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•SIXTEEN
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
SEPTEMBER 19, 1936
CHARLESTON SISTER,
87 YEARS NUN, DIES
Sister Philomena, 9 0, Enter
ed Convent of Our Lady of
Mercy in 1869
(Special to The Bulletin)
CHARLESTON, S. C.—Sister Philo
mena Dempsey, the oldest member of
the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy of
the Diocese of Charleston, died here
early in September at the age of 90.
Sister Philomena was born at Pres
cott, Ontario, Canada, and became a
member of the Sisters of Our Lady
of Mercy, 67 years ago, in 1869. The
South was then still in the shadow
of the War Between the States, and
Bishop P. N- Lynch, whom Presi
dent Jefferson Davis, of the Con
federacy, sent to Europe on a diplo
matic mission, was Bishop of Charles
ton; it was Bishop Lynch who re
ceived Sister Philomena’s vows.
For a number of years Sister Philo
mena was superior of St. Joseph’s
Academy, Sumter, St. Joseph’s
School, Charleston, and the City
Orphan Asylum; she endeared herself
to three generations of Charlestonians
and South Carolinians by her kindly,
self-sacrificing efforts. Ill health
forced her retirement fourteen years
ago.
The Most Rev. Emmet M. Walsh, D.
D., Bishop of Charleston, officiated
at the Requiem Mass at the convent
chapel. Interment was in St. Law
rence Cemetery- Pallbearers were
John F. Riley, George Spain. Dr. W.
Cyril O’Driscoll, Dr. John Sughrue,
Dr. Edward Gaffney and Lieut.-Com.
C. A. Armstrong.
MISS RYANlESIGNS
AS N.G.G.W, LEADER
S. Carolina Diocesan Council
President Leaving State.
Mrs. Williams Succeeds Her
COLUMBIA, S. C.—Miss Katherine
Ryan, president of the Charleston
Diocesan Council of the National
Council of Catholic Women, and one
of the most widely known and active
Catholic women of South Carolina,
resigned as president of the Diocesan
Council at the recent meeting of the
executive board held in Columbia;
Miss Ryan’s resignation was prompt
ed by the fact that she is soon to re
move to another state.
Miss Ryan, a member of a leading
Catholic family of the state, and who
lives at Hampton, has been one of the
leading factors in the success of the
Religious Vacation Schools of the
Diocese, and she has been effectively
active in many other fields. The Dio
cesan Council accepted her resigna
tion with deep regret and with pro
found appreciation of her services.
Mrs. George R. Williams, president of
the Charleston deanery council, and
first vilce-president of the Diocesan
Council, succeeds her and presided
at the meeting of the board.
Mrs. Williams, who was chairman
of the retreat ‘committee, in the ab
sence from the state of Mrs. J. A.
Von Dohlen. reported that twenty-
two attended the retreat sponsored by
the Council at St. Angela Academy,
Aiken, with the Rev. Paul Hatch of
the Oratorian Fathers, Rock Hill, S.
C.. as retreatmaster.
Reports on the various activities of
the Diocesan Council were made, and
plans for their continuance made.
The meeting was held at St. Peter's
Rectory, and the Rev. W. G. Mulver-
hill and the Rev. J. E. Burke attend
ed. One of the feature reports was
that on guilds, made by Miss Marga
ret Hoeffer of Columbia. The visit
ors were guests of the Columbia
Deanery Council, with Miss Nell
Corbett of Columbia as chairman.
Plans were made for the annual
campaign of the Diocesan Council for
funds to aid in the financing of the
Religious Vacation Schools, one of
the major activities of the Council;
every woman in the Diocese is asked
to contribute to this cause.
Those present at the board meeting
included Miss Ryan. Mrs. Williams,'
Mrs. Robert Gerald, Sumter, vice-
president, Mrs. L. D. Schley, Hamp
ton. corresponding secretary, Mrs. C.
W. Geratv. Yonge’s Island, treasurer,
Mrs. J. M. Costello, Columbia, audi
tor. and the following chairmen of
state committees: Mrs. J. W. Bond,
Columbia. Council of Catholic Wom
en: Mrs. J. Albert Von Dohlen. Char
leston, activities; Mrs. Youngener,
Columbia, girls’ welfare; Mrs. W.
