Newspaper Page Text
JULY 25, 1936
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION or geokgia
HOTEn
Southwest Georgia Welcomes Bishop
HE VISITS CHURCHES
IN SEVEN CITIES
Cordial Greetings Extended
His Excellency in Farflnng
Albany Missions
(Special To The Bulletin)
ALBANY, Ga. — The Southwest
Georgia Missions, the largest in this
state and probably the largest in the
United States, were visited by the
Most Rev. Gerald P. O’Hara, D.D.,
Bishop of Savannah. The Southwest
Georgia Missions comprise 56 coun
ties, limits of 20,210 miles and a popu
lation total of 767,926 souls, about 1,000
of whom are Catholics.
The Southwest Georgia Missions
have headquarters in Albany, and is
cared for by the Rev. Father Thos.
A. Brennan, pastor, assisted by three
priests. Father Harry J. Honeck, Fath
er J. Joseph Malloy and Father John
A. Mullins. There are eleven Sun
day Missions in this territory, cover
ing over one-third of the entire Sa
vannah diocese. There are ten
churches and twenty week-day sta
tions. (Thomasville has just been
erected into a separate parish with the
Rev. Thomas A. Sheehan as pastor).
During his visit Bishop O’Hara vis
ited seven of the churches, traveling
Official and Civic Welcome
Extended Bishop by Macon
Mayor Smart and Harry S. Strozier Among Speakers at
Splendid Reception at the Capitol Theatre
constantly for four days. His actual
travel in mileage within the South- _
west Georgia Mission amounted to 365 and its members have been in the
(Special to The Bulletin)
MACON, Ga.—Central Georgia
added its tribute of esteem and affec
tion for the Most Rev. Gerald P.
O’Hara, D. D„ Bishop of Savannah,
on his first official visit to Macon,
when Catholic and Protestant, Jew
and Gentile united to greet him at the
Capitol Theatre.
The day’s program started with
Mass at St. Joseph’s Church, the Rev.
Peter McDonnell, S. J., pastor, at
which there was general Communion
for the congregation. A Communion
breakfast was then served at the Ca
tholic Clubhouse by a committee
headed by Mrs. E. A. Sheridan. In
the evening the Sacrament of Con
firmation was administered at St.
Joseph’s, Bishop O’Hara also officiat
ing at Solemn Benediction.
R. Habernicht Casson presided at
the reception, at which His Excel
lency was welcomed by Mayor Her
bert Smart and Hon. Harry S.
Strozier.
MAYOR SMART expressed his per
sonal and official pleasure at having
Bishop O’Hara in the city and said
that his pleasure was a reflection of
the general feeling of the citizenry
of the community. He referred to the
great factor that the Catholic Church
miles.
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AMERICUS
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Bishop O'Hara, accompanied by
Father Brennan, arrived at the home
of Mr. and Mrs. C. J. Sherlock. After
supper, a reception was held in the
home. Those who came to welcome
Bishop O’Hara were the mayor, James
A. Fort, Judge and Mrs. C. R. Crisp,
former U. S. congressman. Mrs. J. T.
Stukes, Mrs. E. S. Bland, Mr. and Mrs.
John Monahan, Rev. H. T. Freeman,
pastor of Methodist Church, Rev.
James B. Lawrence, pastor of Epis
copal Church, Mr. and Mrs. John
Sheffield, Miss Jane Cassel, Hollis
Fort, Jr., and Mrs. W. M. Jones. Mass,
offered 7:00 a. m. by Bishop O’Hara
the following morning.
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CORDELE, MOULTRIE
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From Americus, Bishop O’Hara and
Father Brennan went to Cordele,
where the Bishop visited the Church
of the Little Flower; he and his par
ty were entertained at lunch at the
home of Mr. and Mrs. P. F. Fitzgib-
bons. The evidences of the tornado
which visited this section in the
spring are still evident in places, hut
the city has made a magnificent re
covery. At Sycamore they visited the
home of Mr. and Mrs. G. Frederick
Nussel, a week-day station where
Mass has been offered for the past
40 years. At Moultrie, Bishop O'Hara
visited the Church of the Immaculate
Conception, and met Mrs. Horace Mc
Dowell who has done so much for the
o' - :rch there; Mr. McDowell is a
mother of the late U. S. minister to
the Irish Free State. A stop w
made also at Tifton.
upbuilding of Macon.
