The bulletin (Augusta, Ga.) 1920-1957, March 28, 1936, Image 8

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EIGHT THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA MARCH 28, 1936 MANY PLAGES HAVE MASSES IN HOMES Walhalla Church Is One of Five on Anderson Missions Numerous Stations Without Churches Are Visited Week ly by Priests There are several towns and set tlements in the Anderson Mission Parish in which groups of Catholics may be found, but not in such num bers as to warrant the erection of a church or chapel. These stations are visited during the week. The priest usually stays at the homes of the Catholics in these places, arriving at a home the afternoon of the day be fore that on which he is to offer Holy Mass. The purpose of the priest’s arrival the day before is to enable him to instruct the children of the com munity. In a number of the rural missions the priest has to celebrate the Holy. Sacrifice using a bureau or a washstand as the altar. The policy of the clergy is to en courage those Catholics who own au tomobiles and who live within a rea sonable driving distance of a church in which Mass is to be offered on Sunday to make an earnest effort to get to Mass, with the result that many of our good people often drive from 15 to 25 miles, or more, to assist at Sunday Mass. During the winter months it is very often extremely difficult for cars to get over occa sional stretches of bad roads. Fair Play is a rural mission about 20 miles from Anderson; here dwell the Homick families. In and near Hartwell, Ga., live several Catholic families. At McCormick the two brothers, John and Daniel McGrath, with their numerous households reside. At Cateechee, some ten miles from Clemson College, Mr. Frank McCall and his family form the little Cath olic group of 11 souls. In Newberry, the Catholic Church is represented by a few Catholic fam ilies and by the Catholic students in attendance at Newberry College. Several Catholics make their homes in Ware Shoals; the Church is rep resented by one or more members in Pickens, Honea Path, Williamston and Calhoun Falls. Despite many obvious difficulties in the way of getting a thorough ac quaintance with and putting into practice the principles of their faith, our people on the missions are, in general, most devoted to their holy religion. Nine Masses Said on Missions Christmas Three Priests Offer Them in Eight Different Cities To make it easy for all of the Catholics of the extensive mission parish of St. Joseph’s of Anderson to assist at Holy Mass, on Christmas, Father Spiesman secured the services for a time of an additional priest, the Rev. Donald Berry, C. S. P., of Winchester. Tenn. On Christmas Day nine Masses were offered in eight places of the parish. Father Spiesman. the pastor, offer ed Holy Mass at midnight in St. Jo seph’s Church. Anderson; at 6:30 a. .m his second Mass was celebrated in Hartwell, Ga., about 22 miles from Anderson; he offered his third Mass in Anderson at 9:00 a. m. Father Baum celebrated his first Mass at St. Francis’ Church, Wal halla, at midnight; this marked the first time in the history of Walhalla that a midnight Mass had been said there; a goodly number of non- Catholics attended the services. Fath er Baum’s second Mass was offered at Fair Play at 6:00 a. m., and his third Mass at the Church of St. An drew in Clemson at 9 a- m. In Abbeville at the Church of the Sacred Heart, Father Barry offered midnight Mass; his second Mass was read in McCormick at 6:00 a. m.. and his third in Greenwood at the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes at 9:00 a. m. At 5:00 p. m.. Solemn Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament was given in St. Andrew’s Church, Clem son with Father Spiesman as cele brant, Father Barry as deacon, and Father Baum as subdeacon. At this service the late Mr. Gallivan and his family assisted. EXCOMMUNICATION of Chinese Christians who sell their daugthers for marriage is having the effect of reducing the evil, the Maryknoll Fathers report. THE HOLY FATHER has nerson- lly consecrated nineteen Bishops ince he ascended to the Pontifical hrone. Pope Benedict XV conse- rated seven Bishops himself. The Church of St Franci s of Assisi, Walhalla, S. C. The history of Catholicism in Wal halla dates back at least to the mid dle of the last century. The town was settled between 1840 and 1850 by German immigrants, most of whom were Lutherans. In 1852 the Rev. Dr. J. J. O’Connell, the mis sionary and historian, found two Catholic families among the Ger mans. In 1854 work was in progress on the celebrated tunnel which was to be built through Stumphouse Moun tain. In that year a large number of Irish Catholic laborers from Penn sylvania and New York were brought to the vicinity of Walhalla for the purpose of working on the tunnel. To accommodate the increased Cath olic population, Dr. O'Connell erect ed a frame church building which he dedicated to St. Patrick: this zealous priest likewise built a resi dence for the clergy and established a school for the Christian education of the children; the school was con ducted principally by two Catholic laymen, Messrs James Casey and Cornelius Gorman. Dr. O’Connell also established a Catholic cemetery —vestiges of which are to be seen today. Dr. O’Connell