from the very
bottom of my heart when I say that
I am glad and proud .o be a South
erner and a Georgian.
I v/ill admit that it was not easy
to leave Philadelphia. As the time
for leaving that city drew nearer and
nearer. I admit a keen sense of what
I might call homesickness by antici
pation gripped me, and try as I woul
I could not shake it off. You si
that although a priest and bishop
am at the same time very huma
Philadelphia has been my home, ar
there I have formed some of life
dearest associations. I knew that
would be hard to sever the ties th;
- ound me to the city in which I ha
soent so many years. However,
have found that it was easy to coir
to Savannah. You have made it s
The most cordial welcome that yc
have given me. has made me fei
at home from the very first momei
when I stepped from the train, an
from now on, Georgia is my hom
' and I feel that I have known yoi
not just for a few days but for year
I shall love this city and this stat
and all i*s people, and from now o
will ever rejoice in Georgia’s sue
cesses and triumphs, just as I hoc
to share in its difficulties and profc
!ems. and to have a part, to the ex
tent of my ability in helping to solv
them.
□ — □
BISHOP, CITIZEN
Q-
This evening I come before yc
not only as a Bishop but as a citize
of the United States as well. I thar
God that I have been born, and th:
I live under the Stars and Stripe
and I am proud of our American ir
stitutions and princioles of goveri
ment. Philadelphia happened to 1
t-.e nlace where our American bill i
rights—tlie immortal Declaration (
Independence—was signed, but
could not have been signed anj
where, if our forefathers in the ori;
inal colonies, had not been there 1
draft and sign that glorious pare!
ment. and to pledge their lives an
their sacred honor to upbuild It
principles laid down therein.
The Declaration of Independent
and the Constitution of the Unite
States are the very foundations <
our national life and the bulwar
against all moveme..ts from withi
or from without that could njilitai
against that which we have alwaj
been so proud to claim as genuine!
■nui. arican. They leave no room in or
American life anu system of goverr
ment for such methods or princ:
pies of statecraft as are tormentin
Europe and other parts of the worl
at the present time.
Now I am going to say somethin
that may sound strange to you. Cath
olics have a particular reason to h
proud of our American system of gov
eminent because, however liumbl
MONSIGNOR CROKE
FATHER KAVANAGH
Monsignor Mitchell, Monsignor Croke
the Rev. Jos. R. Smith, pastor of
Blessed Sacrament Church, Savannah,
and the Rev. Harold J. Barr and the
Rev. James H. Conlin of the Cathe
dral of St. John the Baptist.
we may state it, it should be remem
bered that it is to Catholic teaching,
to Catholic philosophy that the prin
ciples underlying our political system
of government owe their origin. There
is no form of democracy on the face
of the earth that delves so deeply
into the mines of the Catholic past
for the inspiration of the life and
ideas as does this, our own beloved
land. For the cardinal principle of
the equality of man with man, which
■ies at the very foundation of our
republic, is a teaching of the Cath
olic Church that has come down from
earliest times.
□ □
I DEBT TO CHURCH
□ c
Our own beloved land, therefore,
owes much to the Catholic Church
and to Catholic teachings as regards
the principles and foundations upon
which our government rests. But not
only this, but in many other ways—
and I say it in all humility—as it
should be said in justice—America
and the whole world owes much to
the Church that I as a Bishop rep
resent.
The Church founded by Our Lord
for the purpose of teaching religious
truth to the end of time, has con-
eoncomittantly exercised a profound,
refining and civilizing influence upon
the world as though established for
no other purpose. In the arts and in
the letters, music, painting, and in
the field of science, medicine, biol
ogy, anthropology, and so on, her in
fluence has been permanent. Some of
the greatest names of those who have
made the most important advances
in the field of scientific research, and
in the advancement of art and liter
ature are the names of faithful chil
dren of Holy Mother Church.
This tribute which you have given
me this evening, I take not for my
self but for the Church which I rep
resent. The Church whose past has
been so glorious. In return for so
much kindness, it will be my constant
prayer that the blessings of God may
descend in abundance upon this great
Empire State of the South and upon
all its people. Catholic and non-Cath-
alic alike. May God prosper Georgia,
and bless her rivers and her streams,
her hills and her valleys, her wood
lands and plains, her industries, her
commerce, her agriculture and her
shipping, and everything that is Geor
gian, and all that will make for a
greater and happier Georgia and for
a peace-loving, righteous and God
fearing people.