MR. STROZIER called the recep
tion of Bishop O’Hara “an expression
of friendliness and good will which,
above all things, the world sadly
needs, a symbol of the unity of the
spirit as a force that can recon
struct society and re-make the
word.” He took occasion to de
nounce the Black Legion and the un
fortunate spirit prompting it, a spirit,
Mr. Strozier said, is foreign to that
of Macon which deeply appreciated
Bishop O’Hara and the things he
stands for.
BISHOP O'HARA in his response
expressed his profound gratitude,
referred to the irregulious spirit
which is the basis of the evils com
plained of and of the attacks on the
institutions of the United States, and
said that these institutin must be
preserved at all costs; in this the Ca
tholics of the United States in general
and those of Georgia and Macon
specifically, can be depended on to
do not only their share but every
thing that lies within their power.
Bishop O’Hara referred particularly
to the splendid spirit indicated by
the presence of the large numbers
who are not Catholics.
A. A. BENEDETTO was general
chairman of the committee in charge
of the reception, with John J. Me
Creary as atendance chairman, Mrs.
Dan Horgan chairman of the com
mittee on decorations, and Henry A.
Kennington was in charge of trans
portation and ushers. At the recep
tion an orchestra composed of Mrs.
S. A. Giglio, Robert Quinlan, George
Pindar, Harold Pincher and Mrs.
Charles McCarren played.
Father McDonnell delivered the in
vocation.
ALBANY RECEPTION
ONE OF DISTINCTION
Hundreds of Parishoners and
Other Citizens Meet His
Excellency There
ALBANY, Ga—The members of St.
Theresa’s parish and many other Al
banians attended the informal pub
lic reception given on the church
lawn late in June to honor the Most
Rev. Gerald P. O’Hara, Bishop of Sa
vannah.
The occasion marked the first offi
cial visit of Bishop O’Hara to the lo
cal congregation, whose members
were delighted to meet and greet
him. After each person had been in
formally presented to the Bishop, all
gathered about a dais upon which the
Most Rev. Bishop, Mayor Pro Tem
Richaro Armstrong and M. W. Tift,
chairman of the County Commission
ers were seated. Many colored elec
tric lights were strung on the lawn.
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HISTORY OF PARISH
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Legion of Decency Example
to World, Holy Father Says
Continued From Page One
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THOMASVILLE
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At Thomasville, Bishop O'Hara was
welcomed wtih an informal public re
ception at the Rosemary Inn; sixteen
members of the local congregation
dined with the Bishop and Father
Brennan. The following morning at
the Church Of St. Augustine Bishop
O’Hara said Mass and administered
his First Holy Communion to Wil
liam Parker Evans. It was at St.
Augustine’s that the Rev. Thomas I.
Sheehan, formerly assistant to Fath
er Brennan on the Southwest Georgia
Missions, was installed as pastor re
cently. Miss Evelyn Cockrcil enter
tained the 3isnops party at break
fast.
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BAINBRIDGE
From Thomasville, Bishop O’Hara
went to Bainbridge to the St. Joseph's
Church, recently renovated by Father
Brennan; here many members of the
congregation met the Bishop, and he
was entertained at lunch at the Cal
lahan Hotel.
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VALDOSTA
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An informal public reception at the
Daniel Ashley Hotel featured the visit
of Bishop O'Hara to Valdosta, mem
bers of the congregation being join
ed by many others in welcoming His
Excellency to the city. Father Bren
nan introduced the Bishop, who ex
pressed his grateful appreciation of
the welcome accorded him and the
love he had come to have for Georgia
since his coming to the state. He
came not only as a Bishop but as’an
American and now as a Georgian, the
Bishop said, and he told of the deep
and unswerving affection all Catholics
in this country have for the nation.
He denounced the spirit of pacifism
as distinguished from the spirit of
peace, and asserted that while Catho
lics deplore war. if it does become
necessary to defend their country
reviewing office, through which
judgment on various pictures will be
brought to the knowledge of the
priests and people. The central Ca
tholic Action organization of each
country, under the Bishops, is sug
gested to have charge over this of
fice.
Grouping of pictures into three
categories—those pictures permitted
to all, those permitted with reserva
tions, and those that are positively
bad.
Prompt, regular and frequent pub
lication of these classified lists, em
ploying special bulletins and the Ca
tholic Press.