McC. Williman. Charleston, publicity;
Mrs. Pender. Columbia, study clubs;
Miss Nell Corbett, Columbia. School
of Social Service: Miss Niggel. Co
lumbia. Junior Council: Miss Mary
McGrath, Anderson, S. C.; Miss Mar
garet Hoeffer, Columbia, guilds. Mrs.
J. J. Riley and Mrs. T. W. Reynolds,
ex-officio members as past presi
dents. completed the list of officers
attending the meeting.
Savannah Holy Name
Society Plans Outing
SAVANNAH, Ga.—The Holy Name
Society of Blessed Sacrament Parish,
will sponsor an outing at Pinckney’s
Island in South Carolina September
27. The committee in charge in
cludes F. A. Leutwyler, W- B. Mur
phy and W. F. McKay. The Rev.
Daniel J. Bourke is spiritual direc-
New Raleigh School
Opens in October
Baptists Meanwhile Offer
Cathedral Use of Building
(Specialto The Bulletin)
RALEIGH, N C.—The new Cathe
dral School, an attractive three-story
stone structure being erected adjacent
to the Cathedral by George W. Kane,
contractor of Greensboro, under the
supervision of the Rev- Michael Mc-
Inerney, O. S. B., diocesan architect,
will be ready for occupancy in
October. In the meantime Cathedral
School has opened its fall session in
the Sunday School Building of the
First Baptist Church, which the
Board of Deacons offered as tem
porary quarters. An increased en
rollment marks the opening of the
school.
SOUTHERN JESUITS
OBSERVE JUBILEES
Father Patrick Cronin and
Father A. J. Snebelen En
tered Society* 50 Years Ago
(Speical to The Bulletin)
NEW ORLEANS La.—Two widely
known members of the Society of
Jesus who have spent parts of their
priestly careers in Georgia and the
Southeast, Father Patrick Cronin, S.
J., and Father Aime J. Snebelen, S.
J., observed their golden jubilees
early this month while their broth
er priest and Jesuit, Father Michael
Kenny, S. J., was observing his ju
bilee at Spring Hill.
Father Cronin, a member of the
notable family which has figured so
prominently in the Jesuit Order in
the South, was born in Limerick,
Ireland, and was educated with
Father Kenny at famed Mungret
College, Ireland. He entered the So
ciety of Jesus with Father Kenny,
made his povitiate at Florissant,
Mo., his classical studies at St.
Stanislaus College, Macon, Ga., and
after two years of teaching made his
studies in philosophy at St. Charles
College, Grand Coteau, La. From
1894 to 1897 he taught at Spring Hill
college, and then went to Woodstock
College, Maryland, for his theologi
cal studies; he was ordained in 1900
by Cardinal Gibbons.
Father Cronin’s years as a priest
have been spent at Augusta, at
Spring Hill College, Immaculate
Conception College, New Orleans,
and in Galveston; he has also done
parish work in Augusta and New
Orleans. Father Cronin’s great joy
is teaching, in which he is still en
gaged at Jesuit High School, New
Orleans, and generations of young
men from Georgia to Texas, inclu
sive. many of them now scattered
throughout the world, are deeoly in
debted to him for his beneficient in
fluence on their minds and charac
ters. Three of his brothers were al
so priests in the Society of Jesus, a
family record notable in the annals
of the order.
Father Snebelen was born in
France and entered the society at
Florissant, Mo., in 1886. He follow
ed the general course of studies of
Father Cronin and was ordained
thirty-six years ago. He taught at
Galveston and Spring Hill and was
pastor for a number of years at Al-
berquerque, New Mexico. He was
aso stationed at San Antonio, and
has been for several years at St.
Charles College. Grand Coteau, La.
Like Father Cronin and Father
Kenny. Father Snebelen has given
generations of young men reason to
bless his name because of his able
and self-sacrificing ministrations to
them as priest and teacher.