Thomas F. Walsh, Jr., Esq., a
former president of the Catnolic
daymen’s As.oc.ation of G-org.a,
ivnom Mons.gnor Mitchell intro
duced as being b. common con
sent Savannah's leading camo-ic
aymaa, delivered tne address of
welcome ror the laity ot the aio-
tf-shop O'Hara at the Catholic
viuii.. Alter sketching the history
of the diocese, Mr. Walsh recalled
>he anu-c-aihii ic mter.uae in the
. tate, a period he said is now
itappily past, illustrating his as
sertion by recent events in the
state. Tne Catnoiics ot Georgia
will be subject to -ns ExceUency
not only auufuily but happily,
Mr. Walsh said. His address fol
lows:
It is with a feeling of deep appreci
ation of the honor cor erred on me
chat 1 unueitase, in beha. fof the
laity of Georgia, to welcome Your
Excellency to tne Diocese of Savan
nah and to 'eciga to you our loyal
support and obeuience. .
the Diocese of Savannah comprises
,he whole State of "Georgia which
extends iiom Rabun Gap to Tybee
Right; from tne banks ot the Chatca-
lioocnea to the snores ot the Atlantic
Ucean and from the flat lands of the
oouih to the hills and mountains of
me north. Our State has a Catholic
history which goes back to a long
tone before the nhst English settle
ment in Virginia, hi laid the great
r-ope Leo the aenth established a
Diocese of ad Cuba ana rlorida,
which includes within its boundaries
,he present state of Georgia. The
records show that in 16u8 tne Bishop
ot Havana confirmed 1,200 Indians
withai tne present limits of Georgia,
and, in 167a, another nishop of Ha
vana confirmed 13,000 during a visita-
uon of this part or nis i-nocese. After
the coming of the English under
Oglethorpe in 1732, the Spaniards,
whose missionaries had won so many
Indian native converts, were grad
ually driven from our territory, and,
m tne course of time, the splendid re
sults of their missionary labors were
destroyed.
CATHOLICS IN GEORGIA
IN COLONIAL TIMES
In spite or the fact that in Colonial
Georg n ireedom of worship was
granted to all, “except papists", there
,s evidence that there were a few—
a very few—Catholics here during
those days. At tne historic orphan
age, known as Bethesda. loundea by
George Whitfield, an associate of
vohn Wesley, just outside the limits
ot Savannan, tnere is a memorial to
three Colonial trustees, one of whom
is .'escribed as a member of the
Church of England, one a Jew, and
one, Refer Tonaee, a Catholic. I
should like to remark that it was at
T’ondee's Tavern that the Liberty
Boys met to form their plans to wrest
power ot the English Tories just be-
rore the Revoiut.onary War.
But the beginning of the Catholic
Church after the Revolution was
when the ban against Catholics was
removed, came from three sources,
in the troublesome times just prior to
the FVench Revolution, a number of
French Catholic Nobles bought lands
on the Islands of the Georgia Coast;
Sapelo, Jeky.l and St. Catherines. In
1790 Catholics from Maryland came
down to Docust Grove near the pres
ent town of Sharon. Many of their
descendants are still with us and
some are here in this hall to bid
Your Exce.uency welcome. Another
source of the Catholic Faith was
brought hither by Irishmen of means
who came to Georgia and settled,
some in Savannah and some in Au
gust. They received occasional vis
its from priests, who never stayed
long enough in our territory. When
Bishop John Carroll was appointed
Bishop of Baltimore, with juricsdic-
t-on over the entire original thirteen
Colonies, we, of course, became a
part of that diocese and remained so
until 1820 when the great John Eng
land was appointed Bishop of Char
leston with Georgia as a part of
his Diocese.
DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH
WAS ERECTED IN 1850
In 1850 the Diocese of Savannah
was erected into a separate See and
its first Bishop was Francis X. Gart-
land of Philadelphia. Since the es-
tablishement of this Diocese we have
had nine Bishops including Your Ex
cellency, three of whom came from
the great Commonwealth of Pennsyl
vania. Together with yourself and
Bishop Gartland, our sixth Bishop,
Thomas A. Becker, was also from
that State.
While it is true that our num
bers are few, forming less than 1
per cent of the population of the
State, I believe you will find that our
laymen will be alert and eagar to co
operate fully with you in all of your
plans for the furtherance of the
work of the Church in Georgia. You
will find no dissension here. Pos
sibly because we are too few to fight
among ourselves. Also, perhaps, due
to the Bishops who have preceded
you. Through the Catholic Laymen’s
Association the members in the sev
eral parts of the State keep in touch
w ; th one another and are organized
under our Bishop.