That all pastors of souls undertake
to obtain from their people a pledge
similar to the Legion of Decency
pledge in the United States, in which
they will promise to remain away
from motion pictures which are of
fensive to truth and Christian
morality.
Renewal of this pledge each year.
It is stated that individual Bishops,
should see ‘grave reasons,” may,
through diocesan reviewing commit
tees of their own, apply to the na
tional list of films “such severer
criterions” as the region may require,
since the national list must use stand
ards adaptable to the whole nation.
Recommending the use of a pledge
similar to the Legion of Decency
pledge, the Encylical says “the ful
fillment of this pledge supposes that
the people will be made clearly aware
of which films are permitted to all,
which are permitted with reservations
and which are harmful or positively
bad. This requires prompt, regular
and frequent publication of classified
lists of motion picture plays so as to
make the information readily acces
sible to all.”
“Were it possible,” the Encylical
continues, “it would in itself be de
sirable to establish a single list for
the entire world, because all live
under the same moral laws”. How
ever, it is pointed out, “circumstances,
usages and forms vary from country
to country, so it does not seem prac
tical to have a single list for all the
world.”
“Therefore,” it is stated, “it will be
necessary that in each country the
Bishops set up a permanent national
reviewing office”. “It will be very
proper to entrust this agency to the
central organization of Catholic
Action which is dependent on the
Bishops,” the Encyclical continues,
and “at all events”, it must be a na
tional basis, that is. it must be car
ried on by a single central responsi
bility.”
In lauding the American Bishops for
their work to promote clean motion
pictures. Pope Pius XI says “your
leadership calls forth the prompt and
devoted loyalty of your faithful peo
ple”; notes that “millions of Ameri
can Catholics signed the pledge of
the Legion of Decency”, and adds
that “We thus were able to proclaim
joyfully that few problems of these
latter times have so closely united
the Bishops and the people as the
one resolved by co-operation of this
holy crusade.”
Father Thomas A. Brennan, pastor
welcomed Bishop O'Hara to St. The
resa's Parish and outlined briefly
some of the sacred traditions in the
history of the local church, whose
congregation was organized ninety-
one years ago when Mass was cele
brated at the home of John Valen
tine Mock, one of the pioneer set-
tiers of this community. “At that
time Georgia was a part of the dio
cese of Charleston, which embraced
the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida.”
Father Brennan said, “and the priests
who ministered to the Catholics of
Albany had to come from a great dis
tance. The trips were long and fatig
uing and were made on horseback or
by stage coach.
“About 1859 it was decided to build
a church on this present lot which the
church now occupies, this lot donated
for this purpose by Colonel Nelson
* ■ *: tL a 7-.. —, d m A 1L n Tk a
Holy Trinity Sisters
Have Camp for Girls
HOLY TRINITY, Ala. — On June
23 there was the blessing and open
ing of Camp Trinita, Holy Trinity,
Ala. The camp is directly under the
supervision of the Sisters. The
schedule was carefully planned so
that a pleasant and profitable vaca
tion may be passed by the campers.
There was hiking, wading and han
dicraft. Girls between the ages of
ten and sixteen who like camp life
find Camp Trinita an ideal place.
For further information address
Camp Trinita, Holy Trinity, Ala.
MSGR. WOOD OFFICER
OF HOLY LAND ORDER
Named Commander of
Equestrian Order of the
Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem
VATICAN CIT Y—The Rt.
Rev. Msgr. Charles D- Wood, Prot
Apos, of the Diocese of Charleston. S.
C., has been nominated a commander
of the Equestrian Order of the Holy
Sepulchre, of Jerusalem by His
Beatitude Luigi Bariassina the Latin
Patriarch of Jerusalem. The docu
ments issued by the Secretary of
State of His Holiness Pope Pius XI,
recorded in the Chancery of Briefs
of Vatican City, have been delivered
to Monsignor Wood, who is the third
cleric to receive this high honor in
the United States. The Most Rev.
Thomas M. A. Burke late Bishop of
Albany, N. Y„ was the first prelate
thus honored. Bishop Burke received
his Commission at Jerusalem in 1896.
The Order of the Holy Sepulchre is
one of the most ancient orders of
Knighthood, having been founded at
Jerusalem in the tenth century by
Godrey de Bouillon, the great Crusa
der. It is the only ancient order of
knighthood that is conferred by direct
Tift, the founder of Albany. The _ . .. _
bricks used in the construction of this authorization of the Pope Pius, other
church were hand-made by the slaves Papal orders being of comparatively
they will do it to the last drop of their
blood.