Passionist Father to
Give Priests* Retreat
Rev. Hubert Sweeney, C. P.,
Savannah Retreatmaster
(Special to The Bulletin)
SAVANNAH, Ga.—The Rev. Hu
bert Sweeney, C. P. noted Passionist
retreatmaster, of Toronto, Canada,
will conduct the annual retreat for
the priests of the Diocese of Savan
nah next week, the Most Rev. Bishop
O’Hara of Savannah presiding. The
retreat will be held at Hotel Tybee,
Savannah Beach, the customary ar
rangement.
St. Anthony*s New
Rectory Progressing
Atlanta Parish Erecting
Final Unit of Parish Plant
(Special to The Bulletin)
ATLANTA, Ga.—St. Anthony’s par
ish’s latest project, the new rectory,
is making splendid progress toward
completion, and when it is finished
the parish will have one of the most
complete and modem plants in the
South. St. Anthony’s, of which Fa
ther James H. Conlin is pastor, has
a magnificent church, a splendid
school and commodious convent; the
rectory also was an ambition of the
late Monsignor Clark, and Father
Conlin. stained, ji in
PAPAL BLESSING FOR
GOL. SPALDING AS HE
MARKS 80th BIRTHDAY
Bishop O’Hara, Bishop
Keyes, Bishop Barry Felici
tate Noted Atlantan
(Special to The Bulletin)
ATLANTA, Ga.—Felicitated by the
Holy Father, by the Most Rev. Gerald
P. O’Hara, D. D„ J. U. D., Bishop
of Savannah, by the Most Rev.
Michael J. Keyes, S. M., D. D., Col.
Jack J. Spalding, K. S. G., K. M., one
of Georgia’s most distinguished and
beloved citizens, observed his 80th
birthday here August 29.
The felicitations of the Holy Fath
er to Mr. Spalding came from His
Eminence, Cardinal Pacelli, Papal
Secretary of State, through Bishop
O’Hara of Savannah; the cablegram
read: “Holy Father congratulates
Jack J. Spalding on occasion of his
eightieth birthday and sends pater
nal apostolic blessing.” The Holy
Father made Mr. Spalding a Knight
of St. Gregory eight years ago, one
of two living Georgians so honored,
the other being J. J. Haverty. He
is also a Knight of Malta, and in
1928 was awarded the Laetare Medal
by the University of Notre Dame, an
honor previously merited by only one
other Georgia, the late Admiral Wm.
S- Benson, U. S. N.
Mr. Spalding started his eightieth
birthday by attending Mass at Sacred
Heart Church, his daily custom; his
three children and ten of his eleven
grandchildren received Holy Com
munion with him, the eleventh being
too young.
Bishop O’Hara wired Mr. Spalding:
“Sincerest congratulations and heart
felt good wishes on reaching your
eightieth birthday anniversary. The
Church in America rejoices in the
noble example of your Catholic life.
May God bless you and grant you
length of days in health and happi
ness.”
The Most Rev. Patrick Barry, D. D.,
Bishop of Augustine, and a friend of
Mr Spalding’s for many years, also
wired heart-felt felicitations.
Mr. Spalding was born in Morgan-
field, Ky., the descendant of fore
bears who came to Maryland in
pioneer colonial days. For over fifty
years he has been one of Atlanta’s
leading citizens, and for a number
of years he has been the dean of the
bar there. He was one of the organ
izers of the Young Men’s Democratic
League of Fulton County in 1885,
serving as its president, and he has
attended every Democratic National
Convention since the days of Cleve
land; he was the dean of the delega
tion to the Philadelphia convention
this year, and recently entertained
the members of the delegation at a
dinner at the Capitol City Club.
Mr. Spalding was one of the
organizers of the Catholic Laymen’s
Association of Georgia, and served
as its second president; he has been
a state vice-president and a mem
ber of its finance committee since
its organization. He is one of the
most active members of the St. Vin
cent de Paul Society in the South,
and vice-president for the Baltimore
Province, including the entire South
east; recently he returned from Ca
tholic Charities Conference in Seattle-
Mr. Spalding’s wife died shortly after
the golden jubilee of their marriage.