Speaking of the Catholic Laymen's
Association leads me to mention our
brother Georgians who are not of
the Faith. Both the State of Georgia
and the municipality of Savannah
have been generous in grants to the
Church in line with their policy tow
ards religion generally. Here, as in
other States, from time to time in
the history of our Country, we have
experienced the attack and the re
percussions of anti-Catholic bigotry,
but no more than elsewhere. Our
Georgians, not of the Faith, have de
fended us. Before the War Between
the States, the Know-Nothings were
opposed and defeated by Georgians
under the leadership of Alexander
Fttphens, United States Senator, Vice
_ resident of the Confederacy and
Governor of Georgia.
BEGINNING OF THE
LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION
About 25 years ago there came into
power a man showing many evi
dences of that genius which borders
on insanity. Absolutely clever as
he was, this man organized a system
atic campaign of misrepresentation
and abuse of the Catholic Church
:nd lashed the more ignorant of the
people into a frenzy against what he
represented the Church to be. Final
ly. at the Session of the Georgia Leg
islature in 1916, the members of that
fcody, spurred by the whiplash of
l his gifted demagogue, passed what is
known as a Convent Inspection Law.
During the debates upon this so-
called Law, many of the legislators
publicly indulged in the vilest slan
ders against Bishop Keiley, our
priests and our nuns.
Feeling that thiings had gone too
f. r, '-at Georgians whom we knew
t - be generally a kindly people were
being influenced by a caricature of
our Church, the Catholic Laymen’s
Association was that year formed with
the approval and blessing of our
Bishop. This was the inauguration
o f Catholic Action in Georgia. I shall
not take time to review the work of
this association, except to tell you in
passing what a distinguished non-
Catholic Georgian has said.
In 1926 the late Justice James K.
Hines of the Supreme Court of Geor
gia came to Savannah to attend the
annual meeting of the Georgia Bar
Association. In an interview, pub
lished in a Savannah paper, he dis
cussed the situation in Georgia and
said that the Catholic Laymen’s As
soc ation was one of the important
contributory factors to the general
good-will existing among Georgians.
Justice Hines’ term of office as Su
preme Court Justice expired on De
cember 31 of that year. The time
for filing notice of one’s candidacy
against him expired a few days after
his visit to Savannah. With full ap
preciation of all this. Justice Hines
delivered an address at the Bar meet
ing in which he attacked an anti-
Cathoiic organization, then rampant
over the country', and supposed to
be politically strong in Georgia. Not
content with this he paid tribute to
the Catholic Church and to one of
its members as a sterling Catholic
and splendid citizen—Jack J. Spald
ing—a distinguished layman and a
former President of the Laymen’s
I sscciation.
PLEA TO PREJUDICE
UTTERLY FAILED
Here we have a very able Georgia
Circuit judge who aspired to a Su
preme Court Justice and who had in
tended to content against another
Justice whose term expired with that
of Judge Hines. Assuming that Just
ice Bines’ speech had rendered him
more vulnerable, his opponent chang
ed his mind and contested his seat
on the bench. During the campaign
Justice Hines came out in a published
statement reiterating what he said at
Tybee and declaring that he would
prefer to be defeated than to be
elected on any other platform. Just
ice Hines was reelected by the peo
ple of Georgia, receiving a larger ma
jority than any other candidate who
was at the time opposed. I may
mention that the members of the
Savannah Bar unanimously endorsed
Judge Hines for re-election and ten
dered him a dinner at which he was
lauded for his brave stand, and was
presented with a Silver Service prop
erly inscribed with sentiments ex
pressing their admiration for him as
a real Citizen of Georgia.
A few years later, after one of the
bitterest campaigns of this genera
tion, Georgia was one fo the seven
States out of forty-eight who voted
for a Catholic for President of the
United States.
I have spoken thus at length for
the purpose of assuring Your Excel
lency that with the exception of this
brief interlude, which 1 have men
tioned and which is now past, the re
lations between ourselves and our
non-Catholic brethren have been al
ways friendly and animated by good-
v" ill. _ In traveling both in the North
and in the West I have found that
some of our people in the United
States have strange ideas concerning
Georgia and Georgians, both with
reference to Catholicity and our at
titude -toward Northerners, or Yan
kees, as you are still sometimes called.
I said a few moments rgo, Your Ex
cellency is the third Pennsylvanian to
become Shepherd of the flock in
Georgia. Only one of our Bishops
Bishop Keiley, was a native South
erner but I believe I can truthfully
say that all of our Bishops, from the
first Pennsylvanian down to and in
cluding Bishop Keyes from Ireland,
(Continued on Page Fourteen)