The Valdosta reception was arrang
ed by Horace Caldwell, manager of
the Daniel Ashley Hotel. Bishop
O’Hara was the celebrant of Mass at
the Church of St. John the Evange
list the morning following the recep
tion.
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SEVEN CHURCHES VISITED
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On his tour of Southwest Georgia,
Bishop O’Hara visited seven churches,
St. Theresa's at Albany, St. Mary’s at
Americus. the Church of the Little
Flower, Cordele, the Church of the
Immaculate Conception, Moultrie, St.
Augustine’s at Thomasville, St. Jo
seph’s at Bainbridge and the Church
of St. John the Evangelist at Valdos
ta, in addition to a number of other
cities in which tlTere ar@tep churches
and where Mass is sail Ski private
residences. His ExcellencrJjDlans to
visit the four other Sunday missions
of the territory soon, Fitzgerald, Wil-
lacoochee and Alapaha, whifh have
churches, and Douglas, which has
none.
“Because of your vigilance and be
cause of the presence brought to bear
by public opinion”, His Holiness also
tells the United States Bishops, “the
motion picture has shown improve
ment from the moral standpoint:
crime and vice are portrayed less
frequently; sin no longer is so openly
approved or acclaimed; false ideals
of life no longer are presented in so
flagrant a manner to the impression
able minds of youth.”
His Holiness, while stating that the
motion picture industry in America
has “recognized and accepted its re
sponsibility before society”, neverth-
less warns against any let-down in
combatting moral evil. He then
urges appeals to Catholics holding
high position in the industry, saying
that “their influence has not always
been in accordance with their Faith
and its ideals.”
of Dr. Barbour on his plantation near
Newton. By 1860 the exterior of the
building was completed and the plas
tering -of the interior just begun,
when word came that Georgia had
seceded from the Union. The young
plasterer, Tom Churchill, laid down
his trowel and rode away to follow
Lee in Virginia and to die at Mal
vern Hill. The little church remain
ed in this unfinished condition until
after the surreunder.
“The Sacrament of Confirmation
was administered in this church for
the first time in 1861 by Bishop Verot
the third Bishop of Savananh.
“In 1845 the small group of earnest
Catholics would gather about the
priest who came only several times
a year to offer the sacrifice of the
Mass in the home of John Valentine
Mock: fifteen years later, in 1860, they
would assemble at the Church, now
the oldest church in the City of Al
bany. During the War Between the
States and afterwards, Albany was
served by the mission priests from
Macon, Atlanta and Brunswick. As
time went on the same sacrifice of the
Mass continued to be offered, until
today the membership numbers over
200 souls and the sacrifice of the Mass
is offered up every morning.
“The same Catholic faith that the
early missionary Fathers and the
Bishops found in the hearts of the
people of Albany you. Bishop O’Hara,
wil find in the hearts of their de
scendants in St. Theresa’s Parish. Our
Catholic people are beloved in this
community, just as their forefathers
were respected and loved.” In closing
the pastor told Bishoo O'Hara how
very happy and highly honored all
members of the congregation were to
have him visit St. Theresa's Parish,
the headquarters of Southwest Geor
gia Missions.
recent origin-
The order of the Holy Sepulchre
has under its protection the religious
and charitable institutions in Pales
tine which are administered: under
the supervision of His Beatitude Ltfigi
Bariassina. Patriarch of Jerusalem.
The order has been bestowed upon a
number of sovereigns and heads of
state in Europe and in South America
and upon distinguished prelates and
notable laymen in the United States.
Among the Americans who have
been honored by knighthood are
Marquis George MacDonald and his
eldest son, U. S. Attorney Martin
Conboy, Justice Alfred J. Talley, Su
preme Court Justices Richard P.
Lydon, Louis A. Valente and former
Mayor of New York. John P. O'Brien,
John Moody, Joseph T. Ryan. James
A. Foley, Generoso Pope. Luigi Cris-
cuolo, all of New York City and Hon,
Michael Francis Doyle and James
F. Moore, of Philadelphia.
The protector of the Knights of the
Holy Sepulchre in the United States
is His Eminence Dennis Cardinal
Dougherty, Arcliibshop of Phila
delphia.