was assisted in his work in this region by his brother, Father Lawrence O’Connell. Father Joseph O’Connell, who was ordained in 1858, resided from time to time at Tunnel Hill (a few miles from Wal halla). The state, in 1859, refused further appropriations for the completion of the tunnel and with the cessation of the work most of the Catholic labor ers and their families moved away from the neighborhood. Among other priests who labored on the Walhalla Missions were the Rev. Father Folchi, the Rev. T. C. McMahon (who lived at The Falls, near Walhalla), and Father Schmitz. St. Patrick’s Church seems to have fallen into complete decay about the year 1877. Up until the time that Walhalla was attached to the Anderson parish it was attended regularly from Greenville. The Church of St. Francis of Assisi in Walhalla was built through the efforts of Monsignor Gwynn and dedicated on May 13, 1917. The Cath olics residing in the towns of Walhal la, Seneca, Westminster, and West Union form the little congregation attached to St. Francis’. Holy Mass is offered here on the second and fourth Sundays of each month. Anderson Parish Activities Exemplify Catholic Action Amcng the various activities in which the Anderson clergy are en gaged, several are worthy of men tion. Recently Father Spiesman realiz ing that there are many young men and young women in the city of An derson with little or no real oppor tunity of profitably employing many evening hours, established a night class which is open to Catholics and non-Cathloics alike. This group which has been called the Variety Club meets once a week in the par lors of the McDougald-Bleckley Undertaking Establishment. Here prominent men of the city of Ander son have addressed the class and dis cussions of general interest have been conducted. Among those who have recently addressed the meetings have been Mr. Francis Prince of the staff of the Anderson Record, Mayor G. T. McGregory of Anderson, and Mr. J- A. Neely, a leading member of the Anderson bar. Others, men and wo men, outstanding in the civic life of Anderson, are scheduled to speak be fore the class in the near future. The Catholics attending the church es are well supplied with Catholic literature. In addition to making the Catholic press available to these peo ple, it is the endeavor of the clergy Our Line Is Complete—Visit Our Store. We Sell Paint, Varnish, Sherwin- Williams Products KENNETH’S 5 and 10 CENT STORE Walhalla, S. C. of St. Joseph’s to utilize this agency of Catholic Action as widely as possi ble. With this in mind, over 100 Catholic papers are mailed out from the Anderson rectory every week. These papers are sent to three groups: (1) to Catholics on the dis tant missions who rarely get a chance to assist at Sunday Mass; (2) to in terested non-Catholics in the various place on the missions; and (3) to the twenty or more daily and weekly secular newspapers in the different towns of our territory. Another effort made by the Ander son clergy is to keep the newspapers supplied with Catholic news of gen eral and local int erest. When a cere mony of unusual importance is to be held in any of our churches, when a special church holy day is to be ob served, an account of the same is given to the local press. From time to time, a sermon delivered in one of the churches appears in the secular press. Each week church notices of our services appear in five or six of the principal journals. Both Father Spiesman and Father Baum have spoken on a number of occasions over the Anderson radio station, WAIM, and accounts of the addresses given have appeared in the press. Both priests are called on occasion ally to make addresses to special gatherings. Last fall Father Baum addressed an annual meting of Span ish War Veterans at Walhalla, and during the past November Father Spiesman gave the principal address at the annual Memorial Services of the Anderson Lodge of Elks of which he is an enthusiastic member. A printed schedule of the times and places of Masses is monthly mailed to all of the members of the parish. ST. MARY’S COLLEGE, South Bend, Ind., has received a gift of $25,000 from Mrs. George H. Rempe, Sr., of Chicago, for a new library. Mrs. Rempe’s seven daughters at tended St. Mary’s and her three sons attended Notre Dame. LEADING ANDERSON FIRMS C. F. BROWN, Pres, and Treas. WM. D. BROWN, Vice-Pres. E. L BROWN, Secretary The Anderson Hardware Company WHOLESALE HARDWARE and GROCERIES Anderson, S. C. ANDERSON COTTON MILLS Anderson, S. C. FOWLER'S STORE 135 North Main St. Anderson, S. C. CAROLINA THEATRE Popular Prices Phone 9124 • P. C. Osteen Anderson, S. C. GREEN MOTOR COMPANY DODGE BROTHERS MOTOR CARS, TRUCKS and BUSES GENERAL ELECTRIC PRODUCTS S. Main Street Anderson, S. C. Company Anderson, S. C. Sullivan Hardware Company Anderson, S. C. © General Hardware Paints • Mill Supplies • China—Glass—Gifts Browne Publishing Company Publishers of THE RECORD Commercial Printing West Earle Street Anderson, S. C. Saint Mary’s Hospital Dr. Breedin’s Clinic Anderson, S. C. Phone 737 Miss Ruth R. Richey, Supt. of Nurses Miss Mary Breedin, Secy. Dr. C. S. Breedin, Surgeon ANDERSON INDEPENDENT (Morning and Sunday) ANDERSON DAILY MAIL (Evenings) MEMBER A. B. C. ASSOCIATED PRESS Anderson, South Carolina Radio Station WAIM