SITE ACQUIRED FOR
SAINT MARY’S HOME
Plans Now Being Made for
Erection of Structure on
Victory Drive, Savannah
SAVANNAH, Ga.—A tract of land
containing nearly eight acres and lo
cated on Victory Drive on the east
ern side of Skidaway Road has been
acquired for the new St. Mary’s
Home, the Most Rev. Gerald P.
O’Hara, D. D., Bishop of Savannah,
president of the Female Benevolent
Orphan Society, announces. The
tract has a frontage of 474 feet on
Victory Drive, and is considered ideal
for the purpose for which it is in
tended.
At a meeting held at the present St.
Mary’s Home last Saturday, plans for
the new home were discussed, but no
definite decision has yet been made.
Present at the meeting were Bishop
O’Hara, John W. Gleason, vice-presi
dent and chairman of the building
committee, Cletus Bergen, Sister An
tonia and the counsellors.
The present St. Mary’s Home,
which has housed the homeless little
girls for decades, is now in the cen
ter of a thickly populated section of
Savannah and the buildings have be
come outmoded through age. Plans
for a new home have been entertain
ed for some time, and it is anticipat
ed that it will be posible to start
construction work in the near fu
ture.
REV. JAMES M. DROUGHT, M.M.
assistant to the superior general of
the Maryknoll Missioners, was se
verely injured when the British
plane in which he was traveling from
the general chapter of the society to
Rome crashed on the island of Crete:
he was brought to the Red Cross hos
pital in Athens. Two passengers were
Savannah Pastor
«EV. JOSEPH G. CASSIDY
Pastor at Rome
&
REV. JAMES H. GRADY
SISTER GABRIEL 50
YEARS A RELIGIOUS
Bishop O’Hara Celebrant of
Jubilee Mass of Beloved
Little Sister of Poor
(Special to The Bulletin)
SAVANNAH, Ga.—Monday was a
day of great rejoicing at the Home
for the Aged, for it marked the gold
en jubilee in religion of the beloved
Sister Gabriel, who has spent a half-
century of her life caring for the
poor and the aged. Mother Provincial
of the Little Sisters of the Poor was
present from Baltimore for the jubi
lee, which was rendered notable by
the participation of His Excellency,
the Most Rev. Gerald P. O’Hara, D.D.,
Bishop of Savannah, in the ceremo
nies.
Bishop O’Hara was celebrant of
the Solemn High Mass at the chapel
of the home, with the Very Rev. Fa
ther Boniface, O.S.B., as assistant
priest, Father Paul as deacon, Father
Peter as sub-deacon and Father Nor-
bert as master of ceremonies.
At noon a jubilee dinner was
served, and in the afternoon
Bishop O’Hara was celebrant at Pon
tifical Benediction. The chapel was
appropriately decorated for the cere
mony, and the residents of the home
participated in all the ceremonies and
other features of the observance of
the jubilee of their beloved friend
and benefactress.
REV. J. G. CASSIDY IS
SAVANNAH PASTOR;
FR. GRADY AT ROME
Bisbop O’Hara Appoints
Rome Pastor to Blessed
Sacrament Parish
(Special to The Bulletin)
SAVANNAH, Ga.—The Rev. Jos
eph G. Cassidy, first resident pastor
of St. Mary’s parish, Rome, Ga., has
been appointed pastor of the Church
of the Blessed Sacrament, Savannah,
succeeding the Rev. Joseph R. Smith,
who has gone to the Church of the
Immaculate Conception, Atlanta, and
the Rev. James H. Grady of the Ca
thedral of St. John the Baptist has
been appointed to succeed Father
Casidy at Rome, the Most Rev. Ger
ald P. O'Hara. D. D„ Bishop of Sa
vannah, announces. The changes are
effective Wednesday of this week.
Father Grady, who did splendid
work as director of the first religious
vacation camp here this year, is a
native Savannahian, and a graduate
of Benedictine School, St. Charles
College and St. Mary’s Seminary,
Maryland. He was ordained to the
priesthood in the Cathedral of St.
John the Baptist May 21. 1932, by the
Most Rev. Michael J. Keyes, S. M..
D. D„ then Bishop of Savannah.
Father Cas ' ly, who recently re
turned from Europe and Rome, has
made a notable record at Rome,
where in the space of seven years he
has erected and paid for St. Mary’s
Church, one of the most beautiful
churches in the state.
Father Grady left Savannah for his
new post Monday night; Bishop
O’Hara, a number of the clergy, in
cluding the Rt. Rev. Msgr. Joseph F.
Croke, the Rev. P. J. O Connor, and
the Rev. Thomas L. Finn, and nearly
one hundred of his friends of the
laity were, at the station to bid him
Godspeed Ao his new post.
TOUGHING FAREWELL
TO FATHER CASSIDY
Parish and City of Rome Bid
Him Godspeed as He Leaves
for His New Post
Fr. Smith Extended
Welcome to Atlanta
Parishoners Greet Him at
Immaculate Conception
Rectory
(Special to The Bulletin)
ATLANTA, Ga.—Immaculate Con
ception Church’s parishioners extend
ed a heartfelt welcome to the parish’s
new pastor, the Rev. Joseph R. Smith,
the first Sunday of September, hun
dreds of Father Smith’s new parish
ioners and other friends calling to
greet him. Committees from the par
ish arranged the reception, which was
held at the rectory. Father Smith is
no stranger in Atlanta, having lived
here as a young man and having been
stationed for some time at St. An
thony’s Church.
CARDINAL MUNDELEIN has es
tablished his eighty-ninth parish
since he went to the Archdiocese as
Archbishop; it is the parish of Christ
the King, with the Rev. Patrick
_Gtkasoa-a&, Jiasto£»_ _
(BY JOSEPH MALOOF)
ROME, Ga. — Facing a sorrowful
and tearful congregation, the Rev.
Joseph G. Cassidy, pastor of Saint
Mary's Parish, here, preached his
farewell sermon at the 9 o’cclock
Mass, Sunday, September 13. The
nnouncement, the previous Satur
day, of Father Cassidy’s transfer to
the pastorate of the Church of the
Blessed Sacrament, Savannah, came
as a distinct shock to his parishion
ers and his many friends in Rome
and Northwest Georgia.
“When I came to you seven years
afgo,” Father _ Cassidy said, “I was
young and inexperienced in this
work. You have given me every
co-operation in everything that I
have done. These have been happy
years. And I am proud to say that
half of my ministry has thus far
been spent with you, in my first
pastorate as your first pastor. You
are mine in a special way, and I
shall never forget you and the kind
and generous people of Rome.”
In the evening the parishioners and
their friends gathered at the General
Forrest Hotel to pay tribute to Fath
er Cassidy. The farewell reception
was presided over by Bernard S.
Fahy, prominent layman, who said
in part:
“Father Cassidy, this gathering
was called that your friends of Rome
and your parishoners might have an
opportunity to say goodbye to you.
“It seems but a few weeks ago that
this room was crowded with your
friends here to bid you godspeed on
a trip to the Holy Land, a trip made
possible most largely by your friends
outside Saint Mary’s Church.
“Now. just a week after your re
turn, when their gladness and ours
of Saint Mary’s Church was so full
to have you back, your Bishop call
ed you to a larger duty. But had
our good Bishop been present this
morning and seen what we saw
through misty eyes and heard the
awful silence of that moment when
we stood ag a farewell gesture to the
priestly figure there in the sanctu
ary, extending his last blessing to his
congregation, he might have recall
ed his order.
“But he didn’t see it and we accept
the finality of a Bishop's command
and the sacredness of a priest’s vow
of obedience.
“Seven years ago you came to us,
perhaps some fifty Catholics, in a
little wooden church on the side of,
a hill; today you bid us goodbye, full
two hundred of ns in as beautiful
a stone church as can be found in
the length and width of Georgia.
“It is debt free, it is ours, but
more than that, you have built an
even more lasting memorial in our
hearts; you have baptized our chil
dren. you have instructed them, you
have brought them to their first
Communion, you have visited our
sick, you have helped the destitute,
you have given counsel to those in
sorrow, you have buried 'our loved
ones. You have shown us the dig
nity and beauty of our religion and
l (Continued on Page Twelve).