MONSIGNOR WOOD
RECEIVED BY POPE
Pope Pius gave a private audience
to Monsignor Charles DuBois Wood,
of the Charleston. S. C„ diocese, who
thanked His Holiness for his nomina
tion as a prothonotary apostolic—a
member of the highest college of pre
lates in the Roman curia.
Pope Pius says “the power of the
motion picture consists in this: that
it speaks by means of vivid and con
crete imagery, which the mind takes
in with enjoyment and without
fatigue.” His Holiness adds that “even
thee rudest minds, which have neith
er the capacity nor the desire to make
the efforts necessary for abstraction
or deduction, are captivated by the
cinema,” and says that “since, then,
the cinema is in reality an object les
son which, for good or for evil,
teaches the majority of men more ef
fectively than abstract reasoning, it
must be elevated to conformity with
the aims of the Christian conscience
and saved from depraving or
demoralizing effects.”
While praising the efforts of the
Bishops in the United States, His
Holiness says: “It is equally the duty
of Bishops of the entire Catholic
world to unite in vigilance over this
universal and potent form of enter
tainment and instruction, to the end
that may be able to place a ban on
bad motion pictures.
“If the Bishops of the world as
sume their share in the exercise of
this painstaking vigilance over the
motion picture—and of this We, who
know their pastoral zeal, have no
doubt—they will certainly accomplish
a great work for the protection of the
morality of their people during their
moments of leisure and recreation”
the Encyclical says in conclusion.
ACTING MAYOR SPEAKS
Acting Mayor Richard Armstrong
extended cordial greeting to Bishop
O’Hara in behalf of the city, saying
that he could not nresent the kev of
.he city because Albany has neither
irek nor key. for its gates stand ever
open as the hearts of its people. Mr.
Armstrong reouested the Bishoo to
nonor the city by becoming an adopt
ed Alb nian.
Commissioner M. W. Tift gracious
ly welcomed Bishop O’Hara in behalf
of Dougherty County, as he told of
the constructive citizenshin .capable
leadership and loval service of the
members of St. Theresa's Parish in
the development of the economic, cul
tural and spiritual life of this Com
munity.
R E. McCormack, representing the
men of the congregation, and Miss
Mamie Brosnan representing the
women; both welcomed Bishop
O’Hara, expressing their deep appre
ciation of the honor of his visit, and
pledging the continual earnest loyal
ty of the men and women of St. The
resa’s and urged the Bishop to come
o f ten to Albany.
Tom H. Milner, prominent local at
torney, cordially expressed the inter
est of all Albanians, irrespective of
creed, in Bishop O’Hara's visit.
? THE BISHOP’S RESPONSE P
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In response, Bishop O’Hara told of
his keen interest in the section of
Southwest Georgia, of his apprecia
tion of the cordiality of the people
and nis deep solicitude for every sec
tion of his Diocese. “I am delighted,”
he said, ‘to become a Georgian and
an American citizen.” He spoke of the
lessons of patriotism inculcated in his
mind and heart from earliest child
hood in the parochial schools of his
native Philadelphia, by the Sisters
who taught him, and later by the
Jesuit Fathers, and he was always
taught to love his country and obey
t he laws.
“Now. I have become a citizen of
Georgia,” he said, “and I am inter
ested in the welfare of our gre, t state,
the Empire State of the South”. He
especially commended Father Bren
nan and his assistant priests for the
splendid work acoemplished in their
broad and extensive mission territory
in Southwest Georgia.
Bishop O’Hara further stressed the
primary importance of the solicitude
and the work done among little chil
dren by the Catholic Church, ever
following in the footsteps of our
Lord who loved little children. He
expressed his pleasure at the attend
ance of so many young people at the
reception. His splendid address clos
ed with an earnest appeal for a deep
er realization of the blessing of faith
and for a greater fervor in the love
and service of God.
After the Bishop's address, a social
hour was enjoyed. Refreshments were
served by the Ladies of the Altar So
ciety. Music was furnished by the
Georgia Bulldog Orchestra.
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MASS AT ALBANY
Bishop O’Hara celebrated the holy
secrifxce of the Mass the next morn
ing in St. Theresa’s Church. In the af
ternoon, accompanied by Father
Brennan, he went for a series of vis
its to six other Southwest Georgia
Missions, staying in Americus, Thom
asville and Valdosta, where informal
receptions were held in his